This collection of work by contemporary American women writers celebrates the passions, joys, losses, courage, quests, and wisdom of women through all the seasons of their lives.The unusually broad range of this anthology makes it a unique, contemporary view of our pleasures and sorrows from girlhood through maturity. It offers a chance to remember past experiences and contemplate coming seasons—to gain a sense of continuity in one's life as a woman. It concentrates on the spiritual growth of women as they progress through life.The almost fifty authors include Gail Godwin, Anne Tyler, Terry McMillan, Lucy Grealy, Pam Houston, Dorothy Allison, May Sarton, and Barbara Kingsolver, as well as little-known work by some strong, new voices. Memoirs, short stories, essays, and all the other myriad ways women use language to explore their experience as women make this a full and always stimulating reading experience. Read Less