Ursula Krechel portrays pioneers who have set standards in their fields with both wisdom and poetry: groundbreaking and extraordinary women from art and science, whom we follow through the centuries, from Bettina von Armin to Ingeborg Bachmann, Vicki Baum, and Friederike Mayröcker. While we may recognize the names of these impressive pioneers, we know little about their powerful life stories. All of these women sought to assert themselves; they wanted to explore what they discovered within themselves and in the world. They stood at a beginning that empowered those who came after them and continues to empower them to this day.