A noted historical fiction author delves once again in the time of the Tudors. Boleyn Traitor (Philippa Gregory, HarperCollins, 2025, 488 pages, $32) brings the focus to a Boleyn who is rarely treated in history, but served as senior lady-in-waiting to five wives of Henry VIII. Jane Boleyn is a sister, a liar, witness and spy for Cromwell. She literally dances at court and through the perilous plots. The debauchery and devious conspiracies would have made Machiavelli jealous!
Eleanor of Castile was the beloved wife of King Edward I. When she died in 1290, the bereft king erected 12 Eleanor Crosses to memorialize the stopping places of the 200-mile journey from Lincoln to London for her burial. In 2024, Alice Loxton, British historian, walked the journey on the exact days, interacting with many along the way. Eleanor (Alice Loxton, Macmillan, 2025, 336 pages, $29.99) is the outcome of that journey, “a tapestry of a life and its legacy.”
A Ghastly Catastrophe
Deanna Raybourn, Berkley, 2026, 321 pages, $30
Veronica and Stoker are once again enmeshed in a search for a murderer, this time Veronica believes a vampire might be involved! A Ghastly Catastrophe (Deanna Raybourn, Berkley, 2026, 321 pages, $30) combines the strictures of the Victorian era with the boundary-breaking shenanigans of the witty duo. The book merges eerie events with saucy conversation for a delightful story.
The history of women artists has long been buried. The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Bell Epoque Paris (Jennifer Dasal, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025, 316 pages, $29.99) brings artists of a certain period out of the shadows and reveals what made it possible for them to succeed against many barriers. With extensive research, the art historian author brings to life the period of 1893-1914. She reveals the prejudices against women of the time, the philanthropists who made it possible for American women to come to Paris to study, and the lives of these artists. This nonfiction flows like a story. My only criticism is that the numerous photos are so small and dark that it is difficult to enjoy them.
Two tales intertwine in Skylark (Paula McLain, Atria, 2026, 454 pages, $30). Alouette is a dyer’s daughter in 1664 who is desperately trying to discover the formula for a shade of blue. She is imprisoned in an asylum, from which she tries to escape to save her unborn child and find the freedom to live life as she deems fit. Kristof is a medical student in Paris of 1940, trying to help Jews escape the Nazis. How their stories mesh is in the use of tunnels that exist under Paris, the course of an ancient polluted river.
During World War II, even when it became obvious that Jews were being targeted for destruction, the Allies organized no missions to rescue them. Crash of the Heavens (Douglas Century, Avid Reader Press, 2025, 409 pages, $30) brings to light the only mission planned to save Jews, which was organized by the Palmach in what was to become Israel. Hannah Senesh, a refugee who wanted to become a poet and teacher, instead became a poet and heroine. She parachuted into Europe to aid the Jews and provide information to British Military Intelligence. Captured and executed, her poems, letters and diary were found later. She is a heroine to Jews around the world.
In the aftermath of WWII, American soldiers were stationed in defeated Germany. Some of the Black soldiers fathered children with white German women and the children were often abandoned to Catholic orphanages because they were unwanted in either culture. Mabel Grammer was a journalist and the wife of an officer. When she saw these children she first volunteered to assist with them and then she and her husband adopted 12 children. She also started the Brown Baby Plan to see that these children were adopted into homes in the U.S. Keeper of Lost Children (Sadeqa Johnson, 37 INK, 2026, 464 pages, $30) is a novel based on these facts, told from three points of view. Ethel is the fictional Mabel, Ozzie is a Black former soldier, and Sophia is a Black teen who feels she has never fit in with her family. How their lives intertwine is a moving and well-told story.
The Mountains We Call Home
Kim Michelle Richardson, Sourcebooks, 2026, 384 pages, $32.99
Cussy is back, imprisoned for miscegenation, and fighting the prejudice of being a Blue even in prison. The Mountains We Call Home (Kim Michele Richardson, Sourcebooks, 2026, 384 pages, $32.99) takes up her story as she struggles to become the prison librarian and again makes a huge difference in the lives of women. Her furlough to the city of Louisville to aid the librarians set up a tutoring program allows her to see a city for the first time. No matter where she goes, Cussy makes a difference, and her story is so worth reading.
From ancient times to today women have used textiles to express themselves. With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories (Nicole Nehrig, Norton, 2025, 233 pages, $32.99) is the result of extensive research, covering centuries, of the creation of textiles. We see how women have used this means to develop their creativity and intelligence, create a community for themselves and gain financial independence.
