I am a handgun nut, had a ton of them, hunt with them and shoot competitvely... my wife however is a complete novice and that's all she will ever want to be... I got her a Smith and Wesson M&P 9MM compact

9mm is a great choice.  A step up in power would probably be a .40 S&W, a step down a .380.

I'm not a gun expert, and probably not much of a lady either, but I really like the XDM 9mm by Springfield. I've found it to be really easy to handle and I have had a high level of accuracy with it. I don't like handguns that are too small because I guess I've always had it drilled into me that they are more dangerous. And obviously leave more room for error. But too big for a novice is intimidating. I'd take her to the range and let her shoot a whole lot of different ones. That's how I always decided. But also, as a woman, I still feel like there is nothing better for personal protection than a shotgun ;) This is what I always recommend to my girlfriends that aren't used to guns, and once they feel the difference in control and accuracy as a novice (and twitchy) gun owner, there's nothing like a shotgun watching over you. And you know the sound is going to scare away just about anyone! Just a woman's perspective...

I am a big fan of revolvers for novices as well as experienced shooters.  I own both semi-autos and revolvers, and choose my revolver whenever the situation permits a larger framed gun.  When my mom wanted to get a pistol for self defense.  I got her a 357 and loaded it with 38.  The heavier frame of the 357 helps keep recoil down, and the 38's are light shooting, but will do plenty of damage.  Also a revolver is very, very simple.  aim, pull the triger, repeat.  if there is a misfire, just pull the trigger again.  Also they will not jam.

My wife prefers a revolver. I let here try my .38sp She liked it. She's a pretty small girl. But like Michael said when I let her fire a .38sp out of my .357 she liked it even better. I've always found that especially a beginner is more accurate with a revolver.

Guns don't kill people....Its those pesky little bullets making lots of holes that all the blood leaks out of.

my wife likes her bersa .380