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Feminist Reads

Feminism is more than fighting for gender equity. It is about retelling the stories that define us, recognizing the place of woman in our shared history, now and into the future. This collection of study guides features fiction, nonfiction, and poetry all about women and their tales of triumph, pain, love, and everything in between.

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2007Genre Play, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

A Doll’s House is a modern tragedy released in 1879 by Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen. Composed of three acts, the play is set in a Norwegian town of the author’s present day and mainly concerns Nora and Torvald Helmer, whose marriage implodes under the weight of Nora’s emotional, social, and political subjugation by Europe’s regressive gender norms. The play is well known for exploring the married woman’s bleak plight in a world dominated by men... Read A Doll's House Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Publication year 2003Genre Short Story, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: GenderTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Zitkála-Šá’s 1921 book American Indian Stories gathers autobiographical chapters, historical fiction stories, and essays focused on the experiences of the Dakota Sioux and interactions between American Indians and White citizens of the United States. Zitkála-Šá’s works convey a strong sense of independence, pride in Sioux culture, and indignation at injustices committed against American Indians. This study guide references the 2019 Modern Library (Penguin Random House) edition of American Indian Stories.SummaryThe collection begins with an autobiographical... Read American Indian Stories Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Mental Illness, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Gender, Relationships: MothersTags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Immigration / Refugee, British Literature, Japanese Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World

A Pale View of Hills (1982) is Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel. Born in Nagasaki in 1954, Ishiguro immigrated with his family to the United Kingdom when he was five years old. Despite his family’s Japanese origins, the author frequently states in interviews that his experience with Japanese culture is very limited, as he spent all his adult life in England. Simultaneously, however, growing up in a Japanese family developed in Ishiguro a different perspective compared... Read A Pale View of Hills Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Order & ChaosTags Free verse, Animals, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Confessional, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, History: World, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Society: Class, Identity: GenderTags Grief / Death, American Literature, Class, Drama / Tragedy, Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

“A Small, Good Thing” is one of Raymond Carver’s most decorated short stories. It was first printed in heavily edited form as “The Bath” in a 1981 edition of Columbia. When Carver reworked the story for his 1983 collection Cathedral, he titled this more complete version “A Small, Good Thing.” In this form, the story won the coveted O. Henry award and appeared in the year’s Pushcart Prize Annual. A work of literary realism, “A... Read A Small, Good Thing Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: MothersTags Depression / Suicide, Gender / Feminism

“A Sorrowful Woman” is Gail Godwin’s most anthologized short story and tackles the themes of depression, domesticity, and female identity. Godwin is a best-selling American author and multiple National Book Award finalist who often explores these themes in her novels. “A Sorrowful Woman,” a subversion of the fairy tale, details a woman’s struggles with her role as wife and mother and the expectations and disappointments that lead her to suicide. Godwin’s unnamed characters upend the... Read A Sorrowful Woman Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: ClassTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature

Publication year 2004Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Romanticism / Romantic Period, History: U.S., Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects was written in 1792 by Mary Wollstonecraft. It is often referred to as one of the earliest feminist texts, and Wollstonecraft herself described it as proto-feminist. In it, Wollstonecraft explores the oppression of women by men, and argues that no society can be either virtuous or moral while half of the population are being subjugated by the other half. Ultimately, Wollstonecraft... Read A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Gender / Feminism, Post-War Era, British Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1963 in the short story collection A Man and Two Women, “A Woman on a Roof” by Doris Lessing emerged during a time of social and political upheaval in the Western world. Like many of Lessing’s other works, the story explores the effects of class inequality and the misunderstandings between men and women that arise in a patriarchal culture. Lessing was born in former Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and moved to London... Read A Woman on a Roof Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Publication year 2014Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Self DiscoveryTags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Biography

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Society: CommunityTags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Sociology, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), African American Literature, Philosophy

Publication year 2002Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Humor, Classic Fiction

Blithe Spirit is a 1941 farce written by the English playwright, composer, and actor Noël Coward. Known for his wit and style, Coward’s theatrical career lasted for nearly six decades. Blithe Spirit, one of his most popular and enduring works, was first performed in the West End, running for 1,997 performances, before transferring to Broadway for 657 performances. It was adapted into the musical High Spirits in 1964. To this day, the play continues to... Read Blithe Spirit Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: SexualityTags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Humor, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography

Bossypants is a humorous memoir published in 2011 by actor and writer Tina Fey. Fey describes growing up as an awkward, smart-mouthed girl and traces the process by which she enters show business, from working at a theater summer camp, to taking night improv classes, to writing for Saturday Night Live, and finally to creating her own television sitcom, 30 Rock. Fey writes of the discrimination and double standards to which women in show business... Read Bossypants Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: GenderTags Parenting, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: MothersTags Japanese Literature, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: ColonialismTags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Breath, Eyes, Memory is a novel by Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat, first published in 1994. The book is semi-autobiographical: like the protagonist, 12-year-old Sophie Caco, Danticat herself was born in Haiti but moved to the United States at a young age. She has since written several novels and short stories about Haiti, immigration, and the complex ways that one’s identity is formed by where they are from and where they now live. The novel... Read Breath, Eyes, Memory Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2018Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: GenderTags Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: AgingTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Cat’s Eye is a 1988 coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood that centers on Elaine Risley, a successful painter who is returning to Toronto for a retrospective show of her work. Throughout the novel, she has vivid recollections of her childhood and adolescence in the city during the postwar years—particularly of her friendship with Cordelia, who persecuted her in a way that had an indelible impact on her life. The novel was a finalist... Read Cat’s Eye Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: GenderTags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Mythology, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Historical Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Romance

