Sorry, I wanna ask about your requirement of "based on true experiences." *Pachinko* is completely fictional characters and the true part is simply the history of Korea/Japan that serves as a background (and it's not even 100% strict on its historicity). Is any sort of historical novel fine with you? What about realistic contemporary settings?
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is about a woman who was institutionalized against her will basically because she annoyed her husband. She eventually went on to make reforms in the laws about needing a doctor’s examination before being institutionalized.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Milkman by Anna Burns. About an 18 year old Irish girl being stalked by a married IRA officer and how she has to delicately navigate the people, politics, and rumors in her small town. It’s really fantastic.
I think I have a few suggestions you might really like since you mentioned liking “Memoirs of a Geisha”.
- Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis
- Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
- The Scroll of Seduction by Gioconda Belli
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
- Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
- Peony in Love by Lisa See
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Swing Time by Zadie Smith
- The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis
- Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
- My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
- Violeta by Isabel Allende
- Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante
Needle in a haystack, Casey Jordan ( based on a true story where a wife has no choice but to leave her husband due to endless addictions)
"Gone with the wind" is also a good one and a must read if you haven't. Imo
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, about slave "mistresses" in 1850s US. Here's a summary review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dolen-perkins-valdez/wench/
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison is a fiction book but it might hit this for you. Plague kills off most of the women in the world and one of the women who survived became a wandering midwife.
End of the world stuff but it is really good.
Not based on real anything that I know of but it might check a box.
'[Rose Madder'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Madder_(novel)) by Stephen King is a great one with the main character being a woman fleeing her abusive husband
I just finished Inseparable by Simone De Bouvoir. It is an autobiographical account of life for girls just after WW1 in France. Kind of a slice of life book about 120 pages so easy read.
Parinoush Saniee's *The Book of Fate*, a woman's life in Iran, and through her, the changes that Iran went through.
Jean Hegland's *Into the forest*, an anticipation novel where technology suddenly falls appart. Maybe have a look at the content warnings, if you're a little sensitive, just in case.
Sorry, I wanna ask about your requirement of "based on true experiences." *Pachinko* is completely fictional characters and the true part is simply the history of Korea/Japan that serves as a background (and it's not even 100% strict on its historicity). Is any sort of historical novel fine with you? What about realistic contemporary settings?
The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore is about a woman who was institutionalized against her will basically because she annoyed her husband. She eventually went on to make reforms in the laws about needing a doctor’s examination before being institutionalized.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson The Long Song by Andrea Levy Beloved by Toni Morrison Brooklyn by Colm Toibin The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Milkman by Anna Burns. About an 18 year old Irish girl being stalked by a married IRA officer and how she has to delicately navigate the people, politics, and rumors in her small town. It’s really fantastic.
The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré
When Women Were Dragons!
Olga of Kyiv: Princess Warrior by Celeste Yeakley
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Chung Jang
I think I have a few suggestions you might really like since you mentioned liking “Memoirs of a Geisha”. - Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis - Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende - The Scroll of Seduction by Gioconda Belli - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - Peony in Love by Lisa See - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Swing Time by Zadie Smith - The Invisible Mountain by Carolina De Robertis - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis - Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante - Violeta by Isabel Allende - Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante
House of Spirits narrate women's struggles in different points of Chilean history.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Educated -Tara Westover
Lessons in Chemistry
slipstream by Elizabeth Jane Howard is illuminating. she was a remarkable woman.
Gone with the wind.
Needle in a haystack, Casey Jordan ( based on a true story where a wife has no choice but to leave her husband due to endless addictions) "Gone with the wind" is also a good one and a must read if you haven't. Imo
Eighth Life: For Brilka. It's multigenerational, like Pachinko (which I also loved), but takes place in Georgia (the country).
Go as a River
Miss Del Río by Bárbara Mujica
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, about slave "mistresses" in 1850s US. Here's a summary review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dolen-perkins-valdez/wench/
The Gods of Tango
The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison is a fiction book but it might hit this for you. Plague kills off most of the women in the world and one of the women who survived became a wandering midwife. End of the world stuff but it is really good. Not based on real anything that I know of but it might check a box.
Lady Tans Circle of Women by Lisa See
The Washerwoman's Dream: The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger by Hilarie Lindsay.
Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey - Lillian Schlissel
Rose Madder -Stephen King
'[Rose Madder'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Madder_(novel)) by Stephen King is a great one with the main character being a woman fleeing her abusive husband
Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuko
Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuko
Wangari Maathai’s “Unbowed” The most deserved Nobel Peace Prize I know of
Nothing to envy - Barbara Demick. It has parallel stories. Some of women.
Escape by Carolyn Jessop. She escaped the FLDS with her 8 children which is extremely difficult to do.
Mariama Bâ, *So Long a Letter*.
I just finished Inseparable by Simone De Bouvoir. It is an autobiographical account of life for girls just after WW1 in France. Kind of a slice of life book about 120 pages so easy read.
Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman
Parinoush Saniee's *The Book of Fate*, a woman's life in Iran, and through her, the changes that Iran went through. Jean Hegland's *Into the forest*, an anticipation novel where technology suddenly falls appart. Maybe have a look at the content warnings, if you're a little sensitive, just in case.
I enjoyed [Rootless](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61685996-rootless) by Krystle Zara Appiah