With the global success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, I have had women’s stories on my mind. Or at least, more on my mind. I will admit, I found myself in many English courses asking myself, “Where are the women in this?” Women play invisible parts in so many stories. I wanted to zero in on them rather than see zero of them. I wanted to hear what they would do and say, even when the women were unreliable narrators (you go, girl boss!). I support women’s rights, but I also support women’s wrongs, women’s mistakes, and women’s trying-their-best. I have no interest in editing out the imperfect women when we talk about female focused stories. 

If you find yourself hoping to get your hands on women’s stories, may I interest you in…

Passing by Nella Larsen 

A story of two childhood friends meeting again later in life. Both women share the privilege of “passing” as white, though their current circumstances differ. Irene has married a black doctor while Clare has married a racist man who believes that she shares his skin color and beliefs. 

All the Women in My Brain by Betty Gilpin 

(This is my most recent audiobook listen. Hooray for Libby! )Gilpin herself puts it best here: “As a dear friend said after reading this book, it’s ‘either a masterpiece, or it’s…completely…’ and then she glazed over into a haunted stare. Reader? This book is my opus and it is chaos.” 

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu 

This graphic novel talks about a handful of incredible women- some household names and others complete strangers. Each one has an impressive story of solving problems and doing things their own way. The art is magnificent. 

Know My Name by Chanel Miller 

Once known as the “Emily Doe” who was assaulted on campus at Stanford, Miller claims her name and shares her story beyond the viral victim impact statement. Her story of survival talks about trauma, the oppression of victims, and reveals how perpetrators are protected. 

Circe by Madeline Miller 

After fellow OFPL employee Katie (Hi, Barbie!) sent a message saying, “MORALLY GRAY WOMEN!!” in a chat, I knew that I needed to reach out to her for a recommendation. Circe finds herself at the receiving end of fury from both gods and mortal men after discovering that she is a witch. Circe, the daughter of a Titan herself, is forced to choose between the world of mortals or the world of the gods.  

Absolute angel on Earth Reese Witherspoon once said, “Women’s stories matter, they just matter.” We may find ourselves thinking that a woman’s story is only about finding love or finding a career. The truth is that women’s stories are messy. She may want nothing to do with the adoration of another person or maybe she dreams of a white picket fence life. Maybe she is even a bad person? Maybe she does evil? The truth is that I would have lunch with any of these hypothetical women, and they all scare me a little. For now, we continue to search for their stories and ask the women in our lives, “so…what’s going on with you?”