It’s International Women’s Day! Each year, we’re reminded of the powerful impacts that uplifting women and amplifying their voices can have across the globe. This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias. We in BC are fortunate to have so many powerful women and girls sharing their stories and defying stereotypes. By listening to the stories of these women, we can create a more equitable, bias-free world.
We’ve curated a selection of new and forthcoming titles to encourage all our readers to pick up these powerful books that highlight the struggles, experiences and triumphs of women and non-binary people.
For Future Feminists:
It’s never too early to inspire the children in your life with stories of powerful women and girls. From whimsical picture books with strong female characters, to graphic novels highlighting women’s struggles, to nonfiction stories about girls changing the world, there’s a book for every future feminist.
We look to these books to help our children understand the experiences of women and marginalized groups around the world, and to inspire them to take action in their everyday lives. Raising a changemaker starts with these stories:
The Youngest Sister by Suniyay Moreno, illustrated by Mariana Chiesa (Greystone Books)
From the publisher: In the Andean foothills, a five-year-old Quechua girl is entrusted with a big job: to collect a marrow bone from the neighbour for the family soup. A stunning debut from Indigenous author Suniyay Moreno.
Anna Carries Water by Olive Senior (Tradewind Books)
From the publisher: In this charming and poetic family story set in Jamaica, Commonwealth Prize-winning author Olive Senior shows young readers the power of determination, as Anna achieves her goal and overcomes her fear.
Better Connected: How Girls Are Using Social Media for Good by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Julia Kyi, illustrated by Vivian Rosas (Orca Book Publishers)
From the publisher: The online world has real dangers, but girls around the world are using social media to create positive change and practice good digital citizenship.
What World Is Left by Monique Polak (Orca Book Publishers)
From the publisher: Anneke’s life changes in 1942 when the Nazis invade Holland, and she and her family are deported to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. The book is inspired by the experiences of the author’s mother, who was imprisoned during World War II.
Boonoonoonous Hair by Olive Senior (Tradewind Books)
From the publisher: “Jamaican-Canadian writer Senior uses playful rhymes to speak directly to young readers…Artwork by James—who is of Antiguan heritage—is an explosion of colour and energy. Together (they) show young readers that being different isn’t a bad thing.” —Quill & Quire
The Blue Road: A Fable of Migration by Wayde Compton, illustrated by April dela Noche Milne (Arsenal Pulp Press)
From the publisher: In this stunning graphic novel, Lacuna is a girl without a family, a past, or a proper home. The Blue Road explores the world from a migrant’s perspective with dreamlike wonder.
For Fiction Fans:
Fiction can be a powerful tool to illustrate the experiences of women worldwide, and to imagine a new, more equitable future. We look to fiction for inspirational heroines, for characters whose struggles resemble our own, and for realistic, relatable female characters. Here are some of our recent favourite fictional works, highlighting the experiences and triumphs of female characters.
Unrest by Emma Cote (Anvil Press)
From the publisher: Mortician Mylène Andrews spends her days dealing with death, but has never quite figured out how to live. After her estranged mother passes away, adult-orphaned Mylène sets out in her hearse to see the graveyards her mother visited before her death, guided by a collection of unsent postcards and the residual wake of a tragedy long-considered buried.
Death at the Savoy: A Priscilla Tempest Mystery, Book 1 by Prudence Emery and Ron Base (Douglas & McIntyre)
From the publisher: An atmospheric, entertaining new mystery series introducing a plucky Canadian heroine and set in the world’s most famous hotel.
Cambium Blue by Maureen Brownlee (Harbour Publishing)
From the publisher: Set in the British Columbia Interior, Cambium Blue is an homage to resource towns, independent women and local newspapers.
Framed in Fire: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw (TouchWood Editions)
From the publisher: A shallow grave, a missing person, and near-fatal arson keep Lane, Darling, and the Nelson police on high alert in the latest mystery in this Globe and Mail bestselling series.
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew (Arsenal Pulp Press)
From the publisher: When Lily was eleven years old, her mother, Swee Hua, walked away from the family, never to be seen or heard from again. Now a new mother herself, Lily becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Swee Hua. She recalls the spring of 1987, growing up in a small British Columbia mining town where there were only a handful of Asian families.
Memoirs:
Memoirs are an important tool used to help us truly understand an author’s experiences. We in BC are so fortunate to have so many incredible women sharing their stories and experiences with us through memoir and allowing us to enter their worlds. Memoirs guide us and help us to truly empathize with the struggles of their authors. Here are some of our favourite memoirs by women!
