Marissa Stapley recommends 6 books with unforgettable heroines
The author recommends books by Alice Munro, Jane Smiley, and more.

Marissa Stapley's new best-seller, Lucky, features a grifter who buys a winning lottery ticket but can't cash it in because she's on the run after her latest heist. Below, Stapley recommends six other books with unforgettable heroines.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett (2016).
One of my favorite books of all time, this is a coming-of-age story that's at once an exploration of the complexity of young love and a deep treatise on the meaning of motherhood. Nadia Turner's story, laced with secrets and hidden heartaches, is incredibly propulsive. And the writing is perfect. Buy it here.
Runaway by Alice Munro (2004).
Whenever I'm deep into writing a book, I read Munro's short stories and find inspiration in her incisive insights into human nature. Three stories in this collection center on a character named Juliet Henderson, and getting to know one of Munro's people so well is a true gift. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018).
In the pandemic, I went through a phase of feeling flat about everything, even reading. This slim, fast-paced, wildly entertaining novel pulled me out. In it, Korede must deal with the harsh and hectic reality of a beautiful sister who keeps "accidentally" murdering her suitors. Having to clean up her sister's messes is one thing; watching the man Korede herself loves fall for her sister is another. Buy it here.
Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley (2020).
The memorable female lead here is a spirited filly racehorse who meets a motley group of friends — a German pointer, a raven, an orphaned 8-year-old boy — as she moves stealthily through Paris, trying to avoid capture. The talking animals evoke fairy tales, but the thoughts about existence and belonging that Smiley works in are anything but childish. Buy it here.
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton (2021).
I can't resist a novel set in the music industry. This one combines an epic storyline about a musical duo's origins with one of the best characters I've read in a very long time. Opal is fierce and fabulous, and Walton's writing crackles with life. Buy it here.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003).
Although Henry is the main character in this gorgeous time-traveling love story, his wife, Clare, is the star. She is so poised and certain of the intricate desires of her own heart — a rarity, both in fiction and reality. After reading it, I felt I knew Clare, and the sensation has never faded. Buy it here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
The state of Britain's Armed Forces
The Explainer Geopolitical unrest and the unreliability of the Trump administration have led to a frantic re-evaluation of the UK's military capabilities
By The Week UK
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and riskier
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Sudoku medium: April 21, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Colum McCann's 6 favorite books that take place at sea
Feature The National Book Award-winning author recommends works by Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, and more
By The Week US
-
5 immersive books to read this April for a brief escape
The Week Recommends A dystopian tale takes us to the library, a journalist's ode to her refugee parents and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
One great cookbook: 'Snacking Cakes'
The Week Recommends Modest baking with big impact
By Scott Hocker, The Week US
-
5 books to read this March to reset your existence right in time for spring
The Week Recommends Another 'Hunger Games' prequel, a eye opening look at lives of the 'working homeless' and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
5 absorbing books to read this February to help you escape the chaos
The Week Recommends Bill Gates' first memoir, a Booker prize-nominated book debuts stateside and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
5 books to read this January that will take you on adventures real and imagined
The Week Recommends A metafiction about artificial intelligence, a battle over land ownership in the American West and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
7 new cookbooks for winter cooking projects and edible solace
The Week Recommends 'Tis the season for both big-time cooking endeavors and simple pleasures
By Scott Hocker, The Week US
-
One great cookbook: 'Mastering Spice' by Lior Lev Sercarz with Genevieve Ko
The Week Recommends The small delights of good spices put to buzzy use
By Scott Hocker, The Week US