In the excitement of the holiday season, we invite you to slow down, settle down and dive into five books that honor the strength, resilience and influence of women. These titles, perfect for a Christmas book club, combine memory, identity and feminine power. Here is our selection, and some discussion points to share your thoughts with readers!
Our five Christmas favorites
The New Matriarchs – Nadia Ferroukhi, presented by Laure Adler (Ed. Albin Michel)
In this beautiful book, both photographic and ethnographic, Nadia Ferroukhi continues her journey around the world: India, Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia… in order to meet women whose role in their community is central, even when their traditions are threatened.
In addition, she chooses in each society a strong woman as a bearer of memory to make visible the importance of matriarchs.
This book invites you to think: in our own traditions, which women embody transmission? How can female memory inspire future generations?
I wanted to live – Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre (Ed. Grasset)
Adélaïde de Clermont-Tonnerre gives voice to Milady de Winter, the famous figure of Three Musketeers by Dumas, exploring her past, her true identity: Anne de Breuil. Abandoned child, powerful, manipulative, betrayed woman, she embodies a complex woman that legend has misunderstood.
Possible discussion: how can literary myths be revisited in order to reveal the human and vulnerable dimension of powerful women?
Powerful women – Léa Salamé (Ed. Les Arènes)
In this collection of interviews and portraits, Léa Salamé interviews women from all walks of life: writer, business manager, rabbi, sportswoman, politician… to understand the power of the feminine. Furthermore, she denounces a paradox: when a man has power, it is natural, but when it is a woman, it can seem suspicious.
Idea for reflection: what does “being powerful” mean to each of us today? And above all, how do our models influence our conception of power?
The resistance – Philippe Collin (Ed. Albin Michel)
Philippe Collin traces the destiny of five women resistance fighters between 1940 and 1944: Lucie Aubrac, Geneviève de Gaulle, but also three lesser-known heroines: Mila Racine, Simonne Mathieu, Renée Davelly. Through rare archives and cross-stories, he restores their often forgotten role in the fight against Nazism.
Point of discussion: why has History long minimized the role of women in the Resistance? What do these stories of courage teach us today?
Night passengers – Yanick Lahens (Ed. Sabine Wespieser)
A powerful novel of memory and migration, which crosses eras and continents: Elizabeth was born in New Orleans in 1818, fled violence, returned to Haiti, while Regina, her distant ancestor, embodies the ancestors rescued from slavery. In addition, Yanick Lahens describes the night as a symbolic space of truth, resistance and retransmission.
To explore as a group: how does family transmission, often silent, forge identity? What role does “night” play in personal and collective memory?
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At Christmas, we often look for stories that warm the heart, celebrate belonging, and invite reflection. Thus, these books are not just stories: they are bridges between generations, powerful mirrors for rethinking the place of women in the world.
By sharing them within your book club, you not only offer exciting reading, but also a space for exchange, resilience and inspiration. A precious gift for yourself and others.
To your books, to your discussions, and happy literary holidays!
