Author Description

In our fast-paced era, we often hear of "the good old days" and how perfect and fulfilling it was to live in that past, imagined though it may be. These memoirs from seven women from different backgrounds contain the untold stories about how in the last half of the Twentieth Century, undaunted women tackled their oppressive culture with courage and even humor. This book contains tales of how it really was, how women engaged in change in spite of threatening traditional prejudices and fears. A spectrum of such collected histories, one that permit us to look behind the popular nostalgia is rare indeed. These women stepped into the unknown and did their work, often not realizing until later how remarkable and groundbreaking their actions were. The view from each author's window describes personal and professional choices and struggles, exciting stories of courage, learning and wisdom. Each vignette contains thoughtful and heartfelt descriptions of challenges and their often difficult solutions. Whether taken from child or adulthood, these memoirs contain hard-won truth, beauty, and the joy of discovery and mastery. They offer the grace of peace, acceptance, and freedom. Each author's approach to the prejudice and social barriers she experienced at home and on the job provides evidence of the insight and creativity women developed in order to reach what are, even still, often forbidden goals. Each story will resonate strongly. It may even seem you are reading about yourself.