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.