A groundbreaking study of women's images in global culture, Harvard professor, cultural studies scholar, and literary scholar Maria Tatar challenges the canonical archetypes described by Joseph Campbell.

She analyzes the 'heroine's journey' through the space of stories to convincingly prove that women are not only mothers, spouses, or patron goddesses of heroes. They can fight, deceive, travel, and tell stories guided by their own motives and interests, and not simply complement and inspire men.