Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity

This thematic Collection highlights Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity. Through novels, plays, and works of nonfiction, the selections in this Collection explore the feminine experience in a variety of historical settings and cultures as they examine topics such as gender roles, feminism, and what it means to be feminine.

The Miniaturist

by Jessie Burton

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Religion & Spirituality, Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World History, Magical Realism, Fantasy

The Miniaturist (2014) is the debut novel of English author and actress Jessie Burton. The novel became an international bestseller following a bidding war in 2013 and won the 2014 Waterstones Book of the Year award. In 2017, a television adaptation aired on BBC One, starring Anya Taylor-Joy.A work of historical fiction, The Miniaturist is set in 17th-century Amsterdam. Narrated in the third person, the story follows the coming-of-age of protagonist Nella Oortman within a... Read The Miniaturist Summary

The Mistake

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, Appearance & Reality, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Beauty, Fame, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags New Adult, Romance

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The Museum of Innocence

by Orhan Pamuk

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, The Past, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Romance, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Arts & Culture

The Museum of Innocence (2008) is a novel by Orhan Pamuk. The novel follows an Istanbul society bachelor named Kemal Basmacı, who falls in love with his younger distant relative, Füsun Keskin, just as he is getting engaged to another society woman. As Kemal becomes increasingly obsessed with Füsun, he upends his life for her, leading to tragedy for both of them. The novel explores The Devastating Impact of Obsession, Modesty as a Tool of... Read The Museum of Innocence Summary

The New Dress

by Virginia Woolf

Publication year 1927

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Loneliness, Femininity

Tags Classic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, British Literature, World History

“The New Dress” by Virginia Woolf was meant to be an early chapter of the author’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, published in 1925. Woolf omitted the material from the novel, however, and instead published it as a short story in 1927. The story is a stream-of-consciousness narrative told from the point of view of the main character, Mabel Waring. The extreme interiority of the story and lack of a significant plot is characteristic of literary Modernism... Read The New Dress Summary

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

by Alexander McCall Smith

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Community, Femininity

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Humor

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (1998) is the first novel in the series of the same name written by British author Alexander McCall Smith. It follows the career of Precious Ramotswe, the fictionalized first female private detective in Botswana, as she solves mysteries for her friends and neighbors. Throughout the novel, McCall Smith draws on his childhood in Zimbabwe (bordering Botswana); he was born into a family of white British administrators under the British... Read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Summary

The Only One Left

by Riley Sager

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Siblings, Community, Fathers, Place, The Past, Guilt, Revenge, Disability, Femininity

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Disability, Grief & Death, Social Class

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The Other Bennet Sister

by Janice Hadlow

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Regency Era

The Other Bennet Sister (2020) is the debut novel by British author and former television executive Janice Hadlow. A work of historical fiction, the novel is an imaginative retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, focusing on the marginalized middle sister, Mary Bennet. Overlooked by her family for her plain appearance in a society that prizes female beauty, the bookish Mary seeks validation in her intellectual and musical pursuits. The story follows her journey from... Read The Other Bennet Sister Summary

The Pirate Queen

by Ariel Lawhon

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, The Past, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Nation, War, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

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The Poison Daughter

by Sheila Masterson

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Femininity, Family

Sheila Masterson’s 2025 novel, The Poison Daughter, is a standalone entry in the popular dark romantasy subgenre, which blends high fantasy with dark romance. Set in the walled city of Lunameade, the story follows Harlow Carrenwell, the youngest daughter of the city’s magical ruling family. Cursed with a poison kiss that kills instantly, Harlow secretly operates as the “Poison Vixen,” a vigilante who targets abusive men. Her mission is upended when she is forced into... Read The Poison Daughter Summary

The Portrait of a Lady

by Henry James

Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Femininity, Marriage, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, US History, British Literature, American Literature, Italian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, is considered one of the most important novels written in English. It was published first in serial form between 1880 and 1881, and later revised for another edition in 1908. The novel details the experience of a young American woman, Isabel Archer, who travels to Europe. She is committed to her freedom, rejecting two marriage proposals. After she inherits an unexpected fortune, she falls victim to the... Read The Portrait of a Lady Summary

The Power

by Naomi Alderman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Future, Femininity

Tags Gender & Feminism, Science & Nature, Politics & Government, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Influenced by the dystopian futuristic vision of Margaret Atwood’s landmark 1985 feminist work The Handmaid’s Tale, Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel The Power fuses genre elements of speculative fiction with the traditional historical novel. Part allegory, part satire, the novel depicts a near-contemporary world in which women move into positions of real power through an inexplicable genetic anomaly: they develop an extra braid of muscle along their collarbones that enables them to shoot devastating jolts of... Read The Power Summary

The Pursuit of Love

by Nancy Mitford

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Social Class, Perseverance, Hope, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Economics, War

Tags Romance, Satirical Literature, Humor, Historical Fiction, British Literature

... Read The Pursuit of Love Summary