IN THIS POST: Let’s continue the Five Favorite Books series with a list of non-fiction about amazing women! This book list features powerful and courageous women of the past and present. For a bonus – there are only five books on the list, but they include seven women.
The Five Favorite Books series is an ongoing set of posts with book recommendations based on themes or genres. The last post was about my favorite five novels of contemporary fiction.
This post, in honor of International Women’s Day, focuses on non-fiction books of amazing women. Women of the ancient world through to our modern time feature in these books.
As usual, I’ve linked the book title to BetterWorldBooks if you’re interested in purchasing one of these titles. But first, check out your local library!
Let’s jump into the list! In no particular order….
Non-Fiction About Amazing Women: The List
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
Stacy Schiff’s biography about Cleopatra is my favorite introduction to this enigmatic figure. It’s a solid blend of history, storytelling, and detail-rich research. A remarkable biography of a remarkable leader.
The Rival Queens by Nancy Goldstone
I wrote a full review of The Rival Queens and my summary was: good history, wrong title. You can read my quibble with the title there. The history and time period around Catherine de’Medici and Marguerite de Valois is dynamic. Goldstone pulls it together in a readable and intriguing book.
Sisters In Law by Linda Hirshman
Explore the glass-ceiling-shattering legacies of the first two female Supreme Court Justices. Their styles and backgrounds differed greatly, but Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were trailblazers. This book chronicles their rise and influence. Author Linda Hirshman favors Ginsburg occasionally in her writing but overall accomplishes a solid telling of their intertwined history.
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma
Haben Girma did not set out to graduate from Harvard Law. She set out to live each day to the fullest. With that goal in place she approached the opportunities and setbacks of her life with tenacity and humor. The result is a tightly-written narrative of her perspective on her journey as a deafblind woman to and through Harvard Law School.
Princess Ka’iulani: Hope of a Nation, Heart of a People by Sharon Linnéa
Princess Ka’iulani advocated for her people before the U.S. annexed the island country. She deliberately spent time in the U.S. to influence the conversations about U.S. involvement in Hawai’i. This book is a compelling narrative of her life and the history of Hawai’i.
Other Non-Fiction Books About Amazing Women
It’s hard to narrow down a list like this. I’ve read good biographies about Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hildegard de Bingen, Marie Antionette, and Hannah More. I have a biography of Queen Noor of Jordan sitting on my tbr pile. Whew!
For family reading fun, check out Picture Books Biographies of Amazing Women.
What books in this category have you read? Any that you would recommend?
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