Best reads for Women’s History Month
While there is no correct set of things you have to do to celebrate Women’s History Month — you can support local organizations, advocate through social media and purposefully research extremely imporant issues affecting women worldwide — a small and just as critical method of celebration is reading. Here are a few titles reminding which will help remind us of the great inspiration and force that women are.
“American Spy” by Lauren Wilkinson
Nominated for the NAACP Image Award and shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel prize, “American Spy” takes on a new unique angle of the Cold War, starring Marie Mitchell, a Black FBI spy. After dealing with scraps of low-profile work, Marie is suddenly tasked with bringing down Burkina Faso’s president, Thomas Sankara. Marie desperately says yes, despite her misgivings on the ulterior motives of the sudden job offer, the weight of her sister’s death and her conflicting personal opinions on Sankara. However, going through with this job will challenge her beliefs as a lover, sister, spy and American.
Based on true events, “American Spy” captures the politics of race, womanhood and success with an incredibly brilliant female protagonist. Although about a spy, this novel will force you to apply the lessons Marie learns and the difficult emotions she tackles to your own life quite brilliantly.
“We Can Be Heroes” by Kyrie McCauley
Named one of Parade’s YA Books of the Year and a Rise: A Feminist Book Project Book of the Year, “We Can Be Heroes” emphasizes girls standing up for each other when no one else will. When Beck and Vivian’s mutual friend, Cassie, is killed in a school shooting, they finally agree on one thing: revenge. Making sure the town and the world never will forget Cassie, the two paint murals of her, catching a famous podcaster’s attention who is working on Cassie’s case. Beck and Vivian become the center of attention in a town debate while delivering closure to Cassie’s ghost. “We Can Be Heroes” powerfully depicts the pain caused by gun violence and domestic violence while artfully projecting the protagonists’ cry for justice and call for action. It is an extremely painful look into a common issue, one which will ignite your passion to conduct change.
“Furia” by Yamile Saied Méndez
Called “La Furia” on the soccer field, Camila Hassan, an obedient daughter at home, dreams of a soccer scholarship at a North American university. When her team qualifies for a South American tournament, Camila envisions a sure path to success. However, her strict parents stand in the way of pursuing her fútbol passion. When her childhood crush returns as an international fútbol star, Camila decides that being a girl doesn’t mean she can’t achieve her dreams too.
“Furia” seeks to inspire girls to live their own passions in the context of sports without giving up on love and identity.
“The Genius of Women” by Janice Kaplan
From Janice Kaplan, journalist and creator and host of “The Gratitude Diaries,” “The Genius of Women” is a combination of a personal memoir, narrative and inspiration to highlight women geniuses brushed aside by history. Including interviews with women geniuses in a variety of fields from science to art, Kaplan challenges the wide spread male-oriented definition of genius to celebrate the outstanding work done by women that smashed through obstacles in their own ways. This book is perfect for anyone looking for an engaging set of stories about real heroines from the past and present and wanting to receive incredible motivation to pursue their passions.
“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison
For a quick but powerful read, try “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison, a Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize in Literature and National Book Critics Circle Award recipient. The narrative follows Twyla and Roberta’s friendship as children through adulthood as they part and reunite. Their relationship centers the story, emphasizing the power of perception – of which Morrison challenges by not identifying the racial identity of the women. Commenting on the threads of social reality dictated by the constructed concept of race, Morrison crafts a narrative that focuses on women — and only women — and the American experience as a woman in the 1980s when it was first published, and now in modern day.
“Out” by Natsuo Kirino
A heart-pounding thriller, “Out,” details four friends that work together, harboring their disturbing troubles. When Yayoi Yamamoto kills her abusive husband, her three friends aid her in covering up the crime. Though they falsely pin the crime on a man who had a grudge against Yayoi’s husband, he seeks to viciously get back at each of the women. Written by one of Japan’s most popular authors, this crime mystery provides a shocking look at the things that build up, pushing people to commit violent acts. Kirino does not pull her punches, including moving commentary meant to discredit female stereotypes (and encourage women to rebel against patriarchal norms), forcing the reader to think about mortality.
Overall, these stories are simply a minor percentage of the extremely wide-ranging narratives about women. The permanence of literature reminds us that there’s an infinite amount of stories of the past and present that haven’t been brought to light. From failures to triumphs, each story slowly expands the visibility and accessibility of women for women.