Austin, Lynn
A Woman's Place
CL 13122
After the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, four diverse women take shipyard jobs in Michigan to help the war effort. They all struggle with personal problems: Virginia tires of pampering her ungrateful husband; middle-aged Helen loses her faith; Rosa lives with her new in-laws; and Jean yearns for college. 2006.
Berg, Elizabeth
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation
RC 67028, CL 13410
Tales about women breaking free from conventions. In "Truth or Dare" the protagonist struggles to accept that her ex-husband has moved on. In the title story the main character flees a Weight Watchers meeting to indulge her forbidden-food cravings. Some strong language. 2008.
Carter, Jimmy
A Remarkable Mother
RC 66727, CL 13332
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter pays homage to his mother, Bessie Lillian Gordy Carter (1898-1983). Describes "Miss Lilly's" childhood in rural Georgia, training as a nurse during World War I, marriage, and 1969-1968 trip to India as a Peace Corps volunteer. Highlights her humanitarian ethic at home and abroad. 2008.
Child, Julia
My Life in France
RC 61606, CL 13455
The chef who changed America's culinary habits writes about the years after World War II that she spent in France. Julia Child recalls the difficulty of being an American in a French cooking school and the hard-won publication of her book on French cooking for Americans. 2006.
Edwards, Kim
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
RC 63403, CL 12704, CL 13020
Kentucky, 1964. Doctor David Henry delivers his own children: a boy, Paul, and Phoebe, a girl with Down syndrome. Telling his wife that the newborn girl has died, he gives Phoebe to nurse Caroline Gill. Over time, David's family erodes, while Caroline's family flourishes. Some descriptions of sex. 2005.
Jordan, Jennifer
Savage Summit: The True Stories of the First Five Women who Climbed K2, the World's Most Feared Mountain
RC 60346
Journalist profiles the first five female mountaineers to summit K2, nicknamed "Savage Mountain" for its reputation as the world's most dangerous and second-highest peak. Portrays the background, abilities, motivations, and remarkable climbs of three women who died descending K2 and two who perished on other mountains. Some strong language. 2005.
Morrison, Toni
Love
RC 57353
Even after the death of seaside resort owner Bill Cosey, his women--widow Heed, granddaughter Christine, and mistress Celestial--continue their feuds. These members of the town's African American former elite reminisce about the man they loved and hated. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2003.
Orlean, Susan
My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere
CL 12490
In this collection of her travel essays, Orlean focuses not on cities but on singular locales and events. She recounts her adventures in a variety of exotic settings and global subcultures, from the African music scene in Paris to the World Taxidermy Championships in Springfield, Illinois. Some strong language. 2004.
Roberts, Cokie
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation
RC 58361, CL 12758
Political commentator and news analyst examines the role of Abigail Adams, Deborah Read Franklin, Martha Washington, and other prominent colonial women in founding the United States. Discusses their work outside the domestic sphere to manage businesses, run plantations, and defend their homes in the absence of men. 2004.
Rodriguez, Deborah
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
RC 64555
Michigan hairdresser recounts her experiences as founder and director of the Kabul Beauty School, Afghanistan's first modern beauty academy, which she opened in 2002 after the Taliban's fall. Describes how she taught, befriended, and empowered her students despite financial problems, language barriers, and cultural misunderstandings. 2007.
See, Lisa
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
RC 60738
Nineteenth-century China. A matchmaker pairs young Lily and Snow Flower in a lifelong friendship. For years they communicate using a secret code written on a fan, sharing their joys and sorrows until a misunderstanding threatens to destroy their bond. Some explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2005.
Wall, Judith H.
My Mother's Daughter
CL 12904
Justine and Martha Claire Mayfield were sisters and the best of friends until the truth about Justine's daughter is revealed. Martha Claire shuts herself away destroying her close-knit family and estranging her adopted son and daughter. The birth of Martha Claire's grandson helps her to begin to heal. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2000.
Weir, Alison
The Lady Elizabeth
CL 13596
Fictional account of the childhood of Elizabeth I (1533-1603), daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. After her mother's beheading, two-year-old Elizabeth is exiled from court. She becomes a pawn in a power struggle and later battles her Catholic half sister, Mary I. Some violence. 2008.
If you're interested in any of these books or in finding books like them, please contact the library.
Revised March 2009
