6 Historical Fiction Books About Cool Women You Might Not Know

It’s Women’s History Month, and though it’s never a bad time to learn about a new-to-you woman of history, March is certainly a perfect moment to do so. And as someone who has learned too much about mediocre and sometimes evil men against my will, I’ve developed a special interest in learning about non-men throughout history.
There are some mighty fine titles in nonfiction that collect stories of multiple notable women through history (such as the graphic nonfiction Brazen, a few collections by Rachel Ignotovsky, and Little Ladies by Vashti Harrison) as well as some other incredible nonfiction titles to check out (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century, and Hidden Figures). However, this list is going to focus on fiction that serves as a narrative introduction to some names you may not yet know.
By Her Own Design by Piper Huguley
Historical Figure: Ann Lowe (1898-1981), Fashion Designer
Ann dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but after an elopement with an abusive older man at the age of 12, her goals are moved farther into the future. It is through a wealthy socialite that Ann gets her chance to escape, and she leaves Alabama with her young son for Florida and a new life.
By the 1950s, Ann Lowe has made a name for herself, fighting for her place in the fashion world as a Black designer, and is chosen to design the dress for Jacqueline Bouvier’s wedding to John F. Kennedy. But when a pipe bursts at the shop, ruining the dress, she and her team have less than a week to recreate the wedding gown.
The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen
Historical Figure: Dorothy Horstmann (1911-2011), Epidemiologist
As polio was devastating America in the 40s and 50s, the search for a vaccine was on. Though many of the greatest male minds throughout the world were trying to be the first to succeed, it was a woman, Dorothy Horstmann, who would make a crucial discovery.
Dorothy, the daughter of immigrants and many times the only woman in a room full of men, finds an answer in the blood, but it brings a male colleague to the forefront of the conversation. And it’s up to her to either speak out against him or help prove his vaccine is going to save the world.