When We Were Brilliant
Lynn Cullen, Berkley, 2026, 386 pages, $30
Most of us know Marilyn Monroe, the sexy movie star who would do anything to call attention to herself. But in When We Were Brilliant (Lynn Cullen, Berkley, 2026, 386 pages, $30) we also learn about Norma Jeane, a feral child who grew up in an orphanage and foster homes, molested and desperate to find a father to take care of her. Told through the eyes of Eve Arnold, a professional photographer and Marilyn/Norma Jeane’s only true friend, it is a poignant, eye-opening story of two specific women and women’s roles in the 1950s.
Wanda Hears the Stars
Amy Hanson with Wanda Diaz Merced, illustrated by Rocio Mendoza, Charlesbridge, 2025, 40 pages, $18.99
What a fantastic book! Wanda Hears the Stars (Amy Hanson with Wanda Diaz Merced, illustrated by Rocio Mendoza, Charlesbridge, 2025, 40 pages, $18.99) is a picture book biography of Wanda Diaz Merced, a girl who was entranced by the stars in her small town in Puerto Rico and became a noted astronomer. She accomplished this despite losing her sight because of diabetes. Her determination to succeed drove her to discover a way to listen to the stars, and she has contributed to science by discovering sounds the stars emit that other scientists had missed. The back matter is as important as the story. and the spectacular illustrations burst off the page. The book won the American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award for 2025.
Can one person make a difference? One Girl’s Voice (Vivian Kirkfield, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon, Calkins Creek, 2025, 40 pages, $18.99) is a picture book biography of Lucy Stone, who was determined to make her voice heard in spite of the constraints on women in the 19th century. She worked many menial jobs to attend Oberlin College, the first college to admit women. Upon graduation, she began working to establish equal rights for all, and a timeline provides the steps that have been taken to date in the fight to establish rights for women and equality for all.
Jessica Thorbourne began working in the California fields when she was 4. As the years passed she became aware of the many travails her family and community coped with. When Cesar Chavez appeared to try to organize the workers, even as a child she began working for the cause, passing out flyers and learning how to organize. From the Fields to the Fight (Angela Padron, illustrated by Sol Salinas, Atheneum, 2026, 48 pages, $19.99) follows her path as an organizer and the success that finally came.
A young Black girl accompanies her mother as they join the 2017 Women’s March, the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. Her mother carries a sign, “I March for Hope,” which we realize later in the book has a double meaning, as the child’s name is Hope. Hope is not sure she wants to be there, but as the day progresses , she finds her voice and knows what should be on her sign. TheMarch for Hope (Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Monica Mikai, Norton, 2026, 32 pages, $18.99) is a gentle coming-of-age tale in what was surely a raucous environment.
Alice Dunnigan broke many color barriers in her life. Writing Toward Justice (Peggy Thomas, illustrated by Tonya Engel, Calkins Creek, 2026, $19.99) follows her life from early days in Kentucky to becoming the first Black woman in the Capitol Press Corps. Her determination to become a writer and to seek equality and justice drove her to success. The design of the book is very interesting with a word that describes a characteristic embedded in the illustration on each double spread. The back matter can lead the reader to additional information.
The book Little Women has never gone out of print in over 150 years. Louisa Learns to Write (Kate Hannigan, illustrated by Sofia Moore, Calkins Creek, 2026, 40 pages, $19.99) is a picture book biography of its author, Louisa May Alcott. Though her life was filled with toil and trauma, Louisa persisted in her desire to become a writer and succeeded wildly. In the back matter there is a list of Ten Habits for Becoming a Writer, and each of the 10 is incorporated in the text.
How does one describe bravery? Quiet Rose Valland, The Spy in the Museum (Erin McGuire, Beach Lane, 2025, 40 pages, $19.99), foiled the Nazi’s plan to steal the treasure of centuries from the museums and people of France. As a curator at the Jeu de Paume Museum, she was the only person allowed to stay to catalog as the Nazis filled the museum with their loot. She covertly kept notes on each piece of art and where the trains went that contained it. She enabled the Resistance to intercept the last train and after the war devoted her life to restoring the looted art to its owners. The illustrations are beautiful, and many glow with golden light.
March means madness of the basketball variety. Women’s basketball has garnered many fans lately and March Madness: Women’s Superstars (Charlie Beattie, Abdo, 2026, 48 pages, $35.64) is sure to be popular. Beginning with the rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the book covers the pioneering stars, top teams, incredible performances and modern stars. Just enough to whet the appetite and lead to further reading.
For a comprehensive dive into women’s basketball read The Women’s CollegeBasketball Encyclopedia (Luke Hanlon, Abdo, 2026, 192 pages, $52.79). The book begins with a history and then discusses 40 college teams, providing information on stars, program heights, coaches and a fact box of pertinent information about the team. The final inclusion is a list of all-time NCAA records.
