"I believe that women's history and women's stories are still under-told, which means that there's a hunger for them," Anita Diamant, the bestselling author of The Red Tent, once said.
Diamant published her novel some years ago, but it remains a reader favorite. The Red Tent is biofiction about Dinah, a minor character who hardly receives mention in Genesis, chapter 34 in the Bible, and is a prime example of why biographical novels are so riveting.
Told from Dinah's perspective, a unique story of Jacob's tribe emerges. No one suggests the novel is "true." Rather, it's an account borne of an author's imagination.
Biographical novels are having a heyday. They've become more popular than ever, it seems, with annual releases featuring audacious women whom readers are eager to get to know. Which is why I'm excited to announce #31titleswomeninhistory, a curated list of thirty-one biographical novels for the month of March, Women's History Month, put together by historical fiction author Janis Robinson Daly.
Daly chooses novels that educate and inspire. The list also celebrates women authors telling women's stories through historical fiction. I'm honored and flattered to be among Daly's featured authors in 2025's #31 Titles. As many of you know, my debut novel Solitary Walker: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft is being published on February 20th. At the end of this post, read a few early reviews.
The art and craft of combining facts gleaned from exhaustive research with imagined emotional responses is no effortless task, but it's a rewarding one. Writing transports authors back in time, just like readers. Writing Solitary Walker, I turned to more than a dozen biographies, memoirs, and books about Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th century British writer and philosopher historians widely consider the world's first feminist. I read dozens more articles and opinion pieces.
Daly is doing important work by highlighting novels depicting women heroines. The titles she has chosen range from books about pioneering women doctors in her own second novel, The Path Beneath Her Feet, to the African-American female aviatrix Bessie Coleman who predates Amelia Earhart in Carole Hopson’s debut novel, A Pair of Wings, to the trials of the U.S. Army Medical Corps nurses who served during the Vietnam War in Kristin Hannah’s epic bestseller, The Women. This is the third list Daly has compiled using a defined set of criteria:
1. Historical fiction genre which appeals to a wider readership
2. Women authors only
3. Diversity in author—cultural, as well as type of publishing and name recognition
4. Diversity in subject matter—cultural, setting, field of recognition
5. Goodreads ratings
"In developing these lists," Daly stated to me in an email correspondence, "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." Daly is clear-eyed, however, knowing the challenge in elevating awareness for these stories, especially novels by lesser known authors.
I love lists like Daly's and rely on them to help build my TBR (to be read) collection. I had already read seven of the titles but have ordered at least 10 more. By the end of the year, I hope to have read all 31!
The full list of books is available on Daly’s website and other information about her initiative.
She especially hopes readers will interact with the list during the month of March by using whatever social media outlet you prefer and answer the questions: Which titles have you read? Which ones have you added to your To Be Read list?
I encourage you to peruse the list, select a few titles, and jump into the conversation in March by using the hashtag #31titleswomeninhistory. Doing so will help further draw attention to these intriguing novels. It also means you'll be helping to build interest in women's history. People who read fictional accounts often turn to the facts to find out more.
A Few Changes
My blog will no longer automatically land in your inbox. I still plan to post monthly book selections along with snippets from the main character's actual biography, but I'm also shifting my newsletter, Novel Journeys, to a monthly rather than quarterly distribution. I will, however, put a link to each blog post in the newsletter.
Second, I'll be reposting blog entries on Herstory Revisited, my Substack page bearing the same name as this blog, where, besides reviewing biographical novels about women from the past, I plan to write the occasional essay on women's history.
Last, in case you missed it, I'm holding a virtual pre-launch celebration for Solitary Walker on Zoom on February 19th at 8pm EST.
I'd love for you to join us. Simply register here. Hosted by my writing partners Kat, Kathe, and Kerry, it promises to be a fun hour!
Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're here!
Early Reviews of Solitary Walker...
"A captivating work of historical fiction, intellectually stimulating and dramatically engrossing... The author’s prose authentically captures the dialogue of the time and powerfully evokes the contradictions that make Wollstonecraft’s legacy so richly complex."
- Kirkus Reviews
"The many discussion points which arise from this story will especially intrigue book club reading groups interested in considering women’s strengths, weaknesses, the political and social morals of Mary’s times, and the methods by which she maintains and supports her independence. The novel is beautifully written... Libraries that choose Solitary Walker for its promise of historical biographical strength will also appreciate its ability to navigate the undercurrents of women’s experience, perception, and rights. All these elements make for a strong recommendation to patrons interested in women’s history and issues, as well as powerful biographical figures."
- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review