3 Extraordinary Books about the extraordinary lives of ordinary women, on International Women's Day.

On International Women's Day I thought it would be an idea to share some of my favourite books celebrating women. There are so many to choose from that I got a bit bogged down thinking about it, so in the end I have kept my list fairly short:

One of my all-time favourite books is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This tells the story of Dinah who makes a (very) brief apppearance in The Bible in the book of Genesis as the daughter of Jacob ( the man famous for his 12 sons!). It is a fscinating account of the life of a woman in biblical times, in particular a strong woman trying to make her own way in the world. It is one of those books that completely transports you to another time and place and leaves you thinking about Dinah and her life long after closing the book.

Diary of an Ordianry Woman by Margaret Forster is an unforgettable story charting the life of Millicent King, an ordinary woman, born in 1901 whose life spans the 20th century. The novel is presented as an edited diary and this gives a sense of intimacy and allows us to feel that we really know Millicent. The 20th century was a time of incredible social change, particularly for women and this book shows, in brilliant detail, what it was like to be a woman at this time.

Women Who Blow on Knots by Ece Temelkuran was originally published in Turkey. It charts the journey of four  Muslim women from different backgrounds who embark on a journey together from Tunisia to Lebanon during the revolutions of the Arab Spring. It explores the social questions of politics, religion and women in The Middle East, whilst also being a page turning mystery (why has the septuagenarian Madam Lilla brought these women together for this journey?) and an examination of the universal bonds of sisterhood. An unusual book that is definitely worth a read.

What books would you add to this list?