Marija Jurić Zagorka was one of the most famous Croatian writers, but also an icon of Croatian feminism and the first Croatian female journalist. Besides feminism, Zagorka was also interested in politics. After a very sad and stressful childhood and adolescence, Zagorka devoted herself to her journalistic and literary career. Throughout her career, she encountered many obstacles and disapproval from her male colleagues and high-society women. She fiercely defended her aspirations and ideals despite all the troubles she encountered. Zagorka was most famous for her fight for the welfare of the people and her country. Among her numerous works, the most popular are her historical novels in which she writes about historical events important for Croatia, opposing Germanization and Hungarization. One of these historical novels is Gordana which features strong female characters shaped by the ideals Zagorka herself aspired to and the traits she herself wanted. The most important characters in Gordana are Gordana and Queen Beatrice. The goal of this paper is to present female characters in Gordana through their influence on political events and how Zagorka's own experience shaped them. Besides Zagorka's biography and career description, this paper also presents the most important female characters from Gordana, their striking characteristics and their ways of intervening in politics, which were considered a male domain.