what it means to be bound in skin and to have a spine.

10 underrated books by women writers.

Since I started this journey with The Literaria Letter I have come across many authors and books that I didn't even know existed. Or lesser-known books by popular authors of which one usually only reads a couple of titles that have entered the canon.

My mission has always been and always will be to unearth these hidden and underrated gems, bring them to light, and share them with you.

In today's article, I share 10 underrated books by female writers.

Some are lesser-known books by famous writers, and some are almost unknown books by equally under-the-radar writers.

Without further ado, I hope you find something that piques your curiosity.

Enjoy!

• Terrific Mother by Lorrie Moore

She has entered a puritanical decade, when the best compliment you could get is you would make a terrific mother.

A darkly humorous novella that follows Adrienne, a woman grappling with guilt and grief after a tragic accident, as she navigates the complexities of marriage, motherhood, and self-identity during an academic retreat in Italy.

I really adored this little novella!

You can read more of my thoughts here.

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• The Dangerous Age by Karin Michaelis

When it came to my turn, I spoke the truth by chance when I said that, however much I wanted to cry, I only permitted myself the luxury about once in two years. I think my complexion is a conclusive proof that my words were sincere.

The novel explores the emotional and psychological turmoil of a middle-aged woman who, after abandoning her conventional life, confronts societal expectations, aging, and pursuing personal freedom.

Found this little gem on a whim during a thrift store trip, and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t know the author or the existence of this book, and this is why whenever I find an obscure and underrated book or writer I’m always so inclined to talk about it and recommend it to you. I wanna spread the word!

I dedicated an entire article to this book and this proves how amazing it is.

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• Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner

Laura had brought her sensitive conscience into the country with her, just as she had brought her umbrella, though so far she had not remembered to use either.

A quietly provocative novel about an unmarried woman who, after years of conforming to societal expectations, escapes to the countryside where she makes a pact with the devil to claim her independence and live on her own terms, challenging conventions of gender and autonomy.

You can read my review here.

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• The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith

You hold me very tight in under my clothes, and if there's a library anywhere near then someone just removed its roof, the shelves just flooded with the sun and all the old books just remembered what it means to be bound in skin and to have a spine.

This book is a collection of inventive, playful short stories that explore themes of love, identity, and the fluidity of time and relationships. It blends wit and emotional depth with Smith's characteristic narrative experimentation.

You can read my review here.

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• The Common Reader by Virginia Woolf

Every season is likeable, and wet days and fine, red wine and white, company and solitude. Even sleep, that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life, can be full of dreams; and the most common actions ― a walk, a talk, solitude in one’s own orchard ― can be enhanced and lit up by the association of the mind. Beauty is everywhere, and beauty is only two finger’s-breadth from goodness.

It is a collection of essays in which Woolf explores literary history, critiquing and reflecting on a wide range of writers and their works, while offering her own distinctive insights on reading, writing, and the nature of literature itself.

You can read the entire first and second series online for free thanks to Project Gutenberg Australia.

There are many gems in there, and I still haven’t read all of them, but so far my personal favorites are:

- The common reader

- "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights"

- Jane Austen

- The modern essay

- The strange Elizabethans

- Dorothy Osborne’s “Letters”

- Mary Wollstonecraft

- I am Christina Rossetti

And last but not least…

- the iconic “How should one read a book?”

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• The Complete Stories by Leonora Carrington

How can anybody be a person of quality if they wash away their ghosts with common sense?

This is a surreal and imaginative collection of short stories filled with dark humor and dreamlike scenarios. The boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, reflecting Carrington's distinct voice and her explorations of identity, freedom, and the subconscious.

I recently stumbled upon her work, and I can’t get enough of it! She was a surrealist painter and writer, and the depth of her imagination in creating characters and worlds is simply mind-blowing.

You can read “The Debutante”, “The Beloved”, “The Royal Summons”, and “Mr. Gregory’s Fly” for free to get a taste of her writing and imaginative power.

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• Lili is crying by Hélène Bessette

She has cut red roses in the fat and bumping rain.

Lili, Lili, where are you Lili? My Lili.

From a window enribboned with plants Lili leans out and looks around.

Here I am, Maman.

Her faded face, her forty-year-old face, in the frame of the gaudy window.

My Lili, says the mother, Charlotte. I was so frightened.

I thought you were outdoors.

It’s going to storm.

A lightning flash.

Go in, Lili, go in.

This little unusual book is an experimental novel that poetically explores the internal world of Lili, a young girl burdened by sorrow. Using fragmented narrative and lyrical prose, it delves into themes of grief, innocence, and emotional isolation.

I read it in Italian because it was translated and released in Italy in 2008, but it had never been translated into English before. Luckily, Kate Briggs' English translation will ensure its availability next year.

The book will be released on June 5, 2025.

You can read an extract here.

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• The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

What I wanted, frankly, was someone who would argue me out of the things that I was thinking.

This is not your usual Agatha Christie. It’s a dark, suspenseful mystery that follows a sinister conspiracy involving murder, superstition, and an ominous group linked to the occult, as an amateur sleuth tries to unravel the secrets behind a series of unexplained deaths.

The perfect read for the spooky season!

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• The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan (1405)

As for those who state that it is thanks to a woman, the lady Eve, that man was expelled from paradise, my answer to them would be that man has gained far more through Mary than he ever lost through Eve.

This book is a pioneering feminist text from the 15th century, in which Pizan constructs an allegorical city populated by virtuous women from history and mythology, challenging misogynistic attitudes and advocating for the intelligence, strength, and contributions of women.

Still need to read this one, but it’s high on my tbr list.

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• Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath

There are no return trips on this line,” the woman said softly. “Once you get to the ninth kingdom, there is no going back. It is the kingdom of negation, of the frozen will. It has many names.

A surreal, allegorical short story about a young woman on a mysterious train journey toward an ominous destination, where she confronts the forces of fate and her own autonomy, reflecting Plath’s recurring themes of existential dread and personal agency.

I haven't read The Bell Jar yet because its serious themes intimidate me, but after going through this story and her poetry collection "Ariel," I finally feel prepared to dive into it.

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dilay, Pexels

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I hope you enjoyed these recommendations.

Let me know if you already read some of them and feel free to add other underrated women writers or specific books in the comments!

Wishing you a great rest of the week,

Nicole.