This March, Rainmaker Publishing is proud to honor Women’s History Month with a special focus on this year’s inspiring theme: “Women Who Advocate For Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” In our weekly blog, we’re excited to spotlight a selection of empowering fiction and non-fiction works that celebrate the significant contributions and achievements of women throughout history. These curated picks are not just stories; they are invitations to explore, understand, and be inspired by the resilience and courage of women across the globe. As we delve into these narratives, we also recognize the incredible women writers we support, helping to bring their voices and stories to the forefront of literary discussion. Below, find a list of remarkable books to consider for your next read or perhaps even inspire your writing journey:
– Half a Cup of Sand and Sky: “A wise, beautiful novel featuring a woman facing the eternal challenge: how to create an authentic self.” —JOAN STEINAU LESTER, award-winning author of Loving Before Loving: A Marriage in Black and White
– The Women: A Novel: In “The Women,” twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath challenges her sheltered upbringing by joining the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. As she navigates the brutal realities of war, Frankie’s journey reveals the sacrifices and courage of women on the front lines. Upon returning to a divided America, she and her fellow veterans face the struggle of reintegration. This novel celebrates the unsung heroism and patriotism of women in war, offering a poignant exploration of friendship, bravery, and the impact of war on those who serve.
– Collective Amnesia: Collective Amnesia examines the intersection of politics, race, religion, relationships, sexuality, feminism, memory and more. The poems provoke institutions and systems of learning and interrogates what must be unlearned in society, academia, relationships, religion, and spaces of memory and forgetting.
– Of Women and Salt: A sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter’s fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born
– Breaking Glass: Tales from the Witch of Wall Street: Kicked out of a cult at seventeen, Patricia Walsh Chadwick started on the bottom rung of the ladder in the world of business and worked her way to the top—breaking through the glass ceiling to become a global partner at Invesco.
– Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution: THE REAL ORIGIN OF OUR SPECIES: a myth-busting, eye-opening landmark account of how humans evolved, offering a paradigm shift in our thinking about what the female body is, how it came to be, and how this evolution still shapes all our lives today
– Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men: Perez writes in her preface, “It’s when women are able to step out from the shadows with their voices and their bodies that things start to shift. The gaps close. And so, at heart, Invisible Women is also a call for change. For too long we have positioned women as a deviation from standard humanity and this is why they have been allowed to become invisible. It’s time for a change in perspective. It’s time for women to be seen.”
– Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells: Ida B. the Queen tells the awe-inspiring story of an pioneering woman who was often overlooked and underestimated—a woman who refused to exit a train car meant for white passengers; a woman brought to light the horrors of lynching in America; a woman who cofounded the NAACP. Written by Wells’s great-granddaughter Michelle Duster, this “warm remembrance of a civil rights icon” (Kirkus Reviews) is a unique visual celebration of Wells’s life, and of the Black experience.
– Want Me: A Sex Writer’s Journey into the Heart of Desire: Tracy Clark-Flory grew up wedged between fizzy declarations of “girl power” and the sexualized mandates of pop culture. It was “broken glass ceilings” and Girls Gone Wild infomercials. With a vague aim toward sexual empowerment, she set out to become what men wanted–or, at least, understand it.
As we showcase these impactful works, we also extend our support to the women writers among our community, encouraging them to share their unique perspectives and stories with the world. Let’s celebrate the voices that advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and let their stories inspire us all.
