The autobiography begins by introducing a pregnant woman called Rina Pierangeli, who is about to give birth. A man who she was later forced to marry raped Rina. After Sappho by Schwartz provides an account of women's suppression in the late 18th century. For instance, Rina is married to a man she does not love but gives birth to him because she has no choice. As a result, of Rina’s pregnancy, the protagonist Lina Poletti is born. However, Rina is determined to change her life and be independent to design her destiny.
The autobiography follows the life of Lina Poletti and other renowned women in the 18th century and the early 19th century. These renowned women include Radclyffe Hall, Natalie Barney, and Sarah Bernhardt, who relentlessly fight for their rights to achieve freedom of choice and mind. The example of Rina’s forced marriage perfectly illustrates how patriarchal society was in the medieval era. Poletti goes against the odds, and she graduated in 1886 with a medical degree and proves that women will excel in life given equal opportunities. Many women look up to Poletti as their role model because she becomes the first woman to practice as a pathologist in history.
Romaine Brooks is another woman who makes an outstanding contribution to women's freedom. Brooks is a painter, and despite coming from an unprivileged background, she uses her knowledge to change the world through painting and feminist advocacy. Consequently, Wynn Schwartz's piece of literature traces the roots of women’s freedom in history and shows their progressive journey throughout the ages. Schwartz reminds the modern woman that the freedom she enjoys today was fought for by courageous women in history who confronted men head-on while demanding their rights and freedoms.
