Biographical Fiction for Women's History Month

A collection of biographical fiction featuring women, both well-known and should-be-known, for Women's History Month in March.

Updated February 26, 2025
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That Churchill woman
Barron, Stephanie
Paper Book
Wealthy, privileged, and fiercely independent New Yorker Jennie Jerome took Victorian England by storm when she landed on its shores. As Lady Randolph Churchill, she gave birth to a man who defined the twentieth century: her son Winston. But Jennie - reared in the luxury of Gilded Age Newport and...
Her hidden genius : a novel
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
"Brings to life Franklin's grit and spirit...an important contribution to the historical record." --The Washington Post The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie! She changed the world with her discovery. Three men took the credit. ...
The mystery of Mrs. Christie
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
"A deft, fascinating page-turner replete with richly drawn characters and plot twists that would stump Hercule Poirot." --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network, The Huntress, and The Rose Code The New York...
The personal librarian
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world as she helps build a world-class collection. But...
Carnegie's maid :
Benedict, Marie,
Paper Book
The USA Today Bestseller From the bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room comes a mesmerizing tale of historical fiction that asks what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty. Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who...
The first ladies /
Benedict, Marie,
Paper Book
The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents....
The Mitford affair /
Benedict, Marie,
Paper Book
"Plunges readers into a world of glamorous, charismatic young British debutantes and then turns that shiny world on its head...the most delicious storytelling." --Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post From New York Times bestselling...
The only woman in the room
Benedict, Marie,
Paper Book
She possessed a stunning beauty. She also possessed a stunning mind. Could the world handle both? Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third...
The Swans of Fifth Avenue : a novel
Benjamin, Melanie
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The author of The Aviator's Wife returns with a triumphant new novel about New York's "Swans" of the 1950s--and the scandalous, headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary legend Truman Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley. ...
Mistress of the Ritz :
Benjamin, Melanie,
Paper Book
In March 1940, the Nazis sweep Paris and immediately take up residence in one of the city's most iconic sites- The Hotel Ritz. There, under a roof legendary for its unprecedented luxury and for its fabled residents-including Coco Chanel, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Cole Porter, Hemingway,...
White houses :
Bloom, Amy,
Paper Book
For readers of The Paris Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue comes a "sensuous, captivating account of a forbidden affair between two women" (People)--Eleanor Roosevelt and "first friend" Lorena Hickok. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS...
Joan :
Chen, Katherine,
Paper Book
"This is not your grandmother's St. Joan. . . . If every generation gets the Joan it deserves, ours could do worse than an ass-kicking, avenging angel fighting simply for the right to fight."--The New York Times Book Review WINNER OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY IN PARIS BOOK AWARD *...
Remarkable creatures /
Chevalier, Tracy.
Paper Book
A voyage of discoveries, a meeting of two remarkable women, and extraordinary time and place enrich bestselling author Tracy Chevalier's enthralling new novel From the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear that Mary Anning is marked for greatness. On...
MRS. LINCOLN'S SISTERS : a novel
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paper Book
"A fascinating glimpse into the women of an influential family on the front lines of some of the most important moments of that indelible time."--Booklist The New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker returns to her most famous heroine,...
The most beautiful girl in Cuba
Cleeton, Chanel
Paper Book
A feud rages in Gilded Age New York City between newspaper tycoons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. When Grace Harrington lands a job at Hearst's newspaper in 1896, she's caught in a cutthroat world where one scoop can make or break your career, but it's a story emerging from Cuba that...
Learned by heart /
Donoghue, Emma,
Paper Book
"A wrenching love story" (Chris Bohjalian, The Washington Post) based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply, and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th century York, from the bestselling author of Room and The Wonder. Drawing on years of...
My dear Hamilton :
Dray, Stephanie.
Paper Book
USA Today Bestseller "An edge-of my sear immersion into historical events...No study of Alexander Hamilton would be complete without reading this book." --Karen White, New York Times bestselling author "The best book of the year!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling...
The bookseller's secret : a novel
Gable, Michelle
Paper Book
For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz! "The Bookseller's Secret is a delight from start to finish, a literary feast any booklover will savor!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye ...
Sister stardust
Green, Jane,
Paper Book
