By Clare Mulroy
Womenâs History Month is almost at a close, but there is still time to add empowering reads to your TBR before March is over.
Stories of unsung female heroes are having a moment, like Kristin Hannahâs âThe Women,â which spotlights the âforgottenâ female veterans of World War II.
Kristina McMorris, the author of the bestselling historical fiction novel âSold on a Mondayâ and the upcoming âGirls of Good Fortune,â told USA TODAY that womenâs historical fiction is an uplifting space for readers and writers.
âThere is something that is very special about having female bonds and friendships (where) we really understand each other and are there to support each other,â McMorris says. âWe are so passionate about shining a light on these stories from the past that it never feels competitive. We are all just there to help lift each other up and spread word about each other’s stories and about each other’s talents as much as possible. It is an amazing community.â
Here are five books we recommend checking out and the real-life history behind them.
âHarlem Rhapsodyâ by Victoria Christopher Murray

Whatâs itâs about: This novel follows Jessie Redmon Fauset, a high school teacher from Washington D.C. who arrives in Harlem as she becomes the first Black woman named literary editor of The Crisis magazine. But her secret affair with her older boss, W. E. B. Du Bois, threatens her position. Determined to prove herself, Jessie throws herself into helping The Crisis thrive by scouting writers who would someday become literary icons, including Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen.