This thematic Collection highlights Books that Feature the Theme of Femininity. Through novels, plays, and works of nonfiction, the selections in this Collection explore the feminine experience in a variety of historical settings and cultures as they examine topics such as gender roles, feminism, and what it means to be feminine.
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags History: World, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature, British Literature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Social Justice, Crime / Legal, Politics / Government
The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary
Publication year 1612
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Tragedy, Jacobean Era
First performed onstage in 1612, The White Devil is a revenge tragedy that is loosely based on the murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Italy in 1585. The full title of the play is The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Bracciano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan). The play has been performed many times but has not been adapted for film. This guide refers... Read The White Devil Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1621
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
The Witch of Edmonton is an English Jacobean play. It was written in 1621 by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford, who were all established playwrights of this period. Other playwrights may have also contributed, including John Webster, who was working closely at the time with the play’s credited writers. The play was first performed by Prince Charles’s Men (a theatrical company patronized by Prince Charles’s estate) at the Cockpit Theater in 1621. It... Read The Witch of Edmonton Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Femininity
Tags Play: Drama, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Sports, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1808
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Relationships, African American Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
First published in 1982, The Women of Brewster Place is Gloria Naylor’s debut novel and remains the African American author’s best-known work. The Women of Brewster Place was awarded the National Book Award for Best First Novel and was adapted into a miniseries in 1989 and a television show in 1990. Described as “a novel in seven stories,” the text consists of seven chapters that act as short stories, each one detailing the life of a Black woman living... Read The Women of Brewster Place Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, WWI / World War I, WWII / World War II, History: World, French Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Femininity
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Civil War, American Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education
Tags Class, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
This One Summer is a Canadian young adult graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin, Jillian Tamaki. Mariko Tamaki has written several graphic novels, and has worked for both Marvel and DC Comics. This One Summer was originally published in 2014 by Groundwood Books, and follows the summer experiences of two young girls approaching adolescence and watching their parents cope with the various pressures of adulthood. The novel has been the... Read This One Summer Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Love / Sexuality, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Biography