“She still doesn’t believe in magic. It’s a technology, she’s decided. Just one that she doesn’t understand yet.”
― C.J. Cooke, The Lighthouse Witches

C. J. Cooke’s novel The Lighthouse Witches is a piece of Gothic fiction, that centres on women across multiple time periods and how their power and position changes overtime.

This review comes from Amanda Cookson, a coach part of, and co-founder of, Northern Value Creators, as well as being a member of the ShfWIT community. She also lead an amazing workshop for us last March on ‘Imposter Syndrome’.

The premise.

Trigger warnings for the text: [violence, death, sexual assault, child loss] .

I loved The Lighthouse Witches. It was the first book I read by C. J. Cooke and since then I have read everything she has produced.

The ugliness of the lighthouse, the intrigue of the key, and the way the story unravels piece by piece completely pulled me in. The mystery surrounding the locked spaces inside the lighthouse creates a constant sense that something long buried is waiting to be uncovered.

As the reader, you travel backwards and forwards through time and begin to sense that all of our stories and experiences are interconnected and interwoven.

I don’t want to give away the plot because it unfolds so beautifully.

So picture a creepy lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, surrounded by folklore, storms, and the weight of buried history, and settle in for a story that slowly wraps itself around you.

Why recommend this?

I love how C.J. Cooke’s work centres the story on women. Their suffering, their history. So much of women’s experiences have been hidden away, silenced and controlled. Understanding how women in the past were treated as witches is a part of reclaiming our history.

One of the things Cooke does brilliantly is ground the gothic horror so firmly in real history, folklore, and place that it becomes difficult to separate what is real from what is imagined. The research underneath the story gives it weight and credibility, which makes the unsettling elements feel even more believable. Even the name of the lighthouse, The Longing, is deeply evocative.

I love language, and this is one of those books that works beautifully both as an audiobook and in print. Tiny moments are described so vividly that the whole story feels immersive and gripping.

Closing remarks.

It is important for us to read novels that immerse you in women’s historic struggle for power and suffering under the patriarchy. And it is crucial that female authors like Cooke showcase that history from the female perspective and reclaim it for all to see.

“I spent two years researching this book, interviewing these incredible ladies and their very proud families.” (Michelle Rawlins on writing her book)

Michelle Rawlins’ novel Women of Steel (2020) is a piece of historical fiction, which shines a light on the women who worked in Sheffield’s steel industry and factories during the Second World War.

This review comes from Nicola Towse, who is the founder of Risqly and is an active member of the ShfWIT community.

The premise.

Trigger warnings for the text: grief, violence, mental health topics, sexual assault, and trauma.

Women of Steel tells the story of the women who worked in Sheffield’s steel industry during the Second World War. They worked in harsh conditions, in roles traditionally reserved for men. Alongside this demanding work, many of these women were also responsible for running households and caring for children. Carrying the weight of both paid labour and domestic life.

Rawlins collated the true accounts of these women into a novel, showcasing the hard work, resilience and skills of these previously unsung heroines. These women had to work twice as hard to prove they could do the job just as well, if not better, than their male counterparts.

Why recommend this?

“It wasn’t until 2016, with the unveiling of the Women of Steel statue in Barker’s Pool, that many people including myself truly began to learn about the legacy of the Women of Steel.” (Nicola on the text).

I’ll admit my bias upfront: I’m from Sheffield, and I have a deep love for local history. And the resilience, skill, friendship, and determination of these women is nothing short of inspiring. The book is not always an easy read. As you move through their stories, you begin to truly understand the impact of the war, not just during the conflict itself, but in the years that followed. The physical, emotional, and social consequences linger, the book does not shy away from showing how deeply these issues affected these women and their families.

As a woman working in tech, a similarly male-dominated industry, it’s easy to draw parallels. Expectations can be different, contributions and achievements are still too easily overlooked. Reading about these women was a powerful reminder that this struggle isn’t new and that progress has always been driven by women who refused to be invisible.

On a personal note, when I first read the book it prompted a conversation with my nan, who shared her own memories of her mum working in the factories while also keeping the family going at home during the war. That moment brought the history to life, connecting the stories on the page to my own family’s past.

Closing remarks.

Women of Steel is more than a history book, it’s a tribute, a reclamation, and a source of inspiration. Women in male dominated fields have and always will refuse to be invisible.

“Courage is the root of change—and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.” (Lessons in Chemistry)

Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel Lessons in Chemistry (2022) is a fantastic piece of historical fiction which centres the female protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, in the world of 1960s Chemistry.

This review comes from Angel Thackray, who manages the social media and content of Sheffield Women In Technology.

Spoiler alert: this review won’t spoil your enjoyment of the book, it will leave some surprises.

The premise.

Lessons in Chemistry follows a female scientist: Elizabeth Zott and is set predominantly in the 1960s, but has some flash backs into her youth in the 1950s. We follow her battle against the patriarchal standards of the 50s and 60s, as she endeavours to pursue a career in science. The novel highlights the contrast between the American ‘nuclear family’ and what women of that era may have desired to do—be more than a housewife and mother.

Zott’s relentless ambition and stubbornness is almost a superhuman trait, she is confident in her ability and lifestyle. Her attitude subverts the expectations of women in the 1950s and 60s, and she makes the hardships of her life work for her. We follow the highs and lows of Zott’s life, oscillating from tragedy to triumph. Elizabeth is subject to patriarchal constraints throughout her life, but it is her unbending will that allows her to be outspoken and rebel against this restraint.

After being dismissed from her role as a chemist for being pregnant she finds herself in the unlikely scenario of hosting a tv cooking show, Dinner at Six. Applying her scientific principles to cookery and her unbending attitude towards life she inspires other women to pursue their passions.

Why recommend this?

“Sometimes I think," she said slowly, "that if a man were to spend a day being a woman in America, he wouldn't make it past noon.” (Lessons in Chemistry)

Zott’s story is inspiring, in how she manages to manipulate the system to rise above the patriarchal oppression in 1960s America. The text portrays controlling attitudes towards women in the workplace and in their home-life; Zott is at times criticised for both. She manages to rise above it, and it is unfortunate to say but some of these attitudes still ring true today in 2026.Women are still criticised for being too bossy or blunt in the workplace, or are criticised about their home-lives and attitudes towards motherhood.

Garmus’s novel delves into other issues that still effect modern women such as workplace sexism, internalised misogyny and sexual assault. It is interesting to be able to look at the events in a novel set 70 years ago and realise that these issues are still ongoing. The novel highlighting these issues allows us to reflect on current societal views, and inspire a change in us where we challenge sexist and misogynistic actions in our lives.

I think that the character of Elizabeth Zott is incredibly empowering. Her ambitious and stubborn nature makes her likeable in my opinion, although there are critiques of her character seeming too rude and cold. She is so rebellious and impactful because she stands clear of the ‘nuclear family’ and holds no shame about that, she knows she is different and does not seem to care much. She is revolutionary and questions why society does not think like her, why they do not give qualified women placements, and why women are disadvantaged if she can understand chemical formulae better than the man next to her. She is a woman without an imposter thought in her body, and that is fantastic.

Even a cooking show, which is aimed at women to initially help them cook better dishes for their husbands, she uses to educate and inspire women. Zott is not an upbeat character, but her actions speak to a blunt nature which is confused why men and women stand at different starting points. Elizabeth Zott is a character that I think everyone should learn something from: that we should strive for what we want and deserve in not only our careers but our lives.

Trigger warnings for the novel: sexual assault, misogyny, grief.

Closing remarks.

If you’d like to read a piece of fiction that has an inspiring protagonist and elements of historical fiction then this is the book for you. Be more blunt, be more Zott.