In honor of Women’s History Month in March, we are sharing books by women who have shaped history and have fought for their communities. Our list includes books about women who fought for racial justice, abortion rights, disability justice, equality in the workplace, and more, with insight on their remarkable lives that inspired others to embrace equality. Find a full collection of titles here.
Books for Women’s History Month
By Coll Rowe | February 3 2025 | HistorySociologyWomen's and Gender Studies
Classical Myths and Stories, from the Amazons to Cleopatra
9780143136361
Classical stories about women who wield power, from the Amazons to Dido to Cleopatra.
$20.00 US
Sep 10, 2024
Paperback
352 Pages
Penguin Classics
- Anthropology > Cultural and Social Anthropology > Mythology and Folklore
- English > Classics > Classical Mythology
- English > Classics > Greek Language and Literature
- English > Comparative Literature > Mythology and Folklore
- English > Comparative Literature > Women in Literature
- English > Literature > Introduction to Mythology and Folklore
- English > Literature > Women and Literature
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Gender Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Women's Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Literature
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9780812974607
Prizewinning historian Estelle B. Freedman brings decades of teaching experience and scholarship to this collection, featuring primary source material from around the globe, including short works of fiction and drama, political manifestos, and the work of less well-known writers.
$20.00 US
Sep 18, 2007
Paperback
496 Pages
Modern Library
- English > Comparative Literature > Feminist Theory and Literary Criticism
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Gender in America
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Gender Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Women's Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and History
- Sociology > Introduction to Sociology
- Sociology > Race / Class / Gender > Gender Studies
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Her Life and Story
9780451494382
Here is a captivating biography of the remarkable young Scotswoman whose bold decision to help “Bonnie” Prince Charlie—the Stuart claimant to the British throne—evade capture and flee the country has become the stuff of legend.
$30.00 US
Jan 10, 2023
Hardcover
288 Pages
Knopf
9780807001998
A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are—and have always been—instrumental in shaping our country.
$18.95 US
Mar 16, 2021
Paperback
296 Pages
Beacon Press
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of African-Americans
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > African American
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American Studies
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An Early Feminist Speaks Out
9780143136071
The groundbreaking feminist and socialist writings of Puerto Rican author and activist Luisa Capetillo.
$15.00 US
Sep 14, 2021
Paperback
192 Pages
Penguin Classics
- English > Comparative Literature > Feminist Theory and Literary Criticism
- English > Comparative Literature: American > Puerto Rican Nonfiction
- English > Comparative Literature: Latin American and Caribbean > Caribbean
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Regional History: Latin America and Caribbean > Puerto Rico
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > U.S. Labor History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Work
- Sociology > Social Change > Social Movements and Collective Behavior
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The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden
9780593240564
The first definitive exploration of the role of the 21st-century First Lady, painting a comprehensive portrait of Jill Biden and the evolution of the First Lady’s role from ceremonial figurehead to political operative—from a White House correspondent for The New York Times.
$30.00 US
Feb 27, 2024
Hardcover
304 Pages
Crown
Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality
9780525436102
Here is the first major biography of one of our most influential judges—an activist lawyer who became the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary—that provides an eye-opening account of the twin struggles for gender equality and civil rights in the 20th Century.
$21.00 US
Mar 07, 2023
Paperback
528 Pages
Vintage
- History > Period History: U.S. > Civil Rights Movement (1940-1968)
- History > U.S. History > African American
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > U.S. Constitutional History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and History
- Political Science > American Government and Politics > Constitutional Law
- Legal and Paralegal Studies > Legal Studies > Civil Rights
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An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
9780807002803
One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human.
$16.99 US
Feb 23, 2021
Paperback
232 Pages
Beacon Press
- Education > Special Education > Physical Disabilities
- English > Comparative Literature > Disability Literature
- History > Period History: U.S. > America in the 20th Century (1945-2000)
- History > Period History: U.S. > America in the 21st Century
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Topical History > History of Disability
- History > Topical History > History of Law
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > Legal History
- History > U.S. History > U.S. Cultural History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Social Science > American Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Social Science > Disability Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Introduction to Women's Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Race, Class, and Gender
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Sociology of Women
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Health
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Politics
- Political Science > American Government and Politics > Social Welfare Policy
- Social Work > Social Welfare > History of Social Welfare
- Social Work > Social Welfare > Social Welfare Policy
- Sociology > Social Change > Disability Studies
- Sociology > Social Institutions > Sociology of Health / Medicine
- Student Success and Career Development > Student Success > First-Year Experience
- Legal and Paralegal Studies > Legal Studies > Disability Law
- Legal and Paralegal Studies > Legal Studies > Introduction to Law
- Legal and Paralegal Studies > Legal Studies > Legislation
- Legal and Paralegal Studies > Paralegal Studies > Introduction to Law
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The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis
9780593544921
Spanning the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond, this story follows the intrepid young women, the “Black Angels,” who risked their lives working under dreadful conditions while caring for New York City’s poorest residents, and were instrumental in helping find the cure for tuberculosis.
$30.00 US
Sep 19, 2023
Hardcover
448 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons
- History > Period History: U.S. > America in the 20th Century (1900-1945)
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > African American
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American History
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Health
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Work
- Healthcare Professions > Medical Sciences: Basic > Epidemiology
- Healthcare Professions > Medical Sciences: Clinical > Epidemiology
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9780593728758
This is a neglected history. Not a sweeping, definitive, exhaustive history of the world but something quieter, more intimate and particular: a single journey, picked out in 101 objects, through the fascinating, manifold, and too often overlooked histories of women.
$32.00 US
Mar 05, 2024
Hardcover
432 Pages
Crown
The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution
9780593321560
A celebration of Ms.—the most startling, most audacious, most norm-breaking of the magazine's groundbreaking pieces on women, men, politics (sexual and otherwise), marriage, family, education, work, motherhood, reproductive rights, as well as the best of the magazine’s fiction, poetry, and letters.
$50.00 US
Sep 19, 2023
Hardcover
544 Pages
Knopf
- Communication > Journalism > News Writing and Reporting
- Communication > Journalism > Specialized Courses
- English > Comparative Literature > Feminist Theory and Literary Criticism
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
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The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century
9780807025086
Black women physicians’ stories have gone untold for far too long, leaving gaping holes in American medical history, in women’s history, and in black history. It’s time to set the record straight.
$24.95 US
Jan 24, 2023
Hardcover
240 Pages
Beacon Press
- History > Race and Gender Studies > History of Women in America
- History > Topical History > History of Medicine
- History > Topical History > History of Women
- History > U.S. History > African American
- History > U.S. History > History of Medicine
- History > U.S. History > History of Women
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Race and Ethnic Studies > African American Studies
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Sociology of Women
- Interdisciplinary Studies > Women's and Gender Studies > Women and Work
- Healthcare Professions > Medical Sciences > History of Medicine
- See More
Tags: Women's History Month
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