What better time than Women’s History Month to read some historical novels about strong-willed, powerful French women? YouTube channel BookRiot has chosen a few books that Francophiles and feminists alike will definitely enjoy.

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee tells the story of Lilliet Berne, a singer in the Paris Opera during France’s second empire. When she finally gets a chance at a starring role, she realizes the opera she is starring in is about her actual life, more specifically about her deepest secret. (Sounds a little Truman Show, no?)

The Complete Claudine by Colette, translated by Antonia White, is a compilation of the four semi-autobiographical novels about girls growing up in France, written by the famous late-19th Century French writer Colette.

Learn more about these books, and fall in love with the French tales of womanhood:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKWO1dQILKo&w=560&h=315]