I’m with you. I’ve got a Ruger P85 9mm but its really too big for my hands so it hangs in a holster in the closet as an emergency go to. I got a Keltec PMR 30 in .22 mag. Its got a 30 round magazine and louder than a you know what. If I blew off a round in the hallway it would scare the intruder to death. Its got an ambidextrious safety and fiber optic sights. Easy actioning and very lightweight. Zero recoil.
Glocks are great but they don’t have a safety or a decocker so for a beginner not such a good idea. I would say a Lady
Smith .38 or a Colt Python .357 would probably also be good choices. We keep a 9 round .22mag stubby revolver in the nightstand.
A girl’s gotta do what a girl gotta do.