Published in 2018, Circe retells the story of the eponymous Greek mythological figure. The novel is also popular among the online BookTok community. Although traditionally viewed as a heartless, savagely beautiful witch who lures sailors to their deaths, the Circe of Madeline Miller’s imagining is quite different. This Circe is a multidimensional, flawed, and empathetic character struggling to find meaning and worth in her immortal life. Through Miller’s detailed and honest first-person narrative, which takes... Read Circe Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: CommunityTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Class, Incarceration, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World

Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The FutureTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction

Crow Lake is a 2002 Canadian bildungsroman set in a rural farming community in northern Ontario. It is author Mary Lawson’s debut work and earned her the Books in Canada First Novel Award and the UK McKitterick Prize. The novel focuses on the Morrison siblings, who are orphaned when their parents are killed by a logging truck. Kate, the second-youngest member of the family, narrates the novel in first person. Her narrative alternates between the... Read Crow Lake Summary


Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy

Dawn, a 1987 science fiction novel by Octavia Butler, is the first installment in the Xenogenesis (or Lilith’s Brood) trilogy. The story takes place in a near-future, postapocalyptic world. The protagonist, Lilith Iyapo, is one of the few human survivors left after a nuclear war and must help an alien race, the Oankali, repopulate Earth. The novel explores themes of Otherness as a Social Construct, Women of Color in Leadership Roles, and The Human Desire... Read Dawn Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1993Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Sociology, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, LGBTQ

Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference, also known as Delusions of Gender: The Real Science Behind Sex Differences, is a 2010 work of feminist nonfiction by British psychologist and philosopher Dr. Cordelia Fine. Through an intensive but accessible review of neurological and sociological studies, the book debunks the idea that men and women have different brains. Nominated for numerous awards upon its publication, it went on to become a bestseller... Read Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Inspirational, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad is a memoir published in 1998 by the Somali model, author, and activist Waris Dirie and author Cathleen Miller. The book recounts Dirie’s harrowing life story, from her roots as a member of a nomadic family and the abuses she suffered as a child to her rise to international fame as a fashion model, an ambassador and advocate for women's rights, and an author. The novel... Read Desert Flower Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Identity: GenderTags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2001Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: MothersTags Prose poetry, Asian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee (1982) is a hybrid form of prose poetry, autobiography, ethnography, criticism, and fictional experiments. Cha was a Korean American visual artist, poet, and filmmaker. She was tragically murdered only a week after the book was published. The book went out of print for several years before interest in Cha’s work was revived in the 1990s by feminist authors, such as Norma Alarcón. Cha’s work was honored with an exhibition including... Read Dictee Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Leadership/Organization/Management, Crime / Legal, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

Publication year 1994Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Lyric Poem, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, History: World, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction

“Diving into the Wreck” is the title poem of Adrienne Rich’s 1973 National Book Award-winning collection. A 94-line, ten stanza free verse poem, the work encompasses Rich’s thematic concerns of radical feminism and art and examines how gender functions within the larger context of culture, literature, and oral tradition.Rich’s mid-career poem came about during a period of intense change in her life. While her earlier poems had been more traditional in form and topic, over... Read Diving Into the Wreck Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Self DiscoveryTags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Relationships

Publication year 2015Genre Poem, FictionThemes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Inspirational, Music, Gender / Feminism

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: FamilyTags Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Health / Medicine, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World

Publication year 1999Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Disability

Publication year 2001Genre Play, FictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: GenderTags Play: Drama, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, LGBTQ, Modernism, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Fefu and her Friends is a play by Cuban American playwright Maria Irene Fornés. It premiered in 1977 at the Relativity Media Lab, a small venue on New York’s Lower East Side. Set in 1935 New England, the play concerns a group of women who knew one another in college and gather for a reunion as adults. Within six months, Fefu was produced off-Broadway at the American Place Theatre, earning Fornés her second Obie Award... Read Fefu and Her Friends Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: GenderTags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by critic, academic, and writer bell hooks is described by the author as a primer, a handbook, even “a dream come true” (ix). In the Introduction to the book, hooks describes her labor of love in writing this brief guide to feminism, and she employs a concise style that does not waver from her goal of educating readers about the fundamentals of feminism. This book is the product of... Read Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics Summary


Publication year 1984Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Philosophy

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Asian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Fantasy

Publication year 2006Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags History: World, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Military / War, Politics / Government, Biography

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers is a nonfiction memoir by the Cambodian author Loung Ung. A survivor of the 1970s Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime, Ung wrote the story as an adult looking back on her childhood years between the ages of five and nine. Although some experts criticized the book over its historical accuracy, other critics lauded Ung for capturing the emotional truth of her experiences... Read First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: GenderTags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Class, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, Victorian Period, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy

IntroductionIn his introduction to Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions (1884), British mathematician Banesh Hoffmann describes the novel as “a stirring adventure in pure mathematics” and emphasizes the fundamentally fantastical nature of the story (iii). He also says that author Edwin A. Abbott intended the novel to be instructional. Both the surreal nature of Flatland and its didactic elements are plain, but there is disagreement among scholars and readers on the question of exactly what... Read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Identity: RaceTags Magical Realism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

“Fleur” is a magical realist short story by Chippewa American author Louise Erdrich. It was first published in Esquire in 1986 and won an O. Henry Award, a prize for excellence in short story writing. Erdrich expanded on the story and characters in her novel Tracks, published in 1988. This guide, which discusses sexual abuse, uses the version of “Fleur” published in the 2009 collection The Red Convertible: Selected and New Stories 1978-2008. The narrator... Read Fleur Summary