This is My Real Name: A Stripper’s Memoir by Cid V. Brunet (Arsenal Pulp Press)
From the publisher: The memoir of Cid V. Brunet, who spent ten years working as a dancer at strip clubs, using the name Michelle. From her very first lap dance in a small-town bar to her work at high-end clubs, Michelle learns she must follow the unspoken rules that will allow her to succeed in the competitive industry.
Trail Mix: 920 km on the Camino de Santiago by Jules Torti (Rocky Mountain Books)
From the publisher: A rollicking travel memoir that invites the curious, the initiated, and even the skeptics to tag along on the ever-changing landscape of “The Way.” Trail Mix is the open, frank, and funny story of one Canadian couple voted most unlikely to agree to such a daunting social experience.
Vagabond: Venice Beach, Slab City and Points In Between by Ceilidh Michelle (Douglas & McIntyre)
From the publisher: Told with deadpan humour and insightful lyricism, Vagabond is an observant and at times shimmering narrative suspended between a traumatic past and an as yet unimagined future.
Queasy: A Wannabe Writer’s Bumpy Journey Through England in the 1970s by Madeline Sonik (Anvil Press)
From the publisher: The award-winning author of Afflictions & Departures turns her kaleidoscopic lens on England in the 1970s in Queasy, a series of linked memoirs. While still grieving her father’s death and the end of her first romantic relationship, Madeline Sonik moved with her mother from Windsor, Ontario to the seaside village of Ilfracombe in North Devon, England.
Somewhere: Stories of Migration by Women from Around the World edited by Lorna Jane Harvey (TouchWood Editions)
From the publisher: An inspiring and timely collection of stories about migration, written from twenty women’s perspectives.
Mennonite Valley Girl: A Wayward Coming of Age by Carla Funk (Greystone Books)
From the publisher: At once a coming-of-age story, a contemplation on meaning, morality, and destiny, and a hilarious time capsule of 1980s adolescence, Mennonite Valley Girl offers the best kind of escapist reading for anyone who loves small towns, or who was lucky enough to grow up in one.
Not of Reason: A Recipe for Outrunning Sadness by Rita Moir (Caitlin Press)
From the publisher: Rita Moir’s mother and sister underwent heart surgery in the same week; a year later her sister was dead and her elderly mother lived many more years. Not of Reason is a family memoir centred on the deaths of the author’s sister and mother and the final restoration of what is considered “the natural order.”
Open Every Window by Jane Munro (Douglas & McIntyre)
From the publisher: When Jane Munro’s husband is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the Griffin-award-winning poet must chart a path through the depths of grief, learning to live with loss and to take solace and find freedom in the restorative powers of writing.
Nonfiction
It’s vitally important to document and study the real-life stories of women and non-binary people. These nonfiction books examine the historical inequities that have faced women and marginalized communities. They also imagine a future where these inequities no longer exist. We encourage our readers to pick up these titles and to use them as inspiration to take meaningful action towards creating a world where everyone is given the chance to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
This Has Always Been a War: The Radicalization of a Working-Class Queer by Lori Fox (Arsenal Pulp Press)
From the publisher: A powerful, personal critique of capitalist patriarchy as seen through the eyes of a queer radical. In essays that are both accessible and inspiring, Lori Fox examines their confrontations with the capitalist patriarchy through their experiences as a queer, non-binary, working-class farm hand, labourer, bartender, bush-worker, and road dog, exploring the ugly places where issues of gender, sexuality, class, and the environment intersect.
Pain and Prejudice: How the Medical System Ignores Women—And What We Can Do About It by Gabrielle Jackson (Greystone Books)
From the publisher: Acclaimed investigative reporter Gabrielle Jackson takes readers behind the scenes of doctor’s offices, pharmaceutical companies, and research labs to show that—at nearly every level of healthcare—men’s health claims are treated as default, whereas women’s are often viewed as atypical, exaggerated, and even completely fabricated.
Indigenous Stories:
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to look to Indigenous matriarchs, storytellers, and activists to learn more about their experiences. Here are some of our recent favourites by Indigenous authors, including memoirs, histories, and traditional stories.
The Life and Legacy of Muriel Stanley Venne: A Métis Matriarch by Christine Mowat with Muriel Stanley Venne (Heritage House)
From the publisher: The inspiring biography of Muriel Stanley Venne, a lifelong activist, community leader, and tireless advocate for Indigenous and women’s rights, set within the context of landmark legislative and national movements towards truth and reconciliation over the past three decades.
So You Girls Remember That: The Memoir of a Haida Elder by Gaadgas Nora Bellis with Jenny Nelson (Harbour Publishing)
From the publisher: So You Girls Remember That is an oral history of a Haida Elder, Naanii Nora, who lived from 1902 to 1997. A collaborative effort, this project was initiated and guided by Charlie Bellis and Maureen McNamara and was years in the making.
