21 Winning Classics Written By Women

From the earliest stirrings of civilization, there have always been women writers, but throughout HIStory, the voices of women have often been marginalized, discounted, and even silenced. As recently as the nineteenth century, authors like George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans), Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters had to use male pseudonyms or hide their identities to get their work published.

Finally, in the last few centuries, we have seen this changing and the literary work of women is finding its proper place on distinguished bookshelves everywhere. In celebration of Women's History Month, here are 21 time-honored classics by women who broke new ground and made their mark in literary history.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

Easily one of the most beloved novels in history, this comedy of manners continues to inspire an endless stream of adaptations, retellings, and sequels. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy has lasting resonance and relevance as a prototype for the rom-coms of today.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

Considered by many to be the first science-fiction novel ever written, this is another story that has been recycled and updated by countless others. It is the story of a scientist whose creation comes to monstrous life. With its unflinching wit and strong female voice, the original text packs a punch.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)

The emotional power, heightened atmosphere, and fierce intelligence of this novel dazzled readers with its passionate depiction of a woman's search for equality and freedom on her own terms. The author was one of three notable writing sisters who initially published their popular novels using male pen names.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (1868)

The four March sisters couldn't be more different—Grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. But in times of hardship, they must rely on one another. This coming-of-age story captures the intensity of conflict, as well as the depth of devotion that can exist between sisters.

Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)

Rejecting the conventional narratives of the time, this groundbreaking novel offers a richly nuanced drama set in a Victorian village. Major players include: Tertius Lydgate, a talented yet naive young doctor; high-minded Dorothea Brooke, stuck in a loveless marriage; and religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding a shocking past.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (1908)

Expressive, optimistic, and spirited Anne has served as a decidedly feminist figure for generations of readers. Determined and outspoken, she stands up for what's right and pursues her dreams with vigor. When she arrives at Green Gables (a girl instead of the requested boy), she wins hearts and changes lives.

My Ántonia by Willa Cather (1918)

This pioneer story is told from the point of view of an orphan boy growing up in Nebraska at the end of the 19th century. He develops a friendship with the titular character, the elder daughter in a family of Bohemian immigrants. Praised as a masterpiece, the novel was considered radical for its time.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)

Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize with this novel set in the 1870s in New York City's "Gilded Age." The story centers on Newland Archer, an illustrious young man soon to be wed to the sheltered and beautiful May. But the arrival of May's scandalous cousin Ellen threatens their happiness.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)

This novel is made up of three powerfully charged visions of a family visiting their summer house off the rocky coast of Scotland. There's the serene and maternal Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their eight children. The story shines a light on the complexities of family relationships.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)

Out of print for nearly thirty years—due largely to 1930s audiences' rejection of its free-spirited Black female protagonist—Hurston's luminous Southern love story has, since its 1978 reissue, taken its rightful place as one of the most important and enduring books of the twentieth century.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)

Eight people, each harboring a guilty secret, accept a cryptic invitation to an isolated mansion on Indian Island. Their first night is marked by murder. As the bodies pile up, the guests scramble to identify the killer. This twisty mystery is one of the bestselling books of all time by the bestselling novelist in history.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948)

This epistolary coming-of-age classic is written in the form of journal entries by teenager Cassandra Mortmain who lives with her eccentric family in genteel poverty in a decaying English castle during the 1930s. J. K. Rowling called Cassandra "one of the most charismatic narrators I've ever met."

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Considered to be one of the greatest American novels ever written, this Pulitzer Prize winner is a gripping, heart-wrenching tale told through the eyes of a young girl growing up in the deep South, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a Black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (1962)

"I'm going to put death in all their food and watch them die." This slim, haunting horror story is told through the eyes of Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, a peculiar young woman who lives an isolated existence with her agoraphobic sister and her ailing uncle on their decaying family estate.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (1966)

This novel has been described as a feminist prequel to Jane Eyre, bringing into the light Brontë's madwoman in the attic. Antoinette is a sensual, sheltered young woman when she is sold into marriage to the prideful Mr. Rochester, who declares her mad and isolates her from the rest of the world.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967)

"Stay gold Ponyboy . . . stay gold." Written when the author was only seventeen, this OG YA novel has served as the impetus for countless teens to fall in love with reading. Set in a world of drive-ins and drag races, the story centers on a gritty antihero, a boy fighting for survival in a hardscrabble world.

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973)

Gloria Steinem called this novel, "The rare work of fiction that has changed real life."It's the story of Molly Bolt, the adopted daughter of a dirt-poor Southern family who knows early in childhood that she is gay. With her startling beauty and crackling wit, Molly forges her own path, refusing to apologize for who she loves.

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

This mesmerizing Booker Prize winner is a tale of the obsessions that haunt a self-satisfied London playwright after he retires to an isolated home by the sea to write his memoirs. The project evolves into a riveting chronicle of the strange events and unexpected visitors that shake his oversized ego to its core.

Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979)

Blazing the trail for neo-slavery narratives like Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, this visionary time-travel classic explores the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now. Dana is a 26-year-old living in 1970s California when she's suddenly transported to the antebellum South.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1985)

This eerily prescient dystopian tale is set in a near-future New England, where a patriarchal, totalitarian regime known as the Republic of Gilead has overthrown the US government. Protagonist Offred is a Handmaid, a woman stripped of her own identity who is forcibly assigned to produce children for the ruling class.

Beloved by Toni Morrison (1987)

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She is haunted by her memories and the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. This Pulitzer Prize winner is an essential masterwork of American literature.

Help us celebrate women authors this month—and every month! And be sure to let us know if you have any favorites to add to this list.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon