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.

Cymbeline

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1623

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Regret, Femininity, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Nation, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, Romance

Cymbeline is a play by William Shakespeare. Its first recorded performance was in 1611, and it was published in the First Folio in 1623. Some scholars have posited that sections may have been written collaboratively. The play is loosely inspired by accounts of the historical British king Cunobeline, but also draws on other sources. It has never been considered a history play, reflecting the looseness of this connection.Cymbeline is king of ancient Britain. His sons... Read Cymbeline Summary

Daisy Miller

by Henry James

Publication year 1878

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Social Class, Conflict, Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, Education, Education, American Literature, World History

Daisy Miller is a novella by Henry James, first published in Cornhill Magazine in 1878 and in book form a year later. This short piece of fiction explores the differences in class and social expectations in America and Europe, especially for young women just before the turn of the 20th century. James was a member of a prominent and wealthy American family; his education and travels to England and continental Europe allowed him to gain... Read Daisy Miller Summary

Dangerous Liaisons

by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Publication year 1782

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Femininity, Love, Revenge, Sexual Identity

Tags Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Love & Sexuality

Dangerous Liaisons is an epistolary novel (i.e., a story told through a series of letters) first published in 1782, seven years before the start of the French Revolution, by Pierre-Ambroise-François Choderlos de Laclos. The story revolves around the scheming and manipulative activities of two aristocrats, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. They take pleasure in seducing and ruining the reputations of others, using their wit and charm to manipulate those around them... Read Dangerous Liaisons Summary

Daughter Of Fortune

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fate, Femininity

Tags Latin American Literature, Historical Fiction, Love & Sexuality, World History, Magical Realism, Romance

Daughter of Fortune, first published in Spanish in 1998 (Hija de la fortuna), is the fifth novel by celebrated Latin American writer Isabel Allende. The winner of multiple awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Chile’s National Literature Prize, Allende created this work of historical fiction, in part, to explore the impact of feminism on her own life. Daughter of Fortune tells the story of a young woman, Eliza Sommers, and her odyssey of... Read Daughter Of Fortune Summary

Daughters of the Bamboo Grove

by Barbara Demick

Publication year 2025

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Memory, Femininity, Language, Race, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Siblings, Community, Economics, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Biography, US History, Asian History, Immigration & Refugeeism

Daughters of the Bamboo Grove (2025) is a work of narrative nonfiction by journalist Barbara Demick. The book chronicles the true story of identical twin sisters separated in infancy as the result of China’s one-child policy. After family-planning officials confiscated one of the twins, she was adopted by a family in Texas, while her sister remained with their birth family in rural Hunan Province. The narrative follows Demick’s investigation into their case and her role... Read Daughters of the Bamboo Grove Summary

Daughters of the Sun and Moon

by Lisa See

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, Immigration, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature

Daughters of the Sun and Moon (2026) is a historical novel by Lisa See, an author known for her best-selling fiction exploring the lives of Chinese and Chinese American women. The novel is set in the violent, dusty pueblo of 1870s Los Angeles, a city rife with racial hostility and lawlessness. The story follows three young Chinese women whose lives intersect on the city’s Calle de los Negros: Dove, a beautiful scholar’s daughter sold into... Read Daughters of the Sun and Moon Summary

Den of Vipers

by K.A Knight

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

... Read Den of Vipers Summary

Desert Flower

by Waris Dirie

Publication year 1998

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Femininity, Gender Identity, Community, Perseverance

Tags Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Inspirational, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad is a memoir published in 1998 by the Somali model, author, and activist Waris Dirie and author Cathleen Miller. The book recounts Dirie’s harrowing life story, from her roots as a member of a nomadic family and the abuses she suffered as a child to her rise to international fame as a fashion model, an ambassador and advocate for women's rights, and an author. The novel... Read Desert Flower Summary

Dictee

by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Community, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Religion & Spirituality, Mothers

Tags Prose, Asian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee (1982) is a hybrid form of prose poetry, autobiography, ethnography, criticism, and fictional experiments. Cha was a Korean American visual artist, poet, and filmmaker. She was tragically murdered only a week after the book was published. The book went out of print for several years before interest in Cha’s work was revived in the 1990s by feminist authors, such as Norma Alarcón. Cha’s work was honored with an exhibition including... Read Dictee Summary

Dire bound

by Sable Sorensen

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

... Read Dire bound Summary

Disclaimer

by Renée Knight

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Mothers, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

... Read Disclaimer Summary