Suffragette Books
Women’s History Month is in March, and would not be complete if I did not mention my favorite books centered around the women who fought for our right to vote.
Whether you love books set in the US or UK, historical fiction or historical romance, there is something for everyone in this list of suffragette books. It has only been a little over 100 years since white women had the right to vote. And Black women did not get the right to vote until 1965! This is a list to pay homage to some of those women through fiction books.
The Best Suffragette Books
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Suffragette Book
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Miller- Jump to Section
The Best Suffragist Book
Liberty Island by Virginia Hume- Jump to Section
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Suffragette Books Set in the UK
The Secret Book Society
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: August 26, 2025
More info: Perfect for our list of Best Books for Book Clubs
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
Eleanor Clarke, Rose Wharton, and Lavinia Cavendish all receive a mysterious invitation to join Lady Duxbury for tea. These women all share a love of words, but are all repressed in different ways. Each of these women is limited by men in their lives in pre-suffragette London.
What they find is a secret book club and a place where they can find friendship and freedom from society’s expectations in 1885. This friendship will shape them in more ways then they could have imagined
Trigger Warnings
Lack of rights for women, physical and emotional abuse.
Why Jackie loves it
This is one of my favorite historical fiction books of the year. The book had me completely invested from the first few pages, and the rest of the story did not disappoint. I grew to love these characters; I was rooting for all of them. The multiple POVs were fantastic, and I had no trouble differentiating the characters.
Find this book in: Best Historical Fiction Books of 2025 / Best Books for Book Clubs / Friendship Books / Books with Secret in the Title / Books About Book Clubs / Suffragette Books
Dictionary of Lost Words
Author: Pip Williams
Year: 2022
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: May 2022 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Esme spent her childhood in the Scriptorium of Oxford with her dad and his colleagues as they worked to create the first Oxford Dictionary. When the word “bondmaid” slips to the floor, Esme stashes it along with other discarded words into a space place in her home. Overtime, she begins to realize the words often associated with women carry less weight than those for men, which is when she starts to collect words for her own project – The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Trigger Warnings
War, Death of a Parent
Why Jackie likes it
I have to say that I never had any idea how the dictionary was made and how “abridged” my version actually is (think 20 volumes and 4ft of shelf space). This historical fiction was brilliantly researched and detailed. The heart of this book is the importance of words and women finding their power in small ways in a male-centered world. At times I thought the book moved a little slowly but it is well-written and enjoyable.
Find this book in: Reese Witherspoon Book Club List 2022 / List of Books About Books / Novels About Publishing / Suffragette Books
Bringing Down the Duke
Author: Evie Dunmore
Year: 2019
Genre: Political Romance
More info: Book 1 of 4 from A League of Extraordinary Women
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Evie Dunmore’s debut novel spanned a series of badass women during the Suffragette era. While the story is a romance, don’t let that fool you! You’ll get a history lesson on the suffrage movement in English History as well as a lesson on Estate and Inheritance laws — which were still of utmost importance a few decades later when Downton Abbey takes place.
Annabelle Archer has the scholarship to be one of the first women to study at Oxford. In order to keep it, she must spy on the Duke of Montgomery and try to persuade him to the suffragette’s cause.
Why Kirsten loves it
The chemistry between these two crackled off the page in this romance. If books are up your alley, this book is perfect for you. I loved Dunmore’s portrayal of strong women who stuck to their guns.
Find this book in: Enemies-to-Lovers Books / Books Like The Love Hypothesis / Historical Romance Novels / Books like Bridgerton / Fiction Books About Women in Politics / Ultimate List of Romance Books by Trope / Suffragette Books
Suffragist Books Set in the US
Liberty Island
Author: Virginia Hume
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: Bestselling author of Haven Point
July 2026 Beyond the Bookends Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 15+
Plot
Anna Bradley was 28 in 1900. She is looking for a way to be independent and make her own money. She is having trouble finishing the textbook she was writing with her father and has to find convincing arguments to get her employer to actually pay her. She spends her summers supervising three little girls, including her niece, as they run around off the coast of Haven Point, Maine. They became the inspiration for the book “Liberty Island” that Anna writes under a pen name. The Liberty Island stories are unlike anything else in that time. Rather than writing morals about how to be good wives and mothers, the children have adventures!
In 1922, Julia Demarast used to love her aunt’s book, but now, at university, she views the books as old-fashioned. Julia becomes involved in the suffragette movement and begins to move away from her family.
