Well gun laws vary from state to state , so the policies of ranges and training facilaties changes in accordance. My best advise would be to go to a gun range that rents guns, try a good cross section to see what you like. the K.I.S.S. princaple is applicable here Keep It Simple Stupid.
Speaking as someone who has trained women in saftey and use of all types of firearms ,these are the most common problems . 1 women are sometimes intimidated by BIG GUNS so often choose a cutesy little gun that is way to small to learn with. Iroically these ultra compact guns are most effective in well trained hands . untill you learn proper purchase "gripping and drawing" you should stay with a weapon that all four fingers of one hand fit entirely on the grip ,and your index finger should not have to strech or strain to reach the trigger . Next is trigger pull it should not be excessive to the point that it causes you difuculty or so lihgt that you cannot control it. so get a gun as big or as small as you like as long as it fits your hand. '
Now you need to take into account the different configurations of pistols first of all there are Semi Autoloaders or "autos" and relovers . the relover is the simplest by design for a first gun I'd strongly recomend a Double Action variety of the relover. this simply means that the trigger cocks the hammer as well as firing the next round . basically one controll the trigger ,simple, If one round fails to fire simply pull the trigger again. Reloading is easy with swing gate cylender,and most designs have no manual saftey. I list that as a pro and not a con as gun saftey should never be left up to a switch on the sifde of your gun , it is a mindset that you should aquire before your gun. manual safteys are mechanical devices and any device can fail . The one draw bact to revolvers is that trigger pull can be a bit harsh , but shop around many of these revolvers were actually built for the ladies ,such as the Smith&Wesson Lady Smith.
Well this will bring us to Auto's , unfortunely there are so many styles to choose from that I cant finish them all here . my best short advise is to rent one before ypou buy. most gunshop operators will be more than happy to take all the time you need to explain everything you need to know. If they don't want to go elsewhere after a gun is a major purchase someone will want your busniess. Be sure to learn the specific operation of your auto, make sure it fits your hand and that you are comfortable shooting and thsat you like it if you don't like it you won't practice with it . feel free to contact me here if you like