‘Herstory’ Recommendations

Herstory is based around the idea of presenting women’s point of views within the context of a past event. To give you the academic babble, I believe that it comes from a feminist critique that history is mainly written from the perspective of men (his-story) and that the experiences of women are usually not included in the narratives that we tell. Thus, the goal of ‘herstory’ is to examine and share what it would have been like for women at the time of or during the particular event.

One of my goals for this year is to read as many books which represent the female experience within historical fiction, so expect this list to grow throughout the year.

The Matilda Saga by Jackie French

At the time of writing this post, I believe that there are currently 8 books within the series. The first book, A Waltz for Matilda is set at the turn of the 20th century and focuses on the Australian union movement and the push for Federation, as seen through the eyes of Matilda, a young girl moving from away from the industrial centres of Melbourne. Every following book is set from the perspectives of a adolescent girl and focuses on major historical events within Australian history including World War 1, the Depression, World War 2, the Vietnam War, the political turmoil of the 1970s and the bushfires which seem to ravage the Australian landscape every summer. I am a massive fan of French’s writing and can quite easily devour her books within a single day. Whether you hate or love history, the characters are engaging and interesting, and it doesn’t take much to be swept up with their stories whilst learning about the past.

The Last Days of the Romanov Dancers by Kerri Turner

Another wonderful book by an Australian author, this book focuses on imperial Russia in the years that ran up to the February Revolution of 1917. From the outset it is clear that the author has done her historical research, and though the narrative is framed through the isolation of a ballet company, there is a clear sense of the political and social tensions at the time. This book actually alternates perspectives between a male and a female character, and whilst it may be limited in representing the broad range of the experiences occurring in the country, the female characters certainly are not shy about expressing their opinions about what is happening, and their voice even comes through when the male characters are narrating. I find the Russian Revolution a fascinating time in history, but I freely admit that right up until reading this book I had not thought too much about the experience of women, as opposed to the political changes that occurred as the social implications that it meant for the bourgeoisie and the proletariat as a collective. This was a book whose plot gripped me instantly, made that much more enjoyable for its historical perspective.

Legacy by Nikki McWatters

Talking about books with alternating timelines, Legacy by Nikki McWatters traces the lives of three different women through three different and distinct time periods. This book highlights how much things have changed, but also how much the experiences of women throughout history seem to overlap (as the Mark Twain quote goes "history doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme"). The stories of each of the three women was thoroughly researched, from Jeanne in 15th century France, Betsy in Ireland in the late 18th century and Fiona in 1960s Australian dominated by a landscape of debates surrounding the Vietnam War. If you want a book that explores the fraught political and social issues within a historical context, then I highly recommend you check out what this book has to offer.