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March is Women’s History Month, a perfect time for reflecting on the bold women who broke through patriarchal barriers and paved the way toward a brighter future for people of all genders. At a time when women’s rights are again under attack, it’s galvanizing to reflect on the women throughout time who have said “hell no” to government corruption and militarized political violence. These stories about badass women fighting fascism, many of which are inspired by real events, are a crucial reminder that hope can be found. We just have to fight for it.
Historical fiction fans know that there’s no shortage of stories about WWII. I’ve got a few of those here, including one bestseller you might’ve already read. But you’ll also find unique perspectives on the fight against fascism in WWII, along with stories from around the globe set across centuries. While not all are perfect historical examples of fascism, you’ll see a wide variety of fascist control tactics in these books — and a wide variety of ways we resist.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah is one of today’s most popular historical fiction writers, and with a big screen adaptation of her bestseller The Nightingale hitting theaters next February, this story is certainly worth revisiting. Real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are set to star in the movie as French sisters Viann and Isabelle, who have grown apart over the years but are reunited when Viann’s husband is sent off to fight in WWII. As the war threatens their home country, Isabelle and Viann discover deep wells of bravery within themselves and fight back in ways they never expected.
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
All of the books in Chanel Cleeton’s excellent Perez Family series feature daring women characters fighting back against government corruption and injustice, but the fourth book, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba, showcases a period of Cuban history we see less often in historical fiction. Eighteen-year-old Evangelina Cisneros is imprisoned by the Spanish in 1896 under suspicion of planning an insurrection. When a young American reporter breaks her story, Evangelina becomes the unexpected face of the Cuban Revolution.
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
While the FBI is entangled in the Cold War, intelligence officer Marie is struggling to be taken seriously by her bosses as a young Black woman. She’s given her first serious assignment: going undercover in Burkina Faso to gather information on the country’s revolutionary new president. But the more she learns, the less clear-cut the conflict between the two countries becomes. Based on real events around the rise of Thomas Sankara, known as “Africa’s Che Guevara,” it’s an intriguing story full of international drama, espionage, and romance.
Past Tense
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The Library of Legends by Janie Chang
One of fascism’s most powerful tools is the erasure of history from conflicting viewpoints. Janie Chang puts a magical spin on the real history of a group of Chinese students tasked with protecting ancient books from fascist attacks. As Japanese bombs fell on 1937 Nanking, an entire university’s students, faculty, and staff were forced to walk 1,000 miles west to safety. Each person was tasked with carrying a different volume of the 500-year-old Library of Legends. Their brave journey awakens spirits that accompany them along the way in this luscious, fantastical tale inspired by real events.
My Name is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende is one of today’s most prolific historical fiction writers, and many of her books draw on a tangled history of war, political turmoil, and fascism in her home country, Chile. Her latest book introduces a bold young journalist, Emilia Del Valle, who defies the gendered expectations placed upon her in 1890s San Francisco and demands her writing be taken seriously. When Emilia learns of a civil war breaking out in Chile, the country of her father’s birth, she fights for the chance to travel there and share the true story of the conflict with the world. Joining a long legacy of real journalists fighting fascism with truth, Emilia is a character you won’t forget.
The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion (coming April 7)
Two women in 1930s Warsaw have very different priorities. Fanny comes from a wealthy Jewish family that wants her to marry, while she wants to focus on her art. Zosia wants out of Poland and sees a brighter future through a growing Jewish youth movement. As antisemitic sentiments brew amidst the coming war, Fanny and Zosia become unlikely allies in a fight for freedom.
Honey in the Wound by Jiyoung Han
This fantastical multigenerational saga highlights the Korean women who fought back against Japanese imperialism in the 1930s and beyond. Young-Ja comes from a family of women gifted with special abilities, and she shows an early aptitude for cooking food that can influence the people who eat it. She’s left lost and alone after her family is brutally attacked for defying the Japanese empire. Then an agent of the Korean resistance learns of Young-Ja’s talent and leads her to a secret group of women teahouse spies. It turns out Young-Ja’s gift could change everything for her homeland. It’s a gorgeous story full of richly drawn characters and a thread of magic.
Behind Five Willows by June Hur
This historical Korean Pride and Prejudice retelling has a timely anti-book banning twist. At a time of great government censorship, Haewon dares to defy orders by illegally transcribing forbidden books. Haewon hates having to leave her work to chaperone her older sister as she courts a wealthy young bachelor, especially because Haewon finds the bachelor’s best friend irritating. But it turns out that his best friend is hiding a secret of his own: he writes forbidden books. The fascist act of book banning may feel especially scary now, but Behind Five Willows is a powerful reminder that there are always writers and readers willing to fight back.
We hope you found some great stories of badass women fighting fascism to inspire your own resistance! You might also enjoy:
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