The "New Woman" - an independent, nontraditional, usually career-minded woman for whom marriage and family were secondary - became a popular heroine in women's magazine fiction from the time of World War I through the 1920s. During this period, American culture entertained a new, feminist vision of gender roles that seriously challenged the Victorian conception of separate spheres for the sexes and helped pave the way for modern images of women in public activity. The extent to which popular culture contributed to this new concept of women's autonomy has not always previously been recognised, but there can be no doubt that these stories helped define a pivotal historical moment. They are striking in their egalitarian portrayal of heroines on the cutting edge of modernism. The stories in this collection are drawn from the biggest periodicals of the day - "Ladies' Home Journal", "Cosmopolitan", "Good Housekeeping", "Woman's Home Companion", and "McCall's" - as well as from the African American magazine "The Crisis". Each story presents a different representation of the New Woman: Susanne Brown, a journalist; Doria Dean Yale, a surgeon; Eve Archer, a cafeteria worker; Mrs Marian Burleigh, a wealthy widow who wants a job outside the home; Vandy Cameron, a pilot. Nine illustrations that accompanied the original publication of the stories depict the "New Woman" as she was envisaged in her day. The featured writers include Jessie Fauset, Zona Gale, Edith Barnard Delano, and Booth Tarkington. These stories are among the earliest American feminist writings, yet they remain relevant, compelling, even inspiring for readers today. Each story is rooted in some dimension of contemporary feminism and explores topics of continuing importance: solidarity among women, the lives of women of colour and working-class women, sexual harassment, lesbian love, family and marital bonds, and women's relation to paid employment. Female self-discovery, independence and achievement are affirmed throughout. Modern readers should find in these "New Woman" stories not only a significant page of women's history but also enduring heroines.