A captivating collection of women’s writing—including everything from poetry, letters, novels, memoir, and journals—that celebrates the joy of being a woman. While centuries of men, and the first generations of feminists have (from very different perspectives) lamented the experience of womanhood, this new collection takes a refreshing look at all there is to enjoy. Chapters include “Firsts” with voices such as Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, and Marie Curie, the first female Nobel prizewinner; “Festivities,” which emphasizes frivolity and pleasure; “Friends” exploring the depth of connection experienced through female friendship; “Family,” on mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers; and “Flowering,” which celebrates women’s creativity, passion, and love of life. From Amy Tan representing the uplifting comfort of parties with friends in The Joy Luck Club , to Sylvia Plath considering the fierce and confusing love she feels for her mother, and Elizabeth I embracing her role as Britain’s first successful woman ruler, Celebrating Women includes a diverse range of voices from across the ages that explores the breadth and gratification experience in different women’s lives. This volume contains a huge selection of writers dating back to the fifteenth century, from Christine de Pizan to Emily Dickinson, Germaine Greer to Alice Walker.