1800’s A to L
You may click on the titles to buy the books from Amazon, or use this list as a resource when you go to the library or the bookstore of your choice. Click here to find an independent bookstore at IndieBound.
Place of Setting | Author | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Djebar, Assia | Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade | 1830 to 1950: a young woman joins her brother to fight against French colonialism |
Australia | Fairbairns, Zoe | Stand We at Last | Family saga of five generations of women and three continents |
Australia | Kent, Hannah | Devotion | Two friends emigrate from Prussia to Australia |
Austria-Hungary | Pataki, Allison | Sisi: Empress on Her Own | Based on the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph |
Balkans | Stankova, Reni | Sirma | Woman disguises herself as a man to fight the Ottoman Empire. |
Brazil | Williams, Jeanne | So Many Kingdoms | The history of Brazil through the eyes of six women |
Canada | Atwood, Margaret | Alias Grace | In 1843 a servant girl is accused of murder |
China | Buck, Pearl S. | Imperial Woman | Based on the life of Empress Tzu-Hsi |
China | Buck, Pearl S. | Peony | Chinese maid to Jewish family in China |
China | Curry, Alexandra | The Courtesan | Orphan becomes courtesan and travels to the west |
China | McCunn, Ruthanne Lum | The Moon Pearl | Women silkworkers in 1830’s |
China | See, Lisa | Snow Flower and the Secret Fan | Two women bond by writing in Nushu, the Chinese women’s language |
China | Min, Anchee | Empress Orchid | Based on the life of the last Empress of China |
Egypt | Shomer, Enid | The Twelve Rooms of the Nile | 1850’s — the imagined story of a meeting between Florence Nightingale and Gustav Flaubert in Egypt as young adults |
England | Baker, Jo | Longbourn | Pride and Prejudice re-told from the POV of the servants |
England | Benjamin, Melanie | Alice I Have Been | Based on the life of Alice Lidell, who inspired Alice in Wonderland |
England | Brown, Carrie | The Stargazer’s Sister | Based on the life of Caroline Herschel |
England | Chevalier, Tracy | Remarkable Creatures | Women fossil hunters |
England | Collins, Sara | The Confessions of Frannie Langton | Jamaican woman may have murdered her employers |
England | Duncker, Patricia | The Doctor | Based on the life of James Miranda Barry, a woman who practiced medicine disguised as a man. |
England | Holman, Sheri | The Dress Lodger | A poor young mother makes a daring pact with a doctor to save her infant son |
England | Kohler, Sheila | Becoming Jane Eyre | Based on the life of Charlotte Bronte |
England | Martin, Valerie | Mary Reilly | Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde from the POV of the maid. |
England | Natel, Lilian | The Singing Fire | Jewish immigrants |
England | Silko, Leslie Marmon | Gardens in the Dunes | Native American girl in England |
England | Smith, Dinitia | The Honeymoon | Based on the life of author George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) |
England | Waters, Sarah | Affinity | Woman prison visitor becomes fascinated by inmate |
England | Waters, Sarah | Fingersmith | Child of thieves becomes involved in a scam |
England | Waters, Sarah | Tipping the Velvet | Young working-class woman becomes enamored of a woman performing as a man |
England and United States | Donnelly, Jennifer | The Tea Rose | Working class London woman flees tragedy to New York City |
France | Berg, Elizabeth | The Dream Lover | Based on the life of George Sand (Aurore Dupin) |
France | Buchanan, Cathy Marie | The Painted Girls | Based on the lives of women who modeled for Edgar Degas |
France | Burdick, Serena | Girl in the Afternoon | A young woman seeks to become an artist |
France | DeSanti, Carole | The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R. | A poor woman who gave up her daughter tries to find her again |
France | Drudge, Drema | Victorine | Based on the life of Victorine Meurent, an art model and painter in 1860s Paris. |
France | Felt, Elizabeth Caulfield | Syncopation: A Memoir of Adele Hugo | A novel in the form of a “memoir” of the daughter of Victor Hugo |
France | Horan, Nancy | Under the Wide and Starry Sky | The relationship of Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne and Robert Louis Stevenson |
France | King, Joan | Impressionist | Based on the life of painter Mary Cassatt |
France | Mahoney, Cheryl | Nocturne (The Guardian of the Opera) | Phantom of the Opera from a woman’s POV |
France | Robards, Elizabeth | With Violets | Based on the life of painter Berthe Morisot |
Ghana | Attah, Ayesha Harruna | The Hundred Wells of Salaga | Lives of a village girl and princess intersect |
Hawaii | Davenport, Kiana | Shark Dialogues | The story of Hawaii from the 1800’s to the 1900’s |
Iceland | Kent, Hannah | Burial Rites | A woman accused of murder is sent to work on a remote farm |
India | Moran, Michelle | Rebel Queen | Based on the life of Lakshmi, Rani (Queen) of Jhansi |
India | Mukherjee, Bharati | The Tree Bride | A woman “married” to a tree joins the Indian freedom movement |
Ireland | Kidd, Jess | Things in Jars | Woman detective and magical realism |
Isle of Man | Elphinstone, Margaret | Light | Two women lighthouse keepers must fight for their livelihood |
Israel and Ukraine | Herzfeld, Smadar | Trail of Miracles | A Jewish woman reflects on her life |
Italy | Hornby, Simonetta Agnello | The Nun | A young woman is conflicted between life as a nun and life in the world |
Italy | Olmi, Veronique | Bakhita | Slave girl from Sudan becomes Catholic saint |
Italy | Scego, Igiaba | The Color Line | Black American artist in Rome |
Jamaica | Levy, Andrea | The Long Song | The end of slavery told through the eyes of a slave girl |
Jamaica | Rhys, Jean | Wide Sargasso Sea | 1830s – the story of Antoinette Cosway, the “madwoman in the attic,” wife of Edward Rochester, Jane Eyre’s lover |
Japan | Avery, Ellis | The Teahouse Fire | An American orphan is adopted by a Japanese family |
Korea | Shin, Kyung-Sook | The Court Dancer | Relationship of court dancer with a Frenchman |
Liberia | Moore, Wayetu | She Would Be King | The founding of Liberia |