a Look at a Book

I am Malala and Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai

These are the memoirs of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban, miraculously survived and now advocates for women to have the right to education all around the globe. Her second memoir, quite recently published (2025), is about how she moved forward beyond that defining moment of her life. It’s a bit of a coming-of-age memoir, which I loved. I recommend both!

First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung

A heartbreaking true story, which I write about in more detail here, Luong Ung tells of her family’s experience during the Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge regime that took over Cambodia and started a genocide of the people. Why I included it here: a young woman survived horror and lived to write about it. Her voice deserves to be heard!

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

I read this book several years ago as I sought to learn more about current race relations in America. I was quite ignorant at the time, and Ms. Brown’s memoir of what life is like both in her workplace and in general as a black woman was eye-opening and convicting for me. She speaks candidly in a way that I could hear and receive well. If you need some validation as a person of color, or if you are like me and could use a book of another’s experiences to grow your understanding and empathy, I recommend it!

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Having been the First Lady of the United States for eight years – and the first Black First Lady – Michelle Obama’s voice is worth listening to. I read this book while living in Ecuador, and it was during a time of rethinking politics in my life. I wasn’t able to participate in Ecuadorian politics, being a temporary resident, but life there helped reframe how I view life here in the States. Michelle Obama’s words, read in her own voice in the audio version, helped me think through some of the issues. While I don’t agree with all of her viewpoints, I was glad I listened. Read my full review here

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

A book-in-verse suitable for upper elementary students through adults, I found this to be a compelling read as an adult. I learned about life as a child growing up during the Civil Rights movement, who was raised, in part, as a Jehovah’s Witness through the influence of her grandma. I found her writing to be beautiful and a wealth of imagery and complexity. Read my full review here.

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

In an era where women didn’t “belong” in the military, there were some women who managed to lead hundreds in resisting the advance of the Nazis, specifically in France. Ms. Purnell tells the well-researched story of Virginia Hall, who was deemed by the Nazis as the biggest threat as an Allied spy. She faced countless obstacles, not only to keep her cover, but also because she was a woman in a man’s world – warfare aside. Yet because of her tenacity, courage, and cunning, she was able to help the Allies win the war – an unsung heroine whose decisions helped redirect history.

A Hope More Powerful than the Sea by Melissa Fleming

A refugee, first from Syria, then from Egypt. Doaa is one of the brave, desperate souls who attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea in order to reach supposed safety in Europe. This woman hasn’t “made history” in the traditional sense, but again, her voice deserves to be heard. Read more of my thoughts here.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

If you want to learn about a woman who had an immense effect on the lives of many, this is a book you must read. Corrie ten Boom helped Jews hide during WWII. After getting sentenced to a concentration camp, she ministered to the hearts of many women in her barracks. Once the war was over, having survived, she continued to be God’s instrument for healing the lives of many people – Jews, former Nazis, and others who needed hope and forgiveness in their lives. While The Hiding Place only tells of her life through the end of WWII. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is one of my all-time favorites, and I cherish the copy that was given to me when I graduated from high school.

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews Edwards

My feelings for Julie Andrews are a mix of admiration, awe, and nostalgia. Her gorgeous, clear singing voice in The Sound of Music, her no-nonsense attitude as Mary Poppins, her regal bearing in Princess Diaries . . . these were some core movies (and memories) of my childhood. In some ways, she reminds me of my own grandma, and I honestly wish I could know her myself.

So I was curious to read a memoir of this lady who has, with dignity and poise, been on the scenes of musicals and movies since she was a girl, and even wrote one of my all-time favorite children’s chapter books. She has influenced much of culture in both Britain and the U.S., if not beyond.

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

Speaking of women who have affected culture, Lauren Graham has had her fair share of influence, specifically through the shows Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. I listened to her voice in the audiobook recording, and it was intriguing to hear what her actual life was like as Lauren Graham, both before Gilmore Girls, during it, and then also the reboot of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. She has a great sense of humor, which she employs to describe both life in Hollywood and her own life in particular. If you’re interested in a contemporary memoir of a culture influencer, pick this one up!

Disclaimer: I listened to it long ago enough that I can’t remember if there are swear words or not – I think there might be some? Don’t quote me on it, though.

Fulfilled by Alexandra MacKillop

Admittedly, I’m tooting a personal friend’s horn here for the next two books. But I also valued and appreciated both of them – truly! Fulfilled addresses the lies of diet culture and how to have a healthier relationship with food. How many of you mindfully eat your food without looking at a screen or hurrying to get on to the next thing? Do you know when you’re full and which foods make you feel maybe not-so-good?
Whether you’ve fought to regain health after an eating disorder or you’re just tired of trying diet after diet and living by lots of rules surrounding food, this book can help encourage you find a healthier way to view food – and enjoy it!

Go With Your Flow by Dr. Alexandra MacKillop

Go with Your Flow is a much-needed book that empowers women by teaching them about the ways their bodies were designed to work – and how to start figuring out the reason things are going wrong (if/when they do). It’s also a clear look at fertility and birth control. It can sound a bit academic at times, but she also explains terms clearly in a way that someone who is not in the medical world (hello, me!) can understand.
Whether you might have period problems or are wanting to conceive, this book has info you could use!

