For many writers, Sylvia Plath is revered as a contemporary literary legend, whose words will continue to resonate for centuries. Her first and only novel, The Bell Jar, was known notoriously as a “potboiler” at the time of publication and has since become known as a groundbreaking piece of work that dared to candidly tackle women’s issues. In honor of The Bell Jar‘s 53rd anniversary, here are 10 new books by women who prove Plath’s impact.
‘All in Her Head’ by Sunny Mera
One of the great things about The Bell Jar is that Plath brilliantly breaks apart Esther Greenwood’s mind and lays everything out on the table, making readers experience every scene and feel every thought. Debut novelist Sunny Mera does this masterfully in her book, All in Her Head, a dark and shocking story about a woman who is convinced her obstetrician is in love with her and begins to have orgasms during labor.
‘The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness’
Seoul is a teenage girl working along an assembly line in an industrial sweatshop. Too poor to attend school, she dreams of becoming a writer while staring into her future of long work days. The Girl Who Wrote Loneliness is an inside look of Korea’s sweatshops in the 1970s and the social conflict over the past 50 years.
‘Uncovered’ by Leah Lax
Uncovered by Leah Lax has been named the best book of 2015 by Redbook and was named most underrated by Flavorwire. This memoir chronicles Lax’s journey through Hasidic life as a covered woman and how she finally left the community in her middle age and came out as an openly gay woman. Leah’s prose and candid storytelling would have made Sylvia Plath proud.
‘M Train’ by Patti Smith
Patti Smith is a literary legend in her own right, and even so, Sylvia Plath’s work has paved the way for writers like Smith to hold a space in contemporary literature. Named “moody and bittersweet” by Kirkus, Smith says this national best-seller is a “roadmap to her life.”
‘The Moonlit Garden’ by Corina Bomann
The Moonlit Garden is a story of a young widow’s inheritance of a mysterious violin that leads her to an adventure of the violin’s legacy. Along the journey, she meets the once owner of the violin, Rosy. A well-known musician, Rosy’s story will lead her to the unknown secrets and discovery of fulfilling her own path.
‘Losing the Light’ by Andrea Dunlop
As a contemporary literary masterpiece, The Bell Jar has had even an impact in the chick lit realm. With Andrea Dunlop’s coming-of-age novel, Losing the Light, she tells the story of a young girl studying abroad in France who gets sucked into a world of love and lust. This unraveling tale is absolutely haunting.
‘My Name Is Lucy Barton’ by Elizabeth Strout
An ordinary operation leaves Lucy Barton in an unexpected, slow recovery. After leaving her family to become a married writer with children, her mother she hasn’t spoken to in many years arrives, and tension rises. In My Name is Lucy Barton, a hospital room becomes more than a reason to visit, but a way to mend a relationship.
‘The Do-Right’ by Lisa Sandlin
Delpha Wade spent 14 years in prison after killing one of the two men who raped her. After her prison sentence, she landed a secretarial job with Tom Phelan, private eye. Together, they search for criminals in their blue-collar town. Then one weekend, Delpha finds the other rapist — and looks him in the eye — resulting in an ending that is surprising, suspenseful and full of karmic justice.
‘Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl’
Named one of The New York Times‘ Notable Books of 2015, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is a hilariously candid memoir about growing up in a turbulent family surrounded by music. This intimate narrative shares Carrie Brownstein’s journey to find herself — not only as a performer but also as a person. Raw, honest and heartfelt, this memoir will inspire you to become who you’re meant to be.
‘Girl in a Band: A Memoir’ by Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon shares her tribulations of womanhood in her fiercely honest memoir, Girl in a Band. Gordon takes readers back to New York in the 1980s, when Sonic Youth, the band that paved the way for Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and more, was on the rise. Gordon fearlessly addresses her struggles with identity, music, marriage and motherhood in a raw and powerful memoir.
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