She Knew She Was Right: Classic Women's Short Stories

A galvinizing collection of stories, each featuring a courageous woman at its centre. These are women to cheer on and admire for being their own person, rebelling and fighting back.

She Knew She Was Right brings together a diverse cast of heroines. There are those who defy social convention, such as Nadya in Chekhov’s 'Betrothed', who turns her back on the safety of marriage to pursue a university education. Whilst some are quietly tenacious, like the widowed Mrs Mantsey in Edith Wharton’s moving story, others are flamboyantly rebellious; the mischievous Lady Carlotta brazenly poses as a governess in Saki’s hilarious tale, and Mary Wilkins Freeman’s 'The Old Maid Aunt' pokes fun at a tired stereotype.

Other heroines harness the power of magic to get what they want, and in stories by Maupassant and Zora Neale Hurston, women are motivated by grief and trauma to take action. United in their defiance of societal norms, these women — whether boldly subversive or quietly resolute — stand as a testament to the power of taking control.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, cloth-bound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

The stories in She Knew She Was Right have been selected and introduced by Becky Brown.