Books have the power to inspire us, to explore new ways of living, different points of view that can shock or comfort. Literature can be especially important to women, who can read to discover how to live well in a world that does not prioritise their needs or desires. Books can be an escape, or a way to find oneself.   Read about my top five favourite females characters in literature.     Jo March - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott     Nowadays, we have a plethora of books about ambitious and independent young women who strike out on their own to live a different kind of life. But back when it came out, Little Women’s Jo March...

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  Kate Chopin is one of America’s finest authors, writer of classics such as The Awakening, writing at a time when being a writer was still not a well-respected profession for women. So who was Kate Chopin, and how did she come to write the novels and stories we consider classics of literature today?   She was born Katherine O’Flaherty in St Louis, Missouri. Her father was an Irish emigré and her mother was of French descent.   She was raised by three generations of widows - her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother in the same household. Her father died when she was very young and her mother never remarried. She was tutored for several years her great-grandmother, who taught her French,...

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