Standing in a River of Time by Jónína Kirton (Talonbooks)
From the publisher: Merges poetry and lyrical memoir on a journey exposing the intergenerational effects of colonization on a Métis family. Kirton does not shy away from hard realities, meeting them head on, but always treating them with respect and the love stemming from a lifetime of spiritual healing and decades of sobriety.
Okanagan Women’s Voices: Syilx and settler writing and relations, 1870s to 1960s edited by Jeannette Armstrong et al. (Theytus Books )
From the publisher: A direct window into the lives of settlers and Indigenous Peoples in eras of upheaval, uncertainty and reform, this collection is a much-needed lens into histories too often told by the colonial state.
Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Sara Florence Davidson (Heritage House)
From the publisher: Based on ancient Haida narratives, this vibrantly illustrated children’s book empowers young people and teaches them to live in harmony with nature.
Women Making History:
Women have been historically marginalized and their stories underrepresented. These books highlight the contributions, struggles, and victories of women throughout history, and the role that they played in shaping the world we know today.
From artists to activists and everyday women, these books capture their unique and inspirational stories.
Unvarnished: Autobiographical Sketches by Emily Carr edited by Kathryn Bridge (Royal BC Museum)
From the publisher: Culled from the handwritten pages in old-fashioned scribblers and almost-forgotten typescripts amid drafts for her published stories, Unvarnished features among the last unpublished and highly personal writings of the iconic Canadian author and artist Emily Carr.
Rare Merit: Women in Photography in Canada, 1840–1940 by Colleen Skidmore (UBC Press)
From the publisher: A beautifully illustrated and astute examination of women photographers in Canada as it took shape in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.
Hard is the Journey: Stories of Chinese Settlement in BC’s Kootenays by Lily Chow (Caitlin Press)
From the publisher: In Hard is the Journey, award-winning historian and researcher Lily Chow shares the difficult history of Chinese Canadians in the Kootenay. Piecing together interviews with Kootenay residents and descendents of Chinese immigrants, government records and documents, and early newspaper articles, Chow bravely exposes dark parts of BC’s history while shedding light on the struggles but also resilience and untold accomplishments of Chinese immigrants.
Victoria Unbuttoned: A Red-Light History of BC’s Capital City by Linda J. Eversole (TouchWood Editions)
From the publisher: A nuanced history of prostitution in Victoria told through newly uncovered stories of women who lived it.
Demanding Equality: One Hundred Years of Canadian Feminism by Joan Sangster (UBC Press)
From the publisher: One hundred years of feminist activism, from the 1880s to the 1980s, presented multiple paths for women’s search for equality, autonomy, and dignity. Women fashioned different dreams of freedom and social transformation, yet what is Canadian feminism?
Poetry
Many women have chosen poetry as a tool for self-expression and to share their stories. Here are some of our recent favourite poetry collections, each touching on the poet’s experience as a woman.
None of This Belongs to Me by Ellie Sawatzky (Nightwood Editions)
From the publisher: In this vibrant debut, Ellie Sawatzky rustles the underbrush of identity, seeking clarity on the nature of ownership and belonging. Haunted and inspired by old boyfriends, girls named Emily, ancestral ghosts, polar bears and mythic horses, None of This Belongs to Me plots a young woman’s coming of age in a time of environmental and socio-economic peril.
blue gait by Ahauna Paull (Mother Tongue Publishing)
From the publisher: Limned in deep listening, blue gait is a songbook in the key of alterity. It offers witness to another way of living where human and material concerns are not at the centre of things and where human ascendency and heroic catharsis is redressed.
Unfuckable Lardass by Catriona Strang (Talonbooks)
From the publisher: Strang’s sixth book of poetry not only refuses the objectifying gaze but, more importantly, turns towards the great and expanding richness of alternate possibilities.
Time Out of Time by Arleen Paré (Caitlin Press)
From the publisher: Award-winning poet Arleen Paré pays homage to the work of lesbian Syrian American poet Etel Adnan.
Nevertheless by Gillian Jerome (Nightwood Editions)
From the publisher: The long-awaited second collection by award-winning poet Gillian Jerome, about rediscovery and reconnection in the centre of urban Vancouver.
Hesitating Once to Feel Glory by Maleea Acker (Nightwood Editions)
From the publisher: Acker’s poems hang on precipices of emotion. They cartwheel from sadness to glory, then break into blossoms in a drought-struck landscape of longing. These are poems filled with daring leaps and precise, deft metaphors.