Elizabeth Gaskell, Kate Chopin, Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Edith Wharton: five women, five writers, five short stories. The common thread that connects these stories is the attempt to portray a female universe in which women strive to be the protagonists of their destiny. Universal themes such as marriage, loss, freedom, and respect fill the intricate maps of their lives. Readers will try to put themselves in the shoes of desperate women seeking control over their lives, despite adverse circumstances.