Books about strong and inspirational women?

[MandUs]

Going through a tough time at the moment and am looking for some inspiring escapism. Books by or about strong and inspirational women. Fiction or non-fiction. Any suggestions?

So far this year I have read " I wasn't strong like this when I started out" and "Wild". Currently reading "Becoming".

I loved Anita Roddick and the book ‘body and soul’ which talks about how she grew the body shop. It is quite different to the body shop of today!

I came to say Becoming but can see you're already reading it. Such a great memoir.

You could also try Kamala Harris' memoir? Or maybe Educated by Tara Westover?

I enjoyed Educated and becoming

I'd recommend:

Fiction:
The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick - about Eleanor of Aquitaine. It's fictionalised but pretty true to the real events as far as I know.
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - about a Nigerian teenage girl who is determined to finish her education, but is married at 14 to an older man because her father wanted her bride price.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Young woman from Nigeria who goes to the USA to study (and then work) and her subsequent return to Nigeria as a mature woman.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid - troubled teenage girl runs away and is taken in by a group of woman who run a honey farm.
Katherine by Anya Seton - fictionalised but true story of Katherine Swynford, the mistress of John of Gaunt (son of Edward III) their illegitimate line became the Beauforts (Margaret Beaufort - mother of Henry VI)

Non fiction:

Born Lippy by Jo Brand
That Woman (The life of Wallis Simpson) by Anna Sebba
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell - Story of Virginia Hall, an American disabled woman who basically ran huge sections of the French resistance in WW2.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly -about the black women who did the maths for the Nasa space programme in the 1950s and 1960s
The Five by Halle Rubenhold - the lives of the five women killed by jack the Ripper. Possibly not "strong" women, but I found it fascinating.
She Wolves by Helen Castor - about early English Queens (pre Elizabeth I)

The World I Fell Out Of by Melanie Reid describes the Times journalist's fight back to as much independence as possible after a serious riding accident.

Not escapist, rather a realistic and unflinching account of her struggle., with honesty and with humour at times. Her determination is impressive and it does make you extremely appreciative of simple things in your life that we all tend to take for granted. That was the biggest message I took from the book.

what would frida do - a guide to living boldly

Let It Go by Stephanie (Steve) Shirley is a fantastic autobiography. She came to Britain on the Kindertransport, started a software company in the early 1960s that only hired women programmers and used her earnings from that to start a charitable trust that supports people with autism spectrum disorders.

Currently reading - Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a life. It is very good.

woman in the photograph

A Town like Alice - Neville Shute

wild swan

Testament of youth = Vera brittain

@AgnesNaismith does she mention in the book that she stole the whole concept from a woman in Berkeley and settled out of court?

WTF, no?!! Source please?

There was a slight gap in her recounting of the story, however. Her shops were inspired by body shops that Anita had seen on her travels, but not of the auto variety.

While in San Francisco and Berkeley in 1970, Anita visited a tiny hippie shop owned by Peggy Short and Jane Saunders, two sisters by marriage.

It was a fun place, offering "biodegradable" shampoos and lotions made with avocado, cocoa butter, and cucumber, packaged in small, round plastic bottles with hand-written labels that were refillable at a discount.

The store carried freshly made glycerin soaps scented with strawberry and lemon and perfume oil redolent of gardenia, woody sandalwood, and honeysuckle. It was housed in CJ's, a car repair garage. The two founders cleverly named it The Body Shop.

Quoted from here:

I know it’s the daily fail but I have actually met the woman she stole the idea from.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-482012/Queen-Green-Roddicks-unfair-trade-started-copied-Body-Shop-formula.html

@Standrewsschool

Testament of youth = Vera brittain

Agree with this, it's so interesting and inspiring. The recent film cut out all the interesting feminist stuff and concentrated on her young romance, the autobiography is so much more complex and interesting.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this but the Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry has a very strong, elemental female character at it's core. A marvellous read.

Old Baggage by Lissa Evans - fiction based around a group of ex-suffragettes who are looking for a new challenge now that women have the vote.

All the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett.