Books by Boston Women That Will Change the Way You Think About the World

Boston has a long lineage of famous writers who have created a lasting foundation within American Literature. From Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, to Emily Dickinson, these authors are just a fraction of those who have created time-honored literary works while also being a part of the wonderful city that many of us call home. While many of these well-known writers lived many years before us, Boston has introduced many new women into the literary scene writing both fiction and non-fiction works that are absolutely worth picking up for your daily commute, those nights you can’t fall/stay asleep (yea, we’ve all had those!) or for your next beach vacation. Below is a list of inspiring women who have created equally inspiring novels.

Caucasia: A Novel by Danzy Senna

The author was born and raised in Boston during a more turbulent time and the story is an extension of her experience and actually her first novel. The story centers around two sisters who come from a biracial family, one who can pass as white from her mother’s side while the other has dark skin like their father. The story takes several twists and turns, as the sisters are separated by their parents and centers around the search of the sisters to reunite. Her novel has gone on to be translated into multiple other languages and subsequently won many awards. Danzy has also written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Vogue, among other publications.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Still Alice, a novel which was later adapted into a movie in 2015 starring Julianne Moore, tells the story of a Harvard professor who is in the prime of her career and life until she is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. The story discusses the difficulty of such an accomplished woman as she suffers through the devastating symptoms and decline that this disease causes. In addition to showcasing the disheartening effects of a neurological disorder, the story focuses on the main characters attempts and ongoing struggle to maintain all she has built. Lisa Genova has a very interesting background in that she is a Neuroscientist by trade but also dabbled in writing novels – Still Alice being her first in 2007. She grew up in Waltham, MA and received her PhD from Harvard University after having done research at Mass General and McClean hospitals.

Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter by Nina MacLaughlin

This is a real-life retelling of the author’s story, a woman who spent almost 10 years writing for a newspaper in the Boston area only to quit her job to take up carpentry. In Nina’s memoir, she treats the reader to the experience of a significant life transition, with an emphasis on being a woman in a male-dominated profession combined with a lack of industry experience! For anyone who has been grappling with making a significant pivot in their career or possibly just interested in expanded upon your current scope, this is a really inspirational read about a woman who left a more corporate position to pursue a hobby that she was passionate about. This was Nina’s first novel whereas prior, she had been an editor at the Boston Phoenix. Nina lives in Cambridge, MA today carving cutlery among other things.

The Escape Artist by Helen Fremont

Helen’s novel is set to release this month and the calling it “mesmerizing,” “extraordinary” and a “triumphant work of art.” Helen is known for her first novel, also a memoir, After Long Silence. Helen Fremont was raised as a Roman Catholic. It wasn't until she was an adult, practicing law in Boston, that she discovered her parents were Jewish—Holocaust survivors living invented lives. Not even their names were their own. Critics describe this upcoming novel as one written with wit and candor about growing up in a household held together by secrets. Her parents, who were largely affected by their memories of the Holocaust, pass on, to both her and her older sister, a bad habit of keeping their lives so compartmentalized that they are walled off from the ‘dangers’ of the rest of the world. Helen discusses in-depth, the family dynamic that yielded this innate ability to keep secrets.

Helen Fremont went to Wellesley College and Boston University law school. After graduating, she joined the Peace Corps and taught English and science in Lesotho, Southern Africa. Five years ago, while working full-time as a public defender in Boston, she began taking graduate fiction workshops, and in 1991 completed her M.F.A. at Warren Wilson College.

Julia Blanchard is a content contributor for JUGs by night, by day she works at Amazon on some of Alexa’s feature expansion programs. You can follow her @jcblanchard6 on Instagram.