To celebrate International Women’s Day, here is a list of five contemporary novels across genres, ranging from horror, Greek retellings and autobiography. These novels not only feature strong, female leads, who are both brilliant and flawed, but also the relationships they foster with other women and families around them. Though not an exhaustive list and definitely not in any consecutive order (like I could choose my favourite), I hope you come across your next favourite read.
Before you embark on these books, please be aware of the content warnings in ‘Speak of the Devil,’ ‘Circe,’ and ‘The Silence of Scheherazade.’
‘Speak of the Devil,’ by Newcastle’s own Rose Wilding, is a story about a brutal murder of a man, and the lives of all the women he has hurt in the past. From his aunt, to his underage girlfriend, to the detective and the journalist who oversees it all, each woman shares their own perspective, is uniquely constructed and each has a reason they could have done it.
At Rose Wilding’s book launch for her debut novel, she shared two gems of information that enhanced the reading experience. Her novel, ironically, got its origins when she was at university in Manchester, studying her MA in creative writing. In her seminar group, one of her peers is what she described as the embodiment of toxic masculinity, and to spite him, she shared the original draft of ‘Speak of the Devil.’ In her author’s note, she writes, ‘I am always, under the skin, under the polite smile, absolutely furious'.
Maggie O’Farrell is probably best known for her novel ‘Hamnet,’ which re-entered the narrative on Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife. Though I would also recommend ‘Hamnet,’ it is in ‘This Must Be the Place’ that O’Farrell creates a powerful construction of a woman who becomes a recluse as a result of her health and the consequence of fame. Though from the perspective of her husband, Claudette can be seen to be a woman who learns what she wants, and then takes the steps to get it. She is not afraid to make hard decisions to protect herself and her family, and her bonds with her children, brother and mother are what craft her to be a very likeable and powerful character. In snippets, we get her history, how she rose to fame and how she wanted it to wane, to how she meets her husband and how she raises her children. A novel that feels pedestrian but is actually filled with twists, O’Farrell displays the lives of women from many different backgrounds.
The character of Circe is undeniably a feminist icon. She is self-made, finding her own power with what is available to her, and learns to become stronger in the face of advocacy. Though making mistakes, she has a journey of development and is one of the most dynamically written characters that I have come across in fiction. Miller is currently writing a novel about the Greek Goddess Persephone.
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A book that has been recently added to my own shelf, I can’t wait for the chance to read this novel translated by Betsy Göskel. Part spy adventure, part historical fiction, the novel is set in ancient Smyrna and is peppered with gorgeous descriptions of the city, how it is impacted by conflict and how history took its toll on the people during the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
With a complex cast of many characters, including a mother with an opium addiction and an Indian spy, Suman details the intertwining relationships of three families from vast cultural backgrounds that congregated in the once peaceful city of Smyrna. The reader learns of the role of every member in the family, including women, and how they must navigate the changing history.
Filled with beautiful prose and descriptions of Korean food that Zauner uses to reconnect with her mother after her death, this novel is filled with the sometimes difficult but also steadfast bond between a mother and daughter. Michelle Zauner’s music career is mentioned throughout the novel. However, she never directly advertises her music identity as Japanese Breakfast, but she does hint that she chose the name so that the audience would question what people ate for breakfast in Japan to spread the need to understand and value multiple cultures.
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Get this book from the Library.
‘I Capture the Castle’ fell into the category of Young Adult when the genre was first taking form. The oldest text on this list, it is undeniably an insight into what it is like to grow up into a woman; to deal with love and fractured families, and how to make sense of the world around you.
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