11 Inspiring Female Coming of Age Stories

From Jane Austen to Roxane Gay, these inspiring stories prove that you are never too old to find yourself.

By Cailey Hall | Updated Jan 27, 2020 | Published Mar 4, 2016

woman reading a book on a bench

I capture the castle, a female coming of age book by dodie smith

I Capture the Castle

By Dodie Smith

Buy My Brilliant Friend at Amazon

My Brilliant Friend

By Elena Ferrante

Buy Jane Eyre at Amazon

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Brontë

aurora leigh, a female coming of age story by elizabeth barrett-browning

Aurora Leigh

By Elizabeth Barrett-Browning

bad feminist by roxane gay, a nonfiction female coming of age book

Bad Feminist

By Roxane Gay

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Buy Northanger Abbey at Amazon

Northanger Abbey

By Jane Austen

Buy Evelina at Amazon

Evelina

By Fanny Burney

like water for chocolate, a female coming of age story by laura esquivel

Like Water for Chocolate

By Laura Esquivel

to kill a mockingbird by harper lee, an iconic 1960s book

To Kill a Mockingbird

By Harper Lee

Buy How I Grew at Amazon

How I Grew

By Mary McCarthy

Buy Little Women at Amazon

Little Women

By Louisa May Alcott

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Literary Fiction

Coming of Age Books