Erased No More: A Reading List of BIPOC-Centered Historical Fiction

Through historical fiction, many BIOPOC authors help to reclaim the voices of our past and ensure that these sheroes are finally recognized and celebrated. These works collectively illuminate the many dimensions of equality: cultural, economic, artistic, personal, and legal. They also inspired my own novel, The Ladies Hall, which draws from the lives of trailblazers like Mary Church Terrell and Anna Julia Cooper. Like the women in these books, they pursued education and justice in spaces that resisted them. Their stories remind us that equality is never freely given; it is fought for every day. These narratives ensure that their legacies and the path they forged, continue to guide and inspire future generations. Just as my historical fiction focuses on strong Black women in pivotal moments of history, I also love reading books about women that history tried to erase. Here are some amazing books written by BIOPOC authors about lesser-known women who fought against inequality and systems built to silence them.

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Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

In Keeper of Lost Children, Sadeqa Johnson explores the often-unseen burdens carried by Black women as they navigate family, loss, and resilience in the face of societal inequities. The novel shows women hold families and communities together even when they themselves are overlooked. The story is based on Mabel Grammer, an African American journalist and army wife who adopted 12 children herself and navigated complex red tape to save hundreds more.

With Love From Harlem by ReShonda Tate

Set against the vibrant backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance, With Love From Harlem explores a pivotal era when Black artists and thinkers reshaped cultural identity while still confronting systemic inequality. Through the lens of ambition, love, and sacrifice, we come to understand Hazel Scott as a woman whose creative expression became a pathway toward dignity and self-definition. Tate captures the tension between opportunity and limitation, reminding readers that equality is often pursued in spaces where recognition is hard-won. This story shows how community and courage fueled a movement that demanded to be seen, heard, and valued.

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

Island Queen is a compelling exploration of equality through the life of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a woman born into slavery who refuses to accept the limits society places on her because of race or gender. As she fights for freedom, wealth, and legal rights in the colonial Caribbean, Dorothy challenges systems designed to silence and exclude women and people of color. Vanessa Riley’s novel powerfully illustrates that equality is not freely given. It is pursued through courage, determination, and the belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and the right to shape their own future.

Edmonia by Brianne Baker

In Edmonia, the life of sculptor Edmonia Lewis unfolds as a testament to artistic resilience and cultural identity. As a woman of African American and Native American heritage, Lewis navigated a world that often denied her legitimacy. Baker’s portrayal emphasizes how creativity becomes an act of defiance against exclusion. She fought for the right to create, to be acknowledged, and to define her own narrative. Lewis’s journey reminds readers that representation in the arts is not just about visibility, but about claiming space in history.

The Other Princess by Denny S. Brice

The Other Princess reimagines the life of a Black woman navigating elite European society, where privilege and prejudice coexist. Brice explores what it means to belong in spaces that outwardly embrace refinement but quietly enforce exclusion. Through themes of identity, secrecy, and self-worth, the novel highlights the emotional cost of assimilation. Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an African princess and Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter, struggles to be accepted without erasing herself. This story challenges traditional narratives of royalty and status, revealing that true equality requires more than access; it demands authenticity and recognition.

The Sedalia Code by Patricia Raybon

While the heroine in this novel is fictional, readers will be drawn to this mystery set during WWII about codebreaking, and a Nazi threat on American soil. Laurette Lowe faces a battle when she lands a job teaching math at La Porte Academy in the 1940s in Sedalia, NC. It is her mathematical skills that will help decipher a cryptic Nazi plot to kill the US President. She does this great feat while fighting to be seen and heard as an educated Black woman. Raybon writes with heart and a determination to lead us to the truth.

Until I Am Free by Keisha N. Blain

Until I Am Free offers a powerful historical account of Fannie Lou Hamer’s activism. This courageous woman fought tirelessly for justice and equality. Blain brings forward voices often overlooked, showing how Hamer shaped political movements and demanded systemic change and equality. The book details what activism, solidarity, and an unwavering commitment to freedom looks like. Fannie Loue Hamer didn’t accomplish all her achievements alone; progress was built through networks of women who refused to accept injustice and instead worked to transform society for future generations.

Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality by Tomiko Brown-Nagin

In the Civil Rights Queen, the life of Constance Baker Motley reveals the legal battles behind the Civil Rights Movement. As a pioneering attorney and judge, Motley challenged segregation through the courts, reshaping American law. Brown-Nagin highlights how equality is not just an ideal but a legal pursuit requiring strategy, persistence, and courage. This biography reminds readers that justice is often secured through sustained effort within systems resistant to change, and that individual determination can have a profound and lasting impact on collective rights.

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The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller is available from Thomas Nelson Fiction.