I like a good, strong female protagonist. There’s something about a girl exerting physical, mental, or emotional strength that grabs my attention and makes me want to read on. Lucky for me, THREE of the past books I’ve read have had strong, interesting female leads, and you should seriously consider reading about them. It’s Women’s History Month after all. Read about some awesome women!
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
In the aftermath of WWII, a young American socialite, Charlie, seeks the help of a former British spy, Eva Gardner. The story is told in two narratives and opens with Charlie who is visiting Europe in 1947 to “take care of” an unwanted pregnancy. While she’s so close to France, Charlie’s determined to find her long lost cousin Rose, who no one has heard from since 1945. Charlie enlists the help of the mercurial Eva Gardner, who has mangled fingers and a nasty drinking habit. As Charlie’s story develops, Eva’s unfolds, and we learn about how she was recruited to spy for the Alice Network in France during WWI.
An Alice Network did actually exist, and it was awe inspiring to read about the courage and sacrifice of the women who put themselves in grave danger to gain information for the British government. The Alice Network is fascinating, and at times brutal, in its description of war time atrocities. Eva’s character particularly intrigued me, and Quinn does a good job of presenting a conflicted, intelligent woman scarred by violence and loss. I found Charlie a little whiny and less well developed. She spent too much time describing her feelings instead of letting readers figure it out. Despite that, however, The Alice Network is still a worthwhile read, especially if you like historical fiction.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
The Korean island of Jeju, off the southern coast of the mainland, celebrates an unusual culture. For centuries, women called “haenyeo” have been diving into the sea to harvest food for their families with hardly any equipment besides goggles and flippers. The women exude incredible strength and resilience diving into cold water and holding their breath for up to three minutes. While they perform this difficult physical labor, their husbands stay at home to cook and watch the children. It’s a surprising flip flop of culture.
And yet, do the women really have more power? Many still cannot buy land or attend school or escape abusive husbands. The Island of Sea Women contemplates this as well as important themes of friendship and grief in the story of Young-Sook and Mi-ja, two girls brought together at a young age to learn how to dive in the waters around Jeju and how to navigate the very different lives they must ultimately lead. Spanning from 1937 to 2008, The Island of Sea Women explores the tragedy and loss of war, the power of deep friendship, and the futility of bitterness.
Stormrise by Jillian Boehme
This debut YA fantasy from Jillian Boehme tells the story of Rain, an excellent Neshu warrior who will never be allowed to fight because she’s a girl. When nomads invade her country and a draft calls one male from each household, Rain sneaks off to the army camps in place of her father, who is too old too fight, and her twin brother, who does not have the mental capacity to fight thanks to an illness he suffered as a child. Rain uses magical dragon powder to disguise herself as a boy, but the powder leads her to a powerful secret that could be crucial to fighting off the nomads.
Stormrise reminded me a lot of Mulan, but the dragons in this story are much more powerful and mysterious than Mulan’s sidekick Mushu. Rain must earn the trust of her fellow warriors, while hiding her true identity and figuring out if the ancient myths about the dragons could be true. The closing chapters of the novel had me up late reading as I was pulling for Rain to attain victory despite rapidly mounting odds against her.
Jillian Boehme has helped writers for years as “Authoress” on her website Mrs. Snark’s Victim. She regularly posts words of encouragement, insights into publishing, and opportunities to get feedback on work from agents via contests and critiques. If you are an aspiring author, please check out her book and her website!
Do you have a book with a strong female protagonist that you can recommend? I’d love to hear about it!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
