‘Thoughtful’ books about womens’ experience

[Justrunwithit]

Have a young woman in my life who is from a very sheltered, conservative, Christian background with limited education and exposure to the world (any part of the world!) . She likes reading though, and has read Austen. I’ve given her I capture the castle, pursuit of love, Rebecca and she’s really enjoyed them. I am going to try Jane eyre.

I’d like to try something a little more socially/politically challenging though (not my place to change her views but they are um... from a very strict patriarchal place whereas I guess I believe thinking from different angles is good). I think Handmaid’s Tale and Fingersmith would frankly be ideal but too out there for her right now... what would you suggest to be thought- provoking? Age presents as more like a western sixteen/seventeen year old if you see what I mean, but she is definitely smart. But raised to believe critical thought wrong and education sort of irrelevant .

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi if she would read the cartoon strip style of it.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I know it's based on a story from the Bible but it is more about women and how they interact.

The Innocents by Francesca Segal might be good, it's based on The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton but set in present day London.

And I agree, Anne Tyler might be a good choice too.

Some Jackie Collins

The Fraud by Barbara Ewing - historical novel set in 18th century about the barriers to a woman becoming an artist. (Does feature a grim abortion though, which might be too much)

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver would be ideal.

Also:
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent - novel from women's perspective on the Salem witch trials. Characters are devout Christians and not actually witches (obviously)

Sarah Dunant's novels about women in Renaissance Italy. The Birth of Venus is about a Florentine girl's relationship with a painter and the restrictions on her interest in art. Sacred Hearts focuses on life in a nunnery, which many of the girls have been forced to enter because their family can't afford a dowry (very common at the time).

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini on women's experience under the Taliban.

On a lighter note, Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett, about an army unit where a lot of the 'lads' signing up aren't quite what they seem (and have to put a sock down the front of their trousers to seem the part...) Part of the Discworld series, but it's a stand alone one and you don't have to have read any of the others.

Woman on the edge of time by Marge Piercy. Read in my late teens and it still stays with me to this day. Powerful stuff.

I've just read Barbara Comyns 'Our Spoons Came from Woolworths'. It's the story of a rather naive young woman who marries an artist and is set in 1930s London. It's an interesting writing style which is often at odds with the rather tragic content.

Barbara Kingsolver

The Poisonwood Bible or Flight Behaviour.

Geraldine McCaughrean

Not the End of the World.

Great thread! Awesome suggestions! Thanks!

I'm reading Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman at the moment which is pretty gentle but challenges lots of stereotypical perceptions of the differences between the sexes (sadly still relevant even though it was written 100 years ago). Maybe don't get the edition I'm reading which has a painting of a naked woman's body on the cover

What About 'Who Cooked the Last Supper? The Women's History of the World' by Rosalind Miles.