The Mists of Avalon
by Marian Zimmer Bradley
Here is the magical legend of King Arthur, vividly retold through the eyes and lives of the women who weilded power from behind the throne. With breathtaking detail and masterful storytelling The Mists of Avalon is that rare, spellbinding novel in which myth comes to life and magic flows out to all of us. This book is a classic and a favorite.

The Fifth Sacred Thing
by Starhawk

Imagine a world without poverty, hunger, or hatred, where a rich culture honors its diverse mix of races, religions, and heritages, and the Four Sacred Things that sustain life-earth, air, fire, and water- are valued unconditionally. Now imagine the opposite: a nightmare world in which an authoritarian regime polices an apartheid state, access to food and water is restricted to those who obey the corrupt official religion, women are the property of their husbands or the state, and the children are bred for prostitution and war. The best and worst of our possible futures are poised to clash, and the outcome rests on the wisdom and courage of one clan caught in the conflict. Definitely a staff favorite!
"Provocative and magical, political and spiritual...an extraordinary book that stands in the great tradition of political and philosophical novels."

-Margot Adler, author of Drawing Down the Moon

The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant

At last, the biblical tale told through a woman's eyes.
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons in the book of Genesis. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoil of ancient womanhood- the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers-Leah, Rachel, Zilpa, and Bikras- the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that are to sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate, immediate connection. "We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of men, who had no way of knowing. That is why I became a footnote, my story a brief detour between the well known history of my father, Jacob, and the celebrated chronicle of Joseph, my brother. On those rare occasions when I was remembered , it was as a victim."(From the Prologue)
Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievment in modern fiction: a view of biblical women's society.

The Vagina Monologues
by Eve Ensler

Adapted from the award-winning show that has rocked audiences around the world, this groundbreaking book gives voice to a chorus of lusty, outrageous, poignant, and thoroughly human stories, transforming the question mark hovering over the female anatomy into a permanent victory sign. With laughter and compassion, Ensler transports her audiences to a world we've never dared to know, guaranteeing that no one who reads the Vagina Monologues will ever look at a womans body the same way again.
"The special genius of The Vagina Monologues is Eve Ensler's ability to lead her audience to lost, discarded and wounded parts of themselves, and make them shout, weep, and finally howl with laughter."-Sapphire, poet and author.

Activism

Warning! These books may change your life. They speak of fierce compassion, radical activism , and are a great reminder that one person can indeed make a difference. Highly recommended!

The Legacy of Luna
by Julia Butterfly Hill

On December 18, 1999, Julia Butterfly Hill's feet touched the ground for the first time in over two years as she descended from "Luna", a thousand-year-old redwood in Humboldt County, California.
Hill had climbed 180 feet up into the tree high on a mountain on Decemver 10, 1997, for what she thought would be a two-to-three-week-long "tree-sit". The action was intended to stop Pacific Lumber, a division of the Maxxam Corporation, from the environmentally destructive process of clear cutting the ancient redwood and trees around it. The area immediately next to Luna had already been stripped and, because, as many believed, nothing was left to hold the soil to the mountain, a huge part of the hill had slid into the town of Stafford, wiping out many homes.
Twenty-five-year-old Julia Butterfly Hill never planned to become what some have called her-the Rosa Parks of the environmental movement. This story-written while she lived on a tiny platform eighteen stories off the ground- is one that only she can tell. Although her brave vigil and indomitable spirit have made her a heroine in the eyes of many, Julia's story is a simple, heartening tale of love, conviction and the profound courage she has summoned to fight for our earth's last three percent of ancient redwood forests.
This important book is deeply moving and inspiring. Julia Butterfly Hill's story is one you will never forget.
"My respect for Julia Butterfly Hill is fathomless. At a time when so many have grown dishearted at the inability of any one person to make a difference, Julia's actions have profoundly re-energized the environmental movement all over the world. Her story is a beacon for us all for what one committed soul can accomplish." -Bonnie Raitt.

The Bond Between Women
A Journey to Fierce Compassion
by China Gallard

Part travel memoir, part spiritual pilgrimage, and part call to action, The Bond Between Women takes us across the world to meet women- both mythological and real- of fierce compassion. It is about that point where the spiritual and the political intersect. Weaving strands of her own personal journey throughout, as well as exquisite re-creations of ancient goddess myths, China Gallard reveals fierce compassion in action and offers an inspiring look at the bond between women and the surprising strength of its power to change the world. Highly recommended!