Why Jackie loves it
Kirsten and I loved Haven Point, so it was no surprise that I adored this book as well. I loved seeing Anna and Julia both fight for women’s rights in their own ways. The characters are rich and deep, and the story comes together in an unexpected way. This is everything I hoped for from Virginia. Thank you, Macmillan Audio
Find this book in: Beyond the Bookends Book Club / Books Set in Maine / Best Beach Reads 2026 / Historical Fiction Books About Books / Books About Books / Gilded Age Books / Suffragette Books
The Lions of Fifth Avenue
Author: Fiona Davis
Year: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: August 2020 Good Morning America Book Club Pick, New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Laura is the wife of the NYPL’s superintendent and lives in an apartment within the historic institution. While already a mother, she is looking for more out of life and enrolls in journalism school. But when she’s out learning more about the world, she becomes more involved in the burgeoning women’s suffragette movement. Soon, she needs to determine where her loyalties lie.
In 1993, her granddaughter, Sadie is curious about her famous grandmother – particularly after she becomes a curator at the NYPL, solidifying her family legacy at the storied institution. When items from her exhibits go missing, she teams up with a private security expert to figure out who is behind the theft. But she’s not expecting the secrets to involve her family.
Trigger Warnings
Suicide
Why Kirsten loves it
This historical fiction novel about the New York Public Library is a dual-timeline mystery about rare books going missing from the library’s collection. Fiona Davis’s signature style had me basking in the vivid descriptions, making me feel as if I were standing inside the famed library. I adored the Gilded Age sections but was less enthralled by the present-day timeline.
Find this book in: Books About Libraries / Gilded Age Books / GMA Book Club List 2020 / Books With Numbers in the Title / Suffragette Books
The Invention of Wings
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Year: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: January 2014 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I picked this book up in Charleston when I was there for a visit in October of 2018. I wanted to pick up a book about the city. When I found out that our hotel was next to the Grimke sisters’ home, I knew this was the book for me.
This book tells the story of Sarah Grimke, one of the first female abolitionists, and the enslaved Handful. Starting in Charleston on a plantation and ending in Philadelphia in the pre-Civil War era, the story explores the life of Sarah, the daughter of a slaveholder, as she fights for the rights of women and enslaved people.
Why Kirsten like it
I found the story compelling – the political portion of Sarah’s work was particularly appealing. Sue Monk Kidd is a fantastic writer, and the story flowed so wonderfully.
While I learned many valuable lessons, it did give me pause that a white woman wrote the story. I would recommend All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore if you are looking for an additional account of the problems facing enslaved people at this time.
Find this book in: Biographical Fiction Novels / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Fiction Books About Women in Politics / Suffragette Books
The Engineer’s Wife
Author: Tracey Enerson Wood
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
I had no idea that a woman was so instrumental in the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily Warren Roebling is the focus of this historical fiction novel.
I loved learning about New York at the time of the bridge building and how hard Emily fought for her right to be part of the building.
Why Kirsten loves it
It’s also humbling to understand the dangers of building in the 1860s and 70s. Men risked their lives for the betterment of society. On the lighter side, all the scenes with P.T. Barnum made me smile. I used to work for the circus after all!
Find this book in: Books Set in New York / Gilded Age Books / Best Circus Books / Books About Women in STEM
The Once and Future Witches
Author: Alix. E. Harrow
Year: 2020
Genre: Fantasy
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 14+
Plot
In 1893, there are no witches anymore. In the town of New Salem, the Eastwood sisters join the suffragists to turn the women’s movement into the witches’ movement and restore women’s power.
Trigger Warnings
Misogyny, child abuse.
Why Jackie loves it
I love Harrow’s writing and how she makes the suffragette movement feel magical! If only.
Find this book in: Suffragette Books
Expert Tip
If you are choosing to read a Suffragette book for your book club, consider decorating in the suffragette colors!
- Purple, white, and green in the UK (think about the original Mary Poppins movie)
- Purple, white, and gold in the US
In the US, the term suffragist was used, while Suffragette was a term used in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a suffragette and a suffragist?
There are two main differences between these two terms. The word suffragette was used in English papers to demean women’s rights. As a reult, many of the English women adopted a more militant attitude to reclaim their identity. Many American women believed that suffragette was and insult, so they used the term suffragist instead.
In this post, the terms will be used to differentiate between the United States and the United Kingdom.
What books are good for book clubs during Women’s History Month?
Liberty Island by Virginia Hume is our favorite book for book clubs! In fact, this was the July 2026 Beyond the Bookends book club pick. The Secret Book Society by Madeline Miller is another great pick.
When did women win the right to vote in the US and the UK?
In the UK, the Representation of the People Act was passed in 1918 to allow women over the age of 30 to vote. In the United States, The Women’s Right to Vote was ratified on August 18, 1920, for white women, and not until 1965 for Black women!
Related Content
Epilogue
What is your favorite Suffragette book?
