In this collection, women tell in their own words how they survived life in the Western U.S. and whet the reader's appetite to know more. From aboriginal myth to journal entry to poetry to personal letters and more, the selections show what women's lives were really like on the cutting edges of custom and civilization, or the lack thereof. Together, the selections give a sense of the same-but-different paradox, that through the centuries these women faced similar challenges in a variety of locales. Their writings are revealing, emotional, and straightforward, even about the harshest conditions of life and death that they face.The book's chronological arrangement makes finding specific material easy and generates a natural flow from piece to piece, which would also make it handy as a supplemental reader in a women's studies course. The length of each selection lends itself to reading as few or as many as time allows in your favorite comfy chair or on your commute.