Women's History Month Recommendations: Books Featuring Powerful Women from History

March is Women's History Month, so let's celebrate with a list of books that feature some incredibly powerful women from history, both near and far. I've combined nonfiction biographies and personal accounts along with some fictionalized versions in this list, so hopefully there is something for everyone. When I first made this list, I had at least twenty books, but I weeded it down to ten (which was really hard!) in order to make it a bit more manageable. 

The Favored Daughter by Fawzia Koofi
I read this book so many years ago, but I still think about Fawzi Koofi and her inspiring story of strength and determination. For those unfamiliar with her, Koofi is a politician and women's rights activist in Afghanistan who is doing some incredibly important things, and I believe that she is still Vice President of the National Assembly in Afghanistan. This book was amazing!
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs (Review)
This book is geared more towards younger readers, but I think that any age could learn a lot from its content, which features an incredible list of some pretty amazing women from history. This includes Alice Ball, a chemist who created a treatment for leprosy,  Sarah Emma Edmonds, a Canadian soldier and spy, and many more trailblazing women.
Buy the book: Amazon (on sale!) | Book Depository



Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette by Sena Jeter Naslund (Review)
The most common thing that people seem to know about Marie Antoinette is that she was beheaded, but there's honestly so much more to her than just that. This book tells one imagining of Antoinette's life as she was thrust into a variety of roles throughout her life, and Naslund writes in an incredibly beautiful and almost lyrical quality that makes this book a wonderful experience to read.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen (Review)
This book tells the story of Sofonisba Anguissola, who is believed to be the first acclaimed female artists during the Renaissance. I knew absolutely nothing about this woman--or that she even existed--before reading this book, and I really enjoyed it. This really made me want to learn more about Anguissola!
Buy the book: Amazon (on sale - $6 paperback!) | Book Depository






Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
I read this book for the first time back in seventh grade for a book report, and I remember thinking, "Why does no one ever talk about her? We talk about Anne Frank all the time, but why is no one talking about Alicia Appleman-Jurman?" Seventh grade me was so shocked and inspired by Alicia Appleman-Jurman story of survival during the Holocaust and World War II that I just wanted everyone to read this book. And I still do!
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





Ball of Fire: The Tumultuous Life and Comic Art of Lucille Ball by Stefan Kanfer
As anyone who knows me is already aware, I am undeniably and completely in love with I Love Lucy and Lucille Ball (and everything else that she's done!). I don't know if I would say this is the best book about her out there, but I do recommend any book about her because she is simply a phenomenal woman who made so many steps forward for women in the entertainment industry.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





The Queen of Subtleties by Suzannah Dunn
It would be impossible to say that Anne Boleyn was not a powerful woman--this woman knew what she wanted, and she accomplished it. There are endless books about Anne Boleyn out there, but I found this one to be a rather interesting portrayal that made for a great read. If you love Anne Boleyn stories, I also recommend Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict (Review)
Everyone knows Albert Einstein, but most people don't know his wife, Mileva Maric. Mileva is unfortunately often overlooked, but she also made many incredible discoveries and was a very intelligent woman. This book tells her side of the story and how she handled her passion for learning, being the only woman in a male class, and many more events throughout her life.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository





Helen of Troy by Margaret George (Review)
I had to include some women from Greek myth, so I figured that the owner of "the face that launched a thousand ships" would be a good choice. Margaret George has a really lovely prose style, and her reimagining of Helen's part in the Trojan War was incredibly interesting. Helen of Troy is an unassumingly powerful woman, so I couldn't pass up sharing her story.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository






Circe by Madeline Miller (Review to come!)
I also couldn't complete this list without rounding it off with a powerful woman from Greek mythology, now could I? Circe is an incredibly powerful woman that is portrayed so well in this book. It's not out until April, but I recommend putting it on your radar and picking it up. This ended up on my favorites, and I felt so connected and inspired by Circe in this book.
Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Have you read of these or know anything about these women? Let me know what books you would add!

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Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs

*Wonder Women by Sam Maggs will be released on Tuesday, October 4th!*

Wonder Women by Sam Maggs. Quirk Books, 2016. Paperback. 240 pages

*I received a physical ARC of Wonder Women courtesy of Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.*

It doesn't matter who you are or what you do: you should go pick up this book whenever you have the chance. Wonder Women tells about the many inventions and contributions women have made throughout history, and it does so in an incredibly engaging and informative manner. Out of the many incredible women spotlighted in this book, I am almost embarrassed to say that I had only heard of a small handful prior to reading Wonder Women! 

This is such an incredibly needed and important book that brings to light the accomplishments of women in the fields of science, medicine, espionage, innovation, and adventure. I think it is astounding how many women have made such huge marks throughout history, but yet have very little notice - if any at all - in many textbooks and history books! Where were all of these women when I was learning history in my early schooling? For that matter: where are they still?

Each profile was the perfect length that provided well-researched and detailed information about each woman and her impact; there was no excessive rambling or extensive information that could potentially turn away some readers. Also, a bonus to this already great book is the list of resources listed in the back pages that offer an abundance of websites and organizations that girls can explore and join in order to follow their own dreams.

The only negative reaction I had to this book was how disappointed I felt that I am not a part of the scientific community - but fortunately this has nothing to do with the writing or content of the book itself, just my own feelings. I used to want to enter the world of science, but I soon realized that it simply is not something I was born to do, and I excel much more in other areas. Still, I love reading about the many accomplishments that all of these women have accomplished over the years, and I am almost sure that you will, too!

Quite frankly, I don't know I could give this wonderful book anything less than five stars!

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