women-centred fiction recommendations for a holiday read

[BananaPeachPie]

I’m on holiday so would like a new book. I like an enjoyable read but that doesn’t make me feel like I’m wasting my time, so no twee romance, I really don’t enjoy mystery and crime books. I seem drawn to books with women at the centre where I can learn a little of their lives and history but ultimately have a good storyline and great characters.
I’ve just finished The Women and The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah and Small pleasures, all of which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed books like A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Book Seller of Kabul. I like to feel that there is a little hope left in humanity.
Does anyone have a recommendation that might fit the bill? Thank you

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 🚀

Anything by Lissa Evans such as Small Bomb at Dimperley or Old Baggage.

I’ve recently enjoyed “You are Here” by David Nicholls

Slags
Thou Savage Woman (a social history of female killers)

Seconded.

Also, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society"

Lissa Evans as mentioned above is great.

A Single Thread (or the Glassmaker, which I thought was less good) by Tracy Chevalier are also historical and woman centred.

@OverlyFragrant thank you. These look great. Have you listened to the BBC Sounds podcast, Ladykillers? It has some really interesting stories.

There are more by Kristen Hannah. Try The Great Alone and The Four Winds. Not about war this time but still centred around strong female characters and tragedy.

A bit ‘out there’ but if you ever read the Little House on the Prairie books you might enjoy ‘Caroline’ by Sarah Miller which tells Ma’s story. I really enjoyed it.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. A brilliant book - women absolutely at the centre but set against the patriarchal society of the day. Be prepared for the ending though - but such tenderness shown by one woman to another at her end. It's definitely one that sticks with you.

Vindication (about Mary wollestonecraft) by Frances Sherwood.

Try the other Clare Chambers books, Back Trouble and In a Good Light are good ones.

The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown is about the fictional sister of the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins.

I also really liked the Kristin Hannah books you have mentioned. Maybe try some of her others

You could tray anything by Lesley Lokko. Or I also really like the excellent and sadly now passed away Penny Vincenzi for excellent reads, mainly women as the main characters.

I can't remember who it's by but "Beautyland" is a great holiday read - about a girl who's actually an alien and her mum. It sounds insane but it's very good and not sci-fi at all (I hate sci-fi)

Pretty much anything by Maggie O'Farrell. She writes vey well about women and in particular mother-child relationships.

A thousand ships by Natalie Haynes is absolutely fabulous, woman centred and historical, I can't recommend it enough, I've bought a copy for everyone I know!

Anything by Charlotte Wood

"Stone Yard Devotional" would be my top pick.

Then "The Natural Way of Things".

Then "The Weekend" - this is probably the best holiday read, but the way one of the women let's her dog get treated makes me angry and sad so it'd be bottom of my recommendations 🤣

Oh yy to Clare Chambwrs - she's great 😊

The bookclub for troublesome women was very enjoyable.

Anything by Jane Fallon but especially Just Got Real.

The signature of all things is a brilliant book! I injured my hand holding it for too long in an odd position but it was totally worth it!

Female main character, historical, beautifully written and really interesting. Highly recommended!

Have you read any Louise Erdrich? The Sentence was the first of hers that I read and I loved it.

"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg.

Jane Fallon writes a lot about women's relationships. They are a little chick little but funny & clever too. I'm currently loving The Holiday by T M Logan. It may have a murder at some point but to start with it's acwoman wondering which of her friends is having an affair with her husband