In this book, first published in 1976, the author analyses the female view of the world. Juxtaposing - sometimes in startlingly original combination some 80 books written between the 17th century and the 20th century she uses both literary and psychological analysis to explore patterns that recur again and again in the stories women tell.

Acknowledgements, Prologue, 1. Theorists, 2. Power and Passivity, 3. Taking Care, 4. The Adolescent as Heroine, 5. The Artist as Woman, 6. Finger Posts, 7. The World Outside, 8. Free Women, Afterword, Work Cited, Index