Portraits of Becoming: My Top 5 Favorite Books of All Time

Several books throughout my life have earned status as my “all-time favorite,” one always surpassing the last into a never-ending cycle of favorites. However, I managed to select an array of books that left a deep impression on me as an individual, and they are what I consider the 5 best novels about identity. 

I value stories that explore and provide insight into different sides of humanity. Fiction frequently provides a means of new perspectives that we may not have considered before since it may teach us about something unfamiliar, whether wholly or slightly. 

Below you will find my top five books of all time, each offering a completely different world waiting to open its doors for you. 

My Top 5 Picks for the Best Novels About Identity

Each novel offers a view into identity and how it may be shaped through several factors such as love, memory, survival, family, and the expectations imposed on us by society. From Little Women to Howl’s Moving Castle, these reads are cozy yet display a deeply tied connection to humanity. 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women follows the lives of four March sisters — Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy — as they navigate girlhood, ambition and family expectations during the American Civil War era. 

This coming-of-age novel demonstrates the journey each sister takes to challenge or conform to societal and gender expectations, illustrating the effect of economic limitations and the personal desire to define their future on their own accord.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Diving into the magical and whimsical world of Howl’s Moving Castle, this tale follows Sophie who’s been transformed by a curse into an old lady and thrust into wizard Howl’s chaotic world.

As Sophie learns and adapts to live in her new form, her perception about her worth and capability as a human being shifts as she is forced to discover strengths she didn’t acknowledge until she had to face adversity during her journey. 

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Haunting yet insightful, Beloved explores the generational and psychological impact of enslavement through Sethe, a woman fighting to reclaim her sense of self identity after facing severe trauma. 

This novel closely illustrates how memory, community, and personal struggle for autonomy can affect one’s identity and what steps can be done to rebuild themselves to move forward without allowing a traumatic past to define who they are. 

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

Giovanni’s Room gives an intimate narrative about David, an American in Paris, who is grappling with desire, internalized homophobia, and traditional expectations of masculinity. 

Meeting Giovanni forces him to confront the identity he has created as a means of survival — and causes him to face the uncomfortable question of who he truly is, how cultural norms force a man to repress his true self, and how self-denial can deeply affect one’s genuine sense of self.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows a legendary actress who has been living through numerous facades to feed her growing hunger for fame, using her several marriages as a shield against sexism and homophobia.

Although Evelyn wears these several masks, the novel reveals the emotional and psychological toll it has taken on her as a queer woman, and how her truth can be reclaimed through introspective reflection regarding all she’s kept out of forced silence.

How the Best Novels About Identity Helped Shape My Becoming

Each of these novels has served as a reminder that identity is not fixed to one aspect of humanity. It can be shaped through a chain of several events that may be out of our control, and it’s something that we have to accept as living individuals.

Fiction — this collection of the best novels about identity in particular — has shown me to accept the path and decisions I take, regardless of the uncomfortable, unknown challenges I never thought I’d face, since they serve as guidance within my personal identity for my growth and transformation to find my true sense of self.

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Need more good reads? Read these reviews, roundups, and original fiction to discover the works to grace your own favorites list!

• The Messy Years – A Contemporary Novel Review
• Lines We Cross – Immigration Rights Romance Fiction
• Wings of Starlight – A Young Adult Romantasy Book Review
• One Last Callback – Part 1 & Part 2 – Coming-of-Age Fiction

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