Supporting women every day is a good thing, but March 8th is officially International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women’s achievements. Writing a book is an incredible undertaking and I am so excited to share this list of books by accomplished and amazing women.
If we don’t take advantage of learning through others, we miss out on the greater understanding of different people and cultures. By tapping in to the work of these great authors, we benefit from different perspectives and grow from the immersive experience of reading. Celebrate the women who wrote the stories and the women characters who are written; they all have something important to say.
Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi, available March 2nd
Nadia Hashimi’s parents were born in Afghanistan, and she was raised in New York and New Jersey. She is a pediatrician and currently serves as the Health Care Commissioner in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Ten-year-old Afgan girl Sitara is the sole survivor of a communist coup, rescued and raised by a diplomat in America. Forty years later, and a successful surgeon, she is unexpectedly faced with the tragedy of her past. I love Nadia Hashimi’s prior novels, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, The House Without Windows and When the Moon is Low.
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue, available March 9th
Imbolo Mbue, novelist and short story writer, was born in Cameroon and lives in New York.
An African village faces detrimental environmental issues caused by an American oil company’s greed in this new novel by the author of Behold the Dreamers.
Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge available March 30th
Kaitlyn Greenidge, an American author and contributing writer for The New York Times, was born in Boston, MA and lives in Brooklyn, NY.
This pick is a fiction inspired by one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and her quest for freedom. I loved Greenidge’s earlier novel, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, and I look forward to reading this one.
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia, available March 30th
Gabriela Garcia is the daughter of immigrants from Cuba and Mexico, was raised in Miami and currently lives in northern CA.
A fiction about a Cuban immigrant, her daughter battling addiction, and the trauma of displacement.
The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik, available April 6th
Jasmin Darznik was born in Iran and now lives in California.
A work of fiction based on the American documentary photojournalist, Dorothea Lange in early 1900s San Francisco. I loved Darznik’s earlier book, Song of a Captive Bird, about the trailblazing Iranian poet, Forugh Farrokhzhad.
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones
Cherie Jones, an author and a practicing lawyer, was born, raised and currently resides in Barbados.
Her debut novel is about four people and their legacies of crime, and is set on the beautiful island of Barbados.
This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith
Leesa Cross-Smith is a homemaker and author from Kentucky.
A recently divorced therapist and a suicidal man brought together by chance spend a life-changing, healing weekend together.
When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
Gina Wilkinson, a former foreign correspondent and aid worker, has lived all over, from the Australian desert to Bagdad, Bangkok, New York, Brazil, Canada and Sri Lanka, and currently resides in Melbourne.
Based on the author’s experience as a foreign correspondent, radio journalist and documentary maker, this debut is about three women whose lives intersect amidst the politics and government of Iraq.
The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali – Review and Q & A by Book Nation by Jen
Marjan Kamali was born in Turkey to Iranian parents and grew up in Kenya, Germany, Turkey, Iran and the United States, and currently lives in the Boston area.
This is a love story gone wrong set amidst political unrest in 1950s Iran.
If You Want to Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais – Review and Q & A by Book Nation by Jen
Bianca Marais was born and raised in South Africa, and she is currently residing in Toronto.
Family, identity and love in the lives of three women in post-Apartheid South Africa are the catalysts of this novel.
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose – Review by Book Nation by Jen
Heather Rose was born in Tasmania, Australia, traveled Europe and Asia, worked in Melbourne and currently resides in Tasmania.
A fictional novel about the human need for connection surrounding the artist Marina Abramovic. Her art was a presented exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010 NYC.
Searching For Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok – Review and Q & A by Book Nation by Jen
Jean Kwok was born in Hong Kong, raised in Brooklyn, NY and she currently resides in the Netherlands.
A Chinese immigrant family, a missing daughter and family secrets make up this moving story of culture and language.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce – Review by Book Nation by Jen
Rachel Joyce, a former actress, is a British writer currently residing in South West England.
This charming story lands us in 1980s London, where music brings odd people together.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya – Review by Book Nation by Jen
Clemantine Wamariya was born in Rwanda and forced to leave due to the genocide. She later grew up in Chicago, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and attended Yale.
In 1994 Rwanda, Clemantine and her sister wandered the country for six years until they were granted asylum and arrived in the US. Incredible memoir that touches on memory, faith and survival.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – Review by Book Nation by Jen
Min Jin Lee was born in Seoul, Korea, immigrated to Queens, attended Yale and Georgetown Law, lived in Tokyo to do research and is currently based in New York City.
An early 1900s Korean teenager deals with her pregnancy, rejection of the baby’s father, a Japanese husband and all that ensues in this multigenerational saga.
For more great reads from female authors about female characters, check out Jen’s full list here.
