Spotlight PR’s Women’s History Reading List

In honor of Women’s History Month (WHM), we compiled a list of books we believe everyone should read. In addition to those who illuminate the experiences of womanhood, we include writers who detail caring for our well-being. We note some of our favorite authors, understanding no reading list is exhaustive.

It is impossible to include every prolific woman who has detailed the experiences of womanhood in a single list. Instead, we hope our list inspires you to think about the faces of womanhood and writers who share them.

1. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. 

This graphic memoir tells the story of an Iranian woman who grew up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. She explores faith, activism, and what it means to be a girl–all in the setting of social upheaval. In the sequel, Persepolis 2, Satrapi details her coming of age living between Iran and Europe. She examines the struggles of womanhood and forming a cultural identity. Though difficult at times, Persepolis is an engaging read with powerful insight into womanhood in a changing world.

2. Take Back Your Brain by Kara Loewentheil.

A woman’s worth in society has been defined by her looks, her marital status, and her nurturing abilities. These long-standing measurements have been in place for years and have gone without proper adjustment. Kara Loewentheil encourages women to delete negativity and rewire the brain to create images complimentary to who you are. Throughout this book, Loewentheil uses cognitive psychology, feminist theory, and her neuroplasticity-based coaching practice. She teaches women how to override the negative perceptions of themselves placed on them by society.

3. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.

This novel tells the story of a young girl growing up in a series of fast-moving vignettes. The unique writing style of Sandra Cisneros allows you to feel the story from inside the main character’s mind. She grapples with issues of class, race, gender, sexuality, and identity as a whole. The House on Mango Street addresses sensitive topics through the eyes of someone facing them for the first time.

4. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

This non-fiction work by Potawotami author Robin Wall Kimmerer offers a new perspective on knowledge and science. Braiding Sweetgrass delves into Traditional Ecological Knowledge as a tool in advancing science. It explores indigenous traditions and wisdom by word of mouth, sharing how Western science often scoffs at these perspectives. This is perfect for environmentalists and anyone seeking to learn more about indigenous experiences and diversity of knowledge.

5. Black Indian by Shonda Buchanan.

In this memoir, Buchanan gives a raw take on life as an African American with American Indian roots. She outlines life in the Michigan Tribe, which her family was a part of growing up. The story describes what being in this tribe taught her about herself. Black Indian  is a culmination of love, depression, addiction, perseverance, and self-identity.

6 . East of Flatbush, North of Love: An Ethnography of Home by Danielle Brown.

Combining text and music, East of Flatbush, North of Love is an ethnographic memoir of life in a diaspora community. Danielle Brown explores her identity as the daughter of immigrants from Trinidad living in the United States. She watches gentrification expand, examines the ever-present effects of colonization, and carefully curates playlists to set the scene. The incorporation of music into story-telling makes this examination of identity flow past the norms of writing.

7. Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma.

This memoir shares the life of Haben Girma, a disability rights advocate who is deaf and blind. Girma describes her experiences in Eritrea, innovating in unsupportive environments, and finding creative solutions to stay active and connected. The book covers her childhood, her start in law, and her current work advocating for improved accessibility. Girma offers a perspective of navigating the world to allow change and community for everyone.

8. How the García Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez.

In this story, four sisters arrive in New York after their father attempts to overthrow a dictator in the Dominican Republic. This story highlights the difficulties of immigrating to a new country and holding on to your identity in a new place.

9. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde.

In this biomythography, Lorde combines her experiences with fiction to tell the coming-of-age story of a blind child of immigrants. Navigating racism, relationships, family, and sexuality, Lorde shares her experience as a “Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet”.

10. Black Women Writers at Work by Claudia Tate.

In this book, writers Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Alice Walker, and others give insights on the lived experiences of Black women and storytelling. Each writer speaks to why she writes the stories she does and how she strives to pave the way for the next generation of Black female writers.

Jayla Smith and Sophia Shannon are media relations associates for Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out our other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates.