The Women + Water Reading List
10 Books That Celebrate the Dynamic Relationships Between Women and Water
We’ve spent the last (nearly) two years diving deep into stories of women and water thanks to our book project of the same name. It’s been a remarkable process to learn so much. Our book contributors have taken us from frozen mountaintop lakes to deep sea research, down raging whitewater rivers and fishing in calm shallows. And at the same time, through their deeply personal stories of discovery and growth and grief… all together revealing so much about creativity and culture, and the depths of humanity.
Since we could only include so much in one book, we thought we’d round up a whole reading list of books that all relate to the broad theme of women and water. We love this variety of non-fiction and poetry that touch on different sports and bodies of water in long-form creative expression. What other books would you add to this list?
Check out our BOOKS + MEDIA tag for more reading recommendations or—better yet—head over to our page for She Explores on Bookshop.org where we’ve curated even more book lists.
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Women and Water: Stories of Adventure, Self-Discovery, and Connection in and on the Water by Gale Straub, Hailey Hirst, and Noël Russell (2023)
As dynamic as all the forces of water, this collection draws together first-person stories from almost 40 women around the world. Our book combines breathtaking photography with powerful narratives from women who swim, surf, kayak, study glaciers, advocate for water conservation, carry forward their ancestral fishing traditions, and more. Interspersed with practical how-to sidebars, the profiles within explore themes of independence, strength, healing, and self-discovery in nature.
Growing Gills: Poems by Kassi Wilson (2023)
“Growing Gills is a collection of poems guiding readers on a transformational journey. Poems explore the realm of water and the vast ocean as a metaphor for knowing our relationship to the world. Ocean is mystery, so is the world. Readers will connect with their inner desires and fuller potential as they are led from the familiarity of the shoreline to imagine, ponder, and be bold in discovering within the water’s realm a deeper experience of life.”
Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui (2021)
“Our evolutionary ancestors learned for survival; today, swimming is one of the most popular activities in the world. Why We Swim is propelled by stories of Olympic champions, a Baghdad swim club that meets in Saddam Hussein’s former palace pool, modern-day Japanese samurai swimmers, and even an Icelandic fisherman who improbably survives a wintry six-hour swim after a shipwreck. New York Times contributor Bonnie Tsui, a swimmer herself, dives into the deep, from the San Francisco Bay to the South China Sea, investigating what it is about water that seduces us, and why we come back to it again and again.”
LISTEN: OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE BOOK! ⟶ Episode 212: Finding Freedom in Swimming – Bonnie Tsui
Into The Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver by Jill Heinerth (2020)
Blurb.
Undercurrent by Rita Wong (2015)
“The water belongs to itself. undercurrent reflects on the power and sacredness of water–largely underappreciated by too many–whether it be in the form of ocean currents, the headwaters of the Fraser River or fluids in the womb. Exploring a variety of poetic forms, anecdote, allusion and visual elements, this collection reminds humanity that we are water bodies, and we need and deserve better ways of honouring this.”
The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet (1962, re-released in 2011)
This book is the first-hand account of a mother who packed her five children (and sometimes dog) onto a 25-foot boat and traveled the coastal waters of British Columbia for several summers after she was widowed in 1927. Traveling summer after summer and intimately exploring tides, fog, encounters with bears, and a special interest in Haida culture and traditions, the book is both a time capsule of the coast and its villages in the 20th century and a universal story of traveling with young children in tow.
Paddling My Own Canoe by Audrey Sutherland (2021)
READ: AN ODE TO THIS AUTHOR ⟶ Audrey Sutherland is the Nature Writer I Always Needed
Growing Old, Going Cold: Notes on Swimming, Aging, and Finishing Last by Kathleen McDonnell (2022)
“Kathleen McDonnell started swimming in Lake Ontario, infamous for its chilly depths, because it was close to home. As time went on she began to rely on a daily dip, even breaking through winter ice to raise her spirits and refresh her body. In this wide-ranging memoir, McDonnell shares her love of cold water swimming and the lessons she has learned from a slow and steady commitment to the waves.”
Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening by Liz Clark, illustrated by Daniella Manini (2018)
“In true stories overflowing with wild waves and constant challenges, at the whim of the weather, of relationships sweet and sour, of nature’s marvels and colorful cultures, Liz captures her voyage [on the 40-foot sailboat, Swell] in gripping detail in this memoir, sharing tales of sailing in high seas, of solitude and surprises, of finding connection to the earth and commitment to living in harmony with it. She witnesses how her dream leads her to understanding the unity of all things.”
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade (2018)
For the young readers: “Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption–a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.”
READ: OUR INTERVIEW WITH ILLUSTRATOR, MICHAELA GOADE ⟶ Spotlight: Artist Michaela Goade
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