What happens when women step out of line and take control of their own stories? Big fears, small frustrations, and the power of hope collide as seven award-winning authors explore the possibilities. From demanding equal pay to resisting a genetically engineered future, this collection offers up visions that are grimly funny, deeply touching, and chillingly conceivable.

THIS TELLING, by Cheryl Strayed, read by Kristen Bell

A genealogy test sparks a woman’s reflection on the two accounts of her life - the real one and the one she’s always told the world - in this poignant short story by the bestselling author of Wild.

GRACEFUL BURDENS, by Roxane Gay, read by Samira Wiley

From the New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist comes an unforgettable tale of nightmarish bureaucracy in which genetic profiling has redefined the “unfit mother.”

SWEET VIRGINIA, by Caroline Kepnes, read by Kristen Bell

What’s a woman to do when she fails to live up to feminine ideals? It depends on what she’s willing to give up in this dark rom-com dream by the bestselling author of You.

THE CONTRACTORS, by Lisa Ko, read by Lea Salonga

A split-screen view of the tech industry’s underbelly - and the unifying campaign of two distant women seeking to expose their employer - from the award-winning author of The Leavers.

HALFWAY TO FREE, by Emma Donoghue, read by Samira Wiley

Raising a family is the ultimate luxury as the human race teeters on the brink of extinction in this modern nightmare by Emma Donoghue, the bestselling author of Room.

BEAR WITNESS, by Mary Gaitskill, read by Margo Martindale

In the wake of a brutal crime, three people cross paths in this unflinching deconstruction of moral uncertainty, shifting perceptions, and sexual violence, from the critically acclaimed author of Bad Behavior.

SHINE, PAMELA! SHINE!, by Kate Atkinson, read by Gwendoline Christie

Thoroughly divorced but ever the optimist, Pamela faces the realities of aging and the leaps of faith required to put a “sparkle” on her daily life in this small miracle of a short story by the bestselling author of Life After Life.

Reader Reviews

Melody Morgan

(5/5)

Apr 27, 2025

Amazon may be an evil capitalist machine, but this collection is pretty fantastic. Thought-provoking, each story with its own merits.

Shaneka Knight

(3/5)

3.5 My first amazon series

Debbie

(4/5)

"This Telling" by Cheryl Strayed: 4 stars. A really solid story about a girl who gives up a daughter to adoption."Graceful Burdens" by Roxane Gay: 4.5 stars. One of my favorites in this entire collection. Gay writes of a dystopian future where reproduction is tightly regulated based on someone's genetic fitness, and women who aren't deemed good enough to have children can check out a baby from the library."Sweet Virginia" by Caroline Kepnes: 2 stars. MC was awful, ending was weird. Nothing reall...

Amy Mobley

(2/5)

Prompt 44: an anthology

Darcy

2.75I picked this up because of Roxane Gay's contribution as Difficult Women is one of my favourite books of hers. Gay's story was definitely the highlight of the collection. The other stories' premises were gripping but their execution left something wanting.

Andrea

Really great authors included in this collection but the overall result is lackluster.

Maureen

These stories were … fine. Some intriguing concepts, but mostly underdeveloped. Nice quick reads though. I read these on kindle rather than listening on audible, so I missed out on the famous narrators.“This Telling” - Cheryl Strayed - 3.5*s“Graceful Burdens” - Roxane Gay - 4*s“Sweet Virginia” - Caroline Kepnes - 2*s“The Contractors” - Lisa Ko - 3*s“Halfway to Free” - Emma Donoghue - 3.5 *s“Bear Witness” - Mary Gaitskill - 3*s“Shine, Pamela! Shine!” - Kate Atkinson - 2.5*s

Maria Torsney

Most were really compelling stories, but a few were...not so much.

Erin M

I did not enjoy this collection. The 3 stars is only for the Roxane Gay piece; the rest were really not great. I was expecting this to be much more engaging with the lineup of contributors and the content focus, but...meh.

Megan

I loved these short stories. There are such interesting variations on the theme of what happens when women step out of line and take control of their own stories. The stories ranged from historic, to modern, futuristic, and sci-fi. I read the Kindle versions but I bet the Audible narrations are excellent and I may listen to those at some point. I love this kind of original series from Amazon and hope they do more of these.

Amanda Anais

Solid collection - some realistic science fiction, mostly just really solid fiction. Loved This Telling (Cheryl Strayed), Graceful Burdens (Roxane Gay), and Bear Witness (Mary Gaitskill). The other stories were good too - but, this was the highlight. This is an audible audiobook, and I really enjoyed all the readers as well.

Joy

My favorite stories were Graceful Burdens and Halfway to Free!

Elizabeth A

I reviewed each story of this collection individually. Overall, a good collection of short stories written by women exploring interesting themes. Some are set in a dystopian world, others are not. In all of them the central women characters have tough choices - though not necessarily the agency needed.I listened to these stories on audio, and would recommend not reading the blurbs as they spoil letting the tales reveal as they would.THIS TELLING, by Cheryl Strayed, read by Kristen Bell - 3 stars...

Helen Kollin Fichtel

I read the individual stories, not listened to the audiobook, but it seemed wrong to list them as seperate books as they're so short.I love short stories; I'm making it a goal this year to read a lot more of them. This was a great way to try out some new authors that I hadn't read before. The stand-out stories for me were The Contractors by Lisa Ko and the absolutely stunning This Telling by Cheryl Strayed. But they were all good writing and I enjoyed reading all of them.The Contractors by Lisa

Melissa

It feels like this collection couldn't decide if it actually wanted to be feminist or not.

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Out of Line: Women on the Verge of a Breakthrough

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