Female authors have written some of the most critically acclaimed books of our time. They provide us in-depth fantasy worlds in which to lose ourselves and educate us on hard to swallow topics.
Many authors, from J.K Rowling to Jane Austin, have given us something incredible to think about day in and day out.
So, what women authors in history should you read before you die? We put together a list to help you get started.
Donna Tart
Tart is known for her immense gift of telling stories that are rooted in modern-day strife. However, she also has a knack for the super natural. Her debut novel, The Secret History, is the story of a cult-like group of students at an acclaimed University that commits some exceedingly disastrous deeds.
When you lose yourself in her prose, you won’t want to turn back.
Elizabeth Kolbert
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction makes it onto our list because of her ability to tell us exactly how it is. The book for which she is most famous educates us on the way we’ve altered our planet. So much so, that everything is in alignment for eventual extinction.
It’s both a devastating read and an eye-opening look at the way we’re living our lives.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In her stellar book, We Should All Be Feminists, Adichie explores the reasons behind the feminist movement and aims to remind us all what we’re truly fighting for. She comes to the topic in a logical, thoughtful way without all of the drama. That is one of the reasons people continue to return to her words.
Shirley Jackson
For the horror fans out there, Jackson is the female queen of the genre due to her famous novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Throughout the terrifying 1959 gothic horror story, readers follow the story of a real-life house that had once been studied for ghost activity. She’s particularly celebrated for her inclusion, especially for her time period.
If terror and vengeful ghosts are your thing, definitely include Jackson on your must-read list.
Isabel Wilkerson
Another Pulitzer Prize-winner makes the list. Wilkerson spent 15 years researching her book, The Warmth of Other Suns, in which the journalist interview over 1,000 people about the migration of African Americans from the south between 1915 and 1970.
It’s a truly inspiring look at the trials and tribulations faced by a population of people trying to escape a tragic and devastating past.
Margaret Atwood
These days, almost everyone is aware of Atwood’s work, but there’s much more to this author than The Handmaid’s Tale. The author focuses her stories around areas of social commentary and introspective tellings of the flaws in your system.
She has also released books of poetry and short essays. Her other book, Cat’s Eye, has won the Booker Prize and the Arthur C. Clarke Award and remains one of the best stories the author has ever told.
Whether you’ve read some or none of these authors, this list of critically acclaimed female authors is a must-read.