A delightful series of short stories, providing a composite portrait of women and how the worlds they inhabit have changed over the past 50 years. No longer satisfied with marriage being their only socially acceptable destiny, these women relish their new freedoms as they run hospitals, banks and international businesses. From the spinsterish Miss Phipps, who opens the gate for women to fulfill their dreams and fantasies through her lending library, to the divorced 53-year-old Helen, who road-tests her internet date Dominic and becomes empowered by her new-found ability to make choices, these stories portray women who begin to overturn centuries of tradition, prepare to live fuller lives and to follow their dreams. Rosemary Friedman has a mimic's ear for dialogue and her short stories are like well-aimed hand grenades.