An antidote to the idea that being a woman is all about submitting to desire, this collection showcases the voices of 50 women who explore the many other shades, including Alison Bechdel, Jeanette Winterson, Siri Hustvedt, and many more Fifty years after the publication of The Feminine Mystique , have women really exchanged purity and maternity to become desiring machines inspired only by variations of sex, shopping, and masochism--all colored a brilliant neon pink? In this volume, 50 women, young and old--writers, politicians, actors, scientists, mothers--reflect on the shades that inspired them and what being a woman means to them today. Contributors include Tahmima Anam, Joan Bakewell, Bidisha, Lydia Cacho, Shami Chakrabarti, Lennie Goodings, Linda Grant, Natalie Haynes, Siri Hustvedt, Jude Kelly, Kathy Lette, Kate Mosse, Bee Rowlatt, Elif Shafak, Ahdaf Soueif, Meera Syal, Shirley Thompson, Natasha Walter, Jeanette Winterson, and many more.