Celebrating Women By Telling Their Stories through Historical Fiction

Guest Post by Janis Robinson Daly

As an effort to support the National Women’s History Alliance’s 2023 theme for Women’s History Month in March, Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, author Janis Robinson Daly curated a list of 31 titles within the historical fiction genre which spotlight women in history whose achievements languished in the shadows. The list also celebrates the 31 women authors who tell the stories. Using exhaustive research, these authors based the subject of their novel on facts for authentic portrayals of the women’s lives and accomplishments.

Historical fiction, however, also allows an author to imagine the women’s emotional responses as they strode forward with dreams in their minds and hopes in their hearts. From her own library and with recommendations from other avid readers of historical fiction, Janis developed the list using a defined set of criteria:

Historical Fiction genre—no biographies or memoirs
Women authors only
Diversity in authors—cultural, as well as type of publishing and name recognition
Diversity in the subject—cultural, setting, field of recognition
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“In developing this list, I hope the appeal of historical fiction will lead more readers to discover, learn, celebrate, and share the stories of these women. They’ve been invisible for too long,” said Daly.

Which ones have you read? Share by using #31titleswomeninhistory.

1. Smith College graduates in WW1 France

2. First Black female self-made millionaire in America, Madam CH Walker

3. Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians