Recently I wrote about the difference between literary and genre fiction.
The Girl with the Empty Suitcase is an example of literary fiction.
Women's literary fiction, to be exact.
So, what does that mean?
Contrary to my title, women's fiction does not need to be written by a woman.
Instead, it's primarily concerned with women - our lives, realities, histories, issues, and experiences.
Women are generally the target audience. It's generally realistic fiction, but can be historical or romance or any other genre as well. As long as it deals with women's lives primarily, it can probably fit under the umbrella of women's fiction.
The Girl with the Empty Suitcase fits women's fiction perfectly. It's about a woman's life, about identity and relationships, good and bad.
There are characteristics and tropes, all of which can be altered or adhered to depending on the particular book, but at the end of the day, the basic definition is:
Women's fiction focuses on women.
Do you like women's fiction? What are your favourite books in the category?