*NATIONAL BESTSELLER* A PARADE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK POST BEST BOOK OF THE WEEK In her first novel inspired by a true story, Jane Green re-imagines the life of troubled icon Talitha Getty in this...
The lady of the rivers /
Gregory, Philippa
Paper Book
#1New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory brings to life the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman of passion and of legend who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the War of the Roses to bring her...
The other queen
Gregory, Philippa
Paper Book
From #1New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory--a dazzling new novel about the intriguing, romantic, and maddening Mary, Queen of Scots. Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for...
Three sisters, three queens
Gregory, Philippa
Paper Book
"There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other." From the #1 New York Times bestselling author behind the upcoming Starz original series The White...
Matrix /
Groff, Lauren.
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE 2022 JOYCE CAROL OATES PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2021 Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times,...
The other Alcott /
Hooper, Elise
Paper Book
A People Magazine and POPSUGAR pick! "[May's] adventures illuminate the world of intrepid female artists in the late 1800s [...] The Other Alcott comes alive in its development of the relationship between Louisa and May."  --The New York Times Elise Hooper's debut...
Mrs. Houdini :
Kelly, Victoria.
Paper Book
A captivating debut novel, meticulously researched and beautifully imagined, about the passionate marriage of Harry and Bess Houdini--a love story that defied death itself. Before escape artist Harry Houdini died, he vowed he would find a way to speak to his beloved wife Bess from...
The invention of wings
Kidd, Sue Monk.
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller of hope, daring, and the quest for freedom taken on by two unforgettable American women, from the celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees. "A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a...
A piece of the world :
Kline, Christina Baker,
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Exquisite. A must-read." --Kristin Hannah From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash bestseller Orphan Train, a stunning and atmospheric novel of friendship, passion, and art, inspired by Andrew Wyeth's mysterious and iconic...
The frozen river : a novel
Lawhon, Ariel
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GMA BOOK CLUB PICK * AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha...
I was Anastasia :
Lawhon, Ariel.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * An enthralling feat of historical suspense that unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's fifty-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman's legacy? ...
Finding Dorothy :
Letts, Elizabeth.
Paper Book
This richly imagined novel tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud. "A breathtaking read that will transport you over the rainbow and into the heart of one...
Caroline : Little House, revisited
Miller, Sarah Elizabeth
Paper Book
USA Today Bestseller! One of Refinery29's Best Reads of September In this novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that...
The widows
Montgomery, Jess
Paper Book
"The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller." --Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-Finalist The Bright Forever Inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff, Jess Montgomery's powerful, lyrical debut...
The tattooist of Auschwitz : a novel
Morris, Heather, (Screenwriter)
Paper Book
 #1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 International Bestseller * Now a Peacock Original Series starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey This beautiful, illuminating tale of hope and courage is based on interviews that were conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau...
The diamond eye : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Paper Book
Don't miss the thrilling new novel from Kate Quinn, The Briar Club, coming July 9th! New York Times Bestseller The bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based...
Sisters of night and fog
Robuck, Erika
Paper Book
Set across the European theatre of WWII, Sisters of Night and Fog tells the story of two women whose clandestine deeds come to a staggering halt when they are brought together at Ravensbruck concentration camp. A striking reminder of how deeply we are all connected, which forces us to ask, 'Could I...
Jackie :
Tripp, Dawn Clifton.
Paper Book
In this mesmerizing novel about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, acclaimed author Dawn Tripp has crafted an intimate story of love and power, family and tragedy, loss and reinvention. "A brilliant, beautiful book [that] touches the soul."--Chris Bohjalian, New York Times...
Half broke horses : a true-life novel
Walls, Jeannette
Paper Book
From the author of The Glass Castle and Hang the Moon--"Walls vividly depicts her astonishing, resilient grandmother with a lightness of touch that is plainspoken yet heartfelt" (Chicago Tribune). Half Broke Horses has transfixed readers everywhere. "Those...
The engineer's wife :
Wood, Tracey Enerson,
Paper Book
THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER! THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER! She built the Brooklyn Bridge, so why don't you know her name? Emily Roebling built a monument for all time. Then she was lost in its shadow. Discover the fascinating woman who helped design and construct the Brooklyn...

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