March is Women’s History Month, and there are some great books to buy. Written by women, written for women, and written about women, these books contribute to the celebration.

There’s a reason Jennifer Chiaverini is a bestselling author. The women of the Elm Street Quilts stories are strong, interesting, and supportive of each other. In “The Union Quilters,” the year is 1862, and the country is enmeshed in a devastating Civil War. In Pennsylvania, women band together in their own efforts to help the Union cause, and to comfort each other in the face of extreme hardship.

Author Maxine Hong Kingston also has a devoted following. As she turns 65, in “I Love a Broad Margin to My Life,” she recounts the memorable moments of her existence. Writing in verse, Kingston reflects on her marriage, her arrest at a peace march in Washington, and her Chinese heritage.

Yvonne S. Thornton, MD, explains why she’s always considered herself a woman with “Something to Prove.” Thornton’s parents worked and sacrificed to provide a good education and a better life for their children. By becoming the physician they always hoped she’d be, Thornton has both honored them and given back to the community.

“Made for You and Me” is Caitlin Shetterley’s memoir about leaving her native Maine, and attempting the American dream of making good in California . Hardship and financial loss forced a move back. Along the way, she and her husband discovered the kindness and generosity of strangers, and realized that wherever they lived, they could thrive.

Kathleen O’Neal Gear and her husband, W. Michael Gear, are archeologists turned writers of historical fiction. They are dedicated to being as accurate as possible about the primitive societies which existed here long before white people came to America. The Iroquois tribe is at the center of their latest book, “The Dawn Country.”

There is no more heartbreaking American story than that of the members of the doomed Donner party. “Impatient with Desire” (PB) recounts their ill-fated journey as told through the eyes of Tamsen Donner, wife and mother. Gabrielle Burton’s stirring novel is written in the form of letters to a beloved sister back home.

Maine in the 1940’s is the setting for Sarah Blake’s “The Postmistress”(PB). Iris James is the heroine who must make a fateful decision about truth, hope, and the war which is about to affect everyone she knows and loves.

There’s a cornucopia of books about women in foreign lands. In “Song of the Silk Road” Mingmei Yip gives us the tale of Lily Lin. Born in Hong Kong, living in New York, she’s given a large sum of money to travel across the Taklamakan Desert in China, undertaking various tasks along the way.

“A Tiger in the Kitchen” is the true story of Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan’s determination to get back to her roots in Singapore through food and cooking. She has included mouth-watering recipes as a bonus.

India in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century provides the backdrop for Sarita Mandanna’s spellbinding novel “Tiger Hills.” When the adored and pampered young girl Devi befriends a shy boy named Devanna, a doorway is opened to unexpected emotions and long reaching consequences.

Author Jasmine Darznik accidentally came upon a photo of her mother; it was taken in their native Iran, and depicted a wedding about which Darznik knew nothing. “The Good Daughter” is the story of this discovery, and what it meant for the two women and their relationship as family secrets finally came to light.

Another transplanted woman, Irma Vitale feels that at twenty, she is too plain to marry, and too poor to survive on her own. Pamela Schoenewald’s “When We Were Strangers” follows Irma as she courageously leaves her Italian village, and crosses the Atlantic to start a new life in America. Click here to read our review of “When We Were Strangers.”

“1921”(PB) is a tumultuous year in Morgan Llywelyn’s continuing saga of The Irish Century. The author deftly weaves memorable fictional characters with actual historical figures. The conflict of the Irish Civil War makes for an exciting and at times harrowing time frame.

Nancy Atherton takes us all the way to New Zealand in “Aunt Dimity Down Under” (PB). Lori Shepard, an American living in the Cotswolds, goes on a quest to find the lost brother of her elderly neighbors, and is accompanied by her otherworldly title companion.

In her latest book of the series, Atherton returns Lori to England and the task of overseeing her father-in-law’s newly bought mansion. “Aunt Dimity & the Family Tree” is full of the intrigue and fun which faithful readers have come to expect from Atherton.

Julie Hearn’s lovely protagonist “Hazel” leads a charmed life, blissfully unaware of the tempest raging in England in 1913. When a woman steps in front of the king’s horse to protest the fact that women don’t have the vote, Hazel becomes involved in the fight, and is banished for her rebellion. Her family’s sugar plantation in the Caribbean opens her eyes to other injustices as well.

Women’s History Month is a great time for reading about women!

To purchase any of the featured books on Amazon.com, just click on the book’s title in Red.

Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle. www.michalljeffers.com