Bessie Head, Botswana's preeminent writer, and Ngugiwa Thiong'd, one of the most significant East African writers, explore African cultures at the intersection of tradition and modernity, colonialism and independence. Their four stories are linked by their portrayals of women who fight not only to survive, but to succeed on their own terms as they demand the right to marry or not, to earn a living, and, most importantly, to be respected.