Every Woman Has a Story: Many Voices, Many Lessons, Many Lives

The subject matter of this originally self-published collection of unvarnished short personal stories and poems will resonate with many women. Underhill, who selected these pieces from more than 500 submissions, looked for moving expressions of a woman's joys, fears and pain. The stories cover such milestones as a chance reunion with a high school classmate, marriage, pregnancy, motherhood and coming to terms with aging. Many stories have an upbeat tone, such as Linda Dietrick's description of how she finally found a good relationship in ""Falling in Love--Again."" Others write about overcoming adversity, as in Paula E. Buford's account of her battle against gender prejudice at an all-male conference in ""Fighting Discrimination with Dignity."" A few contributions also present a darker view. Lisa M. Cheater's ""The Visit"" provides a harrowing account of a dysfunctional family, and Kimberly Luxenberg's ""Dark Side of Genius"" addresses the destructive power of drugs and alcohol. Although the writing iss often mediocre, the aim of most pieces is true. Agent: Jillian Manus. Major ad/promo; first serial to Woman's Day. (May)