Mary Shelley, in all her unconventional womanhood, wrote the ultimate tale of misfits.Frankenstein meditates on nature, human limitations, the price of advancement, and the repercussions of the pursuit of knowledge.

JWA chats with Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, author ofGolden Threads, a new children’s book that explores the melting pot of Jewish and Muslim artisan communities in 1920s Morocco. 

I realized that the book promoted a cartoonish antisemitism that went completely over my head as a child.

Blanche Bendahan, born in Algeria in 1893, to a Sephardi father and a Catholic mother, became a renowned writer, poet, and political activist. One of her most famous works,Mazaltob, addressed themes of tradition versus modernity, women's rights, and the intersections between Jewish, Muslim, and Christian communities. She continued to write about her homeland until her death in 1975, combining her multicultural background with modernist style.

Through lyrical prose, Esther Goldenberg gives voice to an overlooked biblical heroine and reveals the power of female connection. 

As 2024 draws to a close, the JWA team takes a moment to celebrate some of the incredible moments and achievements of Jewish women and gender-expansive people from the past year. Here are our picks for the standouts that inspired us, made us laugh, and reminded us of the power of resilience, community, and creativity.

The most interesting tension here isn't between the romantic leads, but between Jewish woman's sense of identity and the pull of assimilation. 

Jill Hammer's fantasy debut is an enchanting blend of female friendship, Jewish mysticism, and epic adventure. 

I find myself thanking all the authors I have read, my family, my friends, and every otherBrave Girl out there writing advocating, and proudly showing their Jewish feminist identity.

Elana Dykewomon was a poet, novelist, editor, theorist, lesbian, and cultural worker. Her lesbian and Jewish identities and commitments informed and shaped her award-winning novels and other writings, and she made significant theoretical contributions to lesbian separatism and fat liberation.

JWA chats with Janice Weizman about her recently reissued novel,The Wayward Moon. 

Leigh Bardugo's latest novel provides a layered summer read that is as shallow or as deep as the reader wants it to be.

Three experiences converged and showed up one morning when I picked up my pen, andJoyful Songwas born.

Twelve years later, "Miss Rumphius'" message of exploring faraway places to find community still resonate with me.

Rachel Luria (Rokhl Lurye) was a writer of Yiddish short fiction and investigative journalism in the early twentieth century. She was known for her complex and often cynical writing about immigrant life, especially in regards to portrayals of sexuality and gender.

Long beforeFiddler on the Roof, Jewish writers used partner dance as a powerful metaphor for social changes that transformed Jewish communities.

It was through Jewish books that I, and many women like me, learned to challenge the world around us, just as Rifka did. 

My love for the novel is due to the care that Roshani Chokshi took in writing a diverse cast of characters whose identities are important but aren’t their defining features.  

JWA chats with Leah Berkenwald, co-creator of the new audio-drama, A Feminist Romance Novel, Podcast! Temptations at Sweetwater Creek.

In addition to sharing messages of patience, understanding, and unwavering love, Alte Zachen balances stories of Jewish suffering with stories of Jewish joy.

In her hugely popular fantasy series, Sarah J. Maas puts Jewish texsts and biblical women at the forefront. 

Learning about theShoah became a constant as I explored my local libraries. This sent me the message that Jewishness was inextricably linked to suffering. What if it wasn't?

The poignant and often hilarious novel made me consider my own experiences with grief and (metaphorical) lostness.

Every day I find new books to read, and I know that they will continue to help expand my understanding of my own identity, and of the world around me.

JWA talks to author Sara Lippmann about suburbia as an irresistible setting for fiction, radical retellings of the Torah, and more.