Every October, Canada celebrates Women’s History Month, a time to honour the women and girls who’ve helped shape our communities, advance equality, and build a brighter future. From trailblazers in politics and science to artists, entrepreneurs, and advocates for change, their stories continue to inspire new generations.
This month, we’re highlighting books that explore women’s voices, resilience, and achievements—stories that remind us how far we’ve come, and how much further we can go. You’ll find biographies, memoirs, and fiction by and about women whose impact continues to ripple across Canada and beyond.
As we mark Women’s History Month, we also celebrate Persons Day on October 18, the anniversary of the 1929 Persons Case, when five courageous women fought to have women legally recognized as “persons” under Canadian law. Their determination changed history and paved the way for generations of leaders to follow.
Explore the stories below, share them with others, and continue the conversation. Every time we read, reflect, and lift each other up, we make history together.
FICTION
Of Women and Salt traces five generations of Cuban and Cuban American women bound by silence, resilience, and survival. When Jeanette takes in a neighbour’s daughter and seeks the truth about her own family’s past, she uncovers stories of displacement, inheritance, and strength. A powerful exploration of motherhood, memory, and the women who carry untold histories forward.
Inspired by true events, Women Talking imagines the urgent, haunting conversations of eight Mennonite women deciding their community’s future after shocking acts of violence. Over two days in a hayloft, they weigh faith, freedom, and justice while confronting the limits of forgiveness. A powerful, deeply human novel about courage, collective voice, and reclaiming agency.
My Brilliant Friend follows Elena and Lila, two girls growing up in postwar Naples, whose intertwined lives mirror the upheavals of their changing world. As they navigate ambition, loyalty, and rivalry, their friendship becomes both a refuge and a reckoning. A vivid, emotionally complex portrait of girlhood, class, and the bonds that define us.
The Women tells the powerful story of Frankie McGrath, a young nurse who volunteers to serve in Vietnam and discovers both the horrors of war and the courage it demands. Returning home to a divided America, she faces a new battle for recognition and healing. A moving tribute to the women whose bravery and sacrifice have too often been overlooked.
NONFICTION
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution redefines the story of humanity through the lens of women’s biology. With wit and scientific insight, Cat Bohannon traces how the female body shaped our species—from evolution and childbirth to cognition and survival. A groundbreaking exploration that challenges long-held assumptions and restores women to the centre of human history.
Canadian Women Now and Then: More Than 100 Stories of Fearless Trailblazers celebrates the achievements of women who have shaped Canada’s past and present. From scientists and artists to activists and athletes, Elizabeth MacLeod highlights inspiring figures who broke barriers and opened doors for future generations.
A Big Important Art Book (Now with Women) reimagines the art world through the lens of women creators, past and present. Featuring profiles, interviews, and hands-on projects, Danielle Krysa celebrates the voices and visions of female artists while inspiring readers to create their own. A lively, empowering guide that blends art history, creativity, and modern feminism.
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men exposes how gender-blind data skews everything from healthcare and city planning to technology and policy. Caroline Criado-Perez reveals the hidden biases that shape daily life and the systemic costs women bear as a result. A sharp, eye-opening investigation that challenges readers to rethink what fairness truly means in a data-driven world.
Girlhood is a powerful collection of essays in which Melissa Febos unpacks how girlhood shapes women’s understanding of their bodies, identities, and power. Through a blend of memoir and cultural critique, she reexamines the narratives that define femininity and belonging. Honest and deeply introspective, it’s a reclamation of self and a reimagining of what it means to grow up female.
