Combining assiduous attention to biography and bibliography with original literary criticism oriented toward feminist theory, this volume profiles and analyzes fifty significant women writers of Spain--some celebrated and some overlooked--from the fourteenth century to the present. The work includes poets, fiction writers, dramatists, and essayists. Lives and works are examined with reference to complex issues surrounding gender, creativity, and social mores. Partly informed by findings of the fifty contributing scholars, Levine and Marson have also provided a volume introduction interpreting herstory in terms of Spanish culture, likening the struggle for identity and artistic expression in an engendered world to balancing on a tightrope. Extensive bibliographies for each writer document original works, modern editions and translations, and criticism; and a general bibliography selects valuable sources pertaining to Spanish women writers and gender-related topics.

Examines the life of the award-winning author of "The House of Spirits" and "The Stories of Eva Luna." From her childhood in Peru to her political activities in Chile, this work traces the literary career of an author renowned for novels rich in historical detail and populated with strong, passionate characters.