Novels with Unconventional Female Protagonists

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

As an avid reader, I am always looking for something a little different when it comes to novels. Happily, I found four books this year which fit the description well. All four are very well-written, have vibrant female central characters, and yes, they are also authored by women.

In The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, “a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose – selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives who have wronged them – setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.”

📚📚📚

In Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, “Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. And like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why Elizabeth finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six. And she isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.”

📚📚📚

In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, “an aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love.”

📚📚📚

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is “an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm, Mila Pavlichenko, who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.”

📚📚📚

I enjoyed all four of these novels, although to a lesser extent, the last one, because war is not a subject I care to dive into very often.

Have you read any of the above?
How did you find them?

Do you have any recommendations for other books with unconventional female protagonists?
Do tell!


39 thoughts on “Novels with Unconventional Female Protagonists”

  2. I loved the first one and have the two next ones on my list. Another one with female protagonists galore is The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis which I just finished recently and have been recommending to everyone! Happy Reading!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. I’ve read a few with these unconventional protagonists recently like Elizabeth in Lessons in Chemistry which I loved, there’s Molly the Maid in Nta Prose’s The Maid, Majella in Michelle Gallen’s Big Girl, Small Town and of course Eleanor Oliphant.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was amazing, and these recommendations sound wonderful!! Reading books with unconventional female protagonists is amazing, great post!! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Great recommendations, Jennifer. I was especially drawn to “The Lost Apothecary” and “The Diamond Eye.” That last one has a gorgeous cover, and the fact that it’s based on a true story is intriguing. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Hi Jennifer! This is a great selection. I really liked Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. The Lost Apothecary also sounds good to me – have you read Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian? Acquiring poison for the same reason is part of the plot. I also think I would like The Diamond Eye because I enjoy WWII stories. Thanks for the recommendations!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Barbara, and you’re welcome. I was lucky to find such different books to read in 2023, and the year is only half over! Did you know they are making movies for Lessons in Chemistry and The Seven Husbands? Should be good.
      Hour of the Witch sounds interesting. I will look for it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. I’ve read your first two – Apothecary and Lessons in Chemistry. Loved Chemistry! Don’t recall a whole lot about Apothecary. One series that comes to my mind with an unconventional female protagonist is the Earth’s Children’s series (Clan of the Cave Bear) by Jean Auel. I really enjoyed those when I was in college.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  13. I have heard great things about all of these books. I too like unconventional female protagonists. It all started with Anne of Green Gables. Love her or loath her, Scarlette O’Hara was unconventional for her time as well. Perhaps that’s why these characters have staying power.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. Great post, Jennifer, and all the books you cited sound very interesting!

    I’ve read two other Kate Quinn novels — “The Alice Network” and “The Huntress” — that have unconventional female characters. Among the many other books that come to mind with such characters are Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre,” George Eliot’s “The Mill on the Floss,” Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening,” Edith Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence,” Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (and sequels), Barbara Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior,” Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale,” etc.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. Hi Dave. I’ve heard of all these you mentioned, and have read Jane Eyre (twice), The Mill on the Floss, Little Women, and The Age of Innocence. The Alice Network is waiting at the library for my husband. 🙂 Thanks for the recommendations!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. You’re very welcome, Jennifer! And thanks for your post! Although you didn’t like it quite as much as the others, I’m going to look for “The Diamond Eye” in my local library. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

Talk to me.