There has never been a time for women writers more than today. Now, they can publish their works without having to hide under a male pseudonym to have them be acknowledged and taken seriously; they no longer need to fear retribution from the powers that be if they want to publish something from the genuine perspective of women. Now, they can openly proclaim to their community and the world that they have written something that is reflective of them and of women as a whole.
Yet despite the strides and the milestones of women’s literature, we should never forget the struggle of how we got to this point; we should never forget that we are struggling still and the horizon is ever on the horizon. The very first observance of any kind of Women’s Day was on February 28, 1909, in New York City, at a time when the right to vote wasn’t guaranteed to women everywhere (only a handful of countries had even allowed for it). International Women’s Day only became mainstream in 1977 when the UN General Assembly proclaimed March 8 as the day of observance.
In appreciation and observance of International Women’s Day, ReadersMagnet has carefully curated a list of must-read feminist literature from women authors from our catalog.
Must-Read Feminist Literature from Women Authors
- Influential Women: Women Of Destiny, Women Of Purpose, Women Of Faith by Dr. Joan A. Polidore
This non-fiction work by Dr. Joan A. Polidore is a testament to her courage and perseverance and her journey of finding the potential value and power that was within her all along. She wrote this book as a torchlight to every woman out there who still lives as if under the darkness. Influential Women is the direct product of Dr. Polidore’s observations of feminine influence. This is a compelling treatise on women discovering their potential and redirecting their perspective in life. Every woman is endowed with a special purpose, an innate destiny from God Himself.
Her journey is something to be paralleled; her courage and perseverance are something to be emulated.
- Bodies of Water by Cheyenne Peterson
This anthology of personal poems from Cheyenne Peterson is a deep introspective look at life from a modern woman’s perspective, from love to heartache to journeying across the world.
From the swelling waves of love that are deep within the chambers of my heart, you’ve given me the desire to bask in the emptiness. To dance in the sheets, intimately secluded. To crave the love from the reflected silhouette staring into the galaxies that I am.
- Patchwork: Conversation Between Generations by Carol Wilson-Mack
Taken from the stories and lives of rural women living in 1939-59 Bamberg, South Carolina, Patchwork is a lengthy dialogue spanning generations on what it means to be a woman, to center oneself in God, and what their roles as women were in the family and a changing world. Although these women initially gathered to do quilting, it grew to something more, providing an opportunity to share their challenging stories.
Wilson-Mack wants to encourage productive communication between the generations and have them share useful information with each other. It is only through an open, two-way conversation between the youth and the elderly that true change can occur. No one has a monopoly on experience and lessons, and everyone has something to say.
Read more about female authors, feminist literature, and more at the ReadersMagnet Authors’ Lounge.