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

I put this in because I appreciate so much of the work that Brene Brown has produced. I have read a couple of her (many) books, but I liked this one. Her books can start to sound similar in their ideas, so you may not need to read a whole lot of her work.

Brown’s expertise is in an area most of us wouldn’t think of as a thing to research: she has researched shame and how it affects people in all areas of their lives. I found this specifically helpful to read as a teacher, but it also applies to parents or leaders of any kind. 

Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

Doucleff writes about her experiences in three hunter-gatherer cultures learning about how they parent. Not only am I thankful for her work in observing and interviewing people who live such different lives from my Western, U.S.-based culture, this book showcases some very resilient and capable parents – moms in particular – so it serves as being doubly worth mentioning in this post.

While I don’t agree with all of Doucleff’s assertions about parenting, many of the things she learned about parenting from observing families in these different cultures were very helpful to me. In fact, now that my son is in the toddler stage, I’ve been considering rereading, and possibly even buying, this book to refresh my memory on some of it! Goodness knows, I can use all of the wisdom possible as we enter the toddler years.

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen

Set in the ancient Middle East, Seven Daughters and Seven Sons tells the fictional tale of a teenage daughter who disguises herself as a young man in order to help her family. She leaves her family and travels in a caravan across the desert and finds her way as a merchant.
I still swoon over the beautiful love story and revel in the way her victories prove to her proud uncle (and to society) that they are wrong to believe that having seven sons is a blessing but having seven daughters is a curse. There is one explicit description of her body once it develops fully into a woman, which you (or your child) may prefer to skip over. However, it is a delightful tale and remains one of my top favorites from childhood, showcasing that women are smart and capable, just like men!

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict

This book is based on the life of a real-life woman who did what she needed to for her family though it was extremely dangerous: she passed as white in order to secure a well-paying job with J.P Morgan. There are some parts that go a bit beyond my typical boundaries for what I’ll read in literature; however, it’s largely because the author isn’t shying away from the realities of the time period in which Belle lived. Read my full review here.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

Also by Marie Benedict, who specializes in researching the lives of women who are lesser-known and crafting novels about them, The Other Einstein talks about Mrs. Einstein, who likely played a much bigger role in Albert Einstein’s work and discoveries than she has been given credit for. Because there is not a whole lot recorded about her life, Benedict has to fill in some gaps with her creativity. However, I still think it’s worth reading about to recognize a woman who played an important role in science.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Cussy is a blue-skinned woman living in an Appalachian community. Because her skin color has a blue-ish tint, she is known as Bluet and is treated in a racist manner by many in their community. She becomes a “book woman” as part of the Pack Horse Library Project who brings library books to people who can’t travel to help improve the literacy of her neighbors. Because she brings books, that opens doors for relationships she might not otherwise have had. It’s a beautiful story of a woman who withstands racism and loves fiercely, and I couldn’t put it down. Read more of my thoughts here.
P.S. – having blue skin is a real condition, and there was a population in Appalachia with this. It’s based on real events and real people, though Cussy herself is fictional.

The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale

Since I read this book recently, it’s still fresh on my mind. I’m including it because it showcases some women who risked a lot and fought to do a job they love (news reporting) in an era where only men did. In addition, Nellie Bly went undercover in an attempt to expose the awful state of an asylum where women were sent when they were a bother to care for or they needed to be out of the way. She certainly fought for better treatment of women in her day! Read my recent review here.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix

This one is an historical fiction account of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. As a reader, you get a feel for the horrid working conditions and the desperate life circumstances which forced women to work at such a job. I don’t have it recorded as a book I read on Goodreads, but I am fairly certain that I did read it. In fact, it might have been a book I read in college in my Social Studies methods class. In any case, I recommend it as a great way to learn about a real event and what poor working conditions can exist.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

This is a middle grade novel, but I found it worth my time as an adult. Parvana is a young girl who, when the Taliban take over in Afghanistan, is forced to stay inside her house since only boys and men are allowed outside. However, after her father is taken away, someone has to take care of their family and get them food to eat. So Parvana, disguised as a boy, does the job.

I’m including this book because it highlights the lives of women in modern-day Afghanistan – at least in the early 2000s. These women are living in harsh conditions with severely limited rights and freedoms. For those of us living in western countries, let’s remember that many women around the world are not living with the freedoms we enjoy.

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

When I read A Woman of No Importance (above, in nonfiction) I had to fact check to make sure I wasn’t reading about the same person. Turns out, I wasn’t. Virginia Hall and Nancy Wake were both female Allied spies who were crucial to the resistance in France. This one, though, is a novel rather than a biography. Still, I liked this book enough that I got myself a copy for my own personal library. Since I rarely buy books, this says a lot.

The Last Love Note by Emma Gray

This heartbreaking and (eventually) hopeful tale won me over when I read it last year. It tells the story of a woman, mom of one, who loses her husband to a debilitating illness, has a miscarriage of her second baby soon after her husband’s diagnosis, and manages to survive and come out on the other side. It is fiction, yet the author writes in such a way as to make it feel real. The grief, the struggle to go on for the sake of her child, the true love of her mom, best friend, and boss . . . stunning.

It turns out the author herself lost her husband, as she says in the author’s note. While it might seem a strange book to include in celebrating women, I’m including it because there are women around the globe, and likely very near you, who have suffered great loss, yet still go on – partly for their children and partly because of the deep love of those who surround them.