Recommendations if I liked The Red Tent, Circe...

Naomi Novik!! Witchy. Great.

Fruit of the Lemon by Andrea Levy

Transcription, by Kate Atkinson? The female lead character works for MI5 in the second world war - that's a pretty interesting job

There's another book by the red tent author, called (I think) The Last Days of Dogtown. I really liked that book, but it's many years since I read it.

I'm afraid I hated 'we are all completely beside ourselves' .... but each to their own when it comes to books

We are completely beside ourselves

Michele Roberts has written a few feminist retellings of religious stories, maybe similar to the appeal of The Red Tent, e.g. Mrs Noah, The Wild Girl (the Jesus story retold by Mary Magdalene), and Impossible Saints.

Or Angela Carter? She wrote lots of fairy tales/myths from a feminist perspective, some include real historical characters, maybe try Nights at the Circus or The Magic Toyshop.

YY to Sarah Waters. Thank you for the reminder.

I hadn't heard about the comfort women until I read Daughters of the Dragon. It is a horribly fascinating read.

Yy to Small Island, American Wife, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and State of Wonder. Also Sarah Waters' books.

The Observations by Jane Harris is one of my favourite books, and Gillespie and I by the same author is also worth a read.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland is very readable if you don't mind a plague novel at the moment.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Memoirs of a Geisha
Daughters of the Dragon

Gillian slovo's memoir is excellent too.

Have a look at Gillian Slovo. Ice Road, set in Leningrad in the 1930s/early 1940s, is wonderful.

Also recommend Helen Dunmore - The Siege, The Betrayal, House of Orphans and Exposure would tick many of your boxes but all her novels are worthwhile.

Curtis Sittenfeld - American Wife, also Sisterland.

Sarah Perry’s Melchior - I’ve just started this.

I enjoyed The Girls by Lori Lansing.

The first labyrinth book by kate mosse. The rest are shite.

Purple Hibiscus, set in Nigeria, is brilliant and a woman author.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks?
I read it years ago its set in the Derbyshire village of Eyam that shut itself off during the plague, with a female protagonist.maybe too close to home for current times

But I also loved Small Island as mentioned above. Such well crafted characters, I can still see them now, and thought provoking. An absolute must read.

Agree to Naomi Novak - Spinning Silver is her other one as well as Uprooted, loved them both although different.
Small Island by Andrea Levy?

Wild Swans

The Handmaids Tale

The Beekeepers Promise

Agree re Helen Dunmore. Talking to the Dead and Zennor in Darkness would also for your brief I think.

Also everything Sarah Waters has written. Personally my favourite is Night Watch but all her work is excellent.

Emma Donoghue (she wrote Room) The Sealed Letter.

The Familiars by Stacey Hall is good, about the Lancashire witches.
Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver, very good.
Just read the Siege by Helen Dunmore (mentioned above) , agree it is brilliant. A good book to read now imo.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman - inspiration for story is from ancient Israel and tells the story of 4 women who are caught up in events when the Romans lay siege to their city. The story explores the background and relationships of all 4 women.

Bitter Greens - kate Forsyth
Loose retelling of Rapunzel set in the Court of King Louis XIV,

Uprooted - Naomi Novik
A modern fairytale / mythical fantasy - very evocative

Oranges are not the only fruit and the sequel ' Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? ' - Jeanette Winterson
Based on the author's own life. I've read these a few times and they never disappoint

The Siege - Helen Dunmore. A family's struggle to survive during the siege of Leningrad. Harrowing

The Alice Network - Kate Quinn. Another WW2 novel focusing female spies

You might like American Wife, loosely based on Laura Bush, the journey to the White House from the perspective of a First Lady, exploring how she sticks to her principles despite the political pressure exerted on her personal life.

I see that Satsuki has already mentioned William Boyd, so I’ll recommend another of his, Restless. It’s got a good plot, and ticks the interesting jobs and complicated relationships boxes.

Lolly Willowes covers witchy, female protagonist ahead of her time and out of step with her community, Sylvia Townsend Warner.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry is great - myth, superstition, science, complex female protagonist and interesting side characters.

I haven’t read this yet have it waiting but Signature of All Things might fit the bill.

Agree on State of Wonder - you might also like Brazzaville Beach, male author but great female protagonist all the same and adventurous story/setting. Similar feel to State of Wonder but I enjoyed the story more.