A Woman's Education

Book excerpt: The beloved bestselling author of The Road from Coorain and True North continues her remarkable autobiography with an account of her decade as the first woman president of Smith College–a time when she was faced with the challenge of reinventing women’s education and with the demands of her own life. Conway took on the helm at Smith at the height of exploding culture wars and the rising popularity of coeducation. With the college’s future at stake, she battled conservative faculty, ossified traditions, and doubtful funders to turn Smith into a place committed to preparing young women for the new realities of the future. Through it all, Conway served as an inspiration to thousands of students, while balancing the demands of her public role against the private pressures of coping with her husband’s bipolar disorder. A moving tribute to the value of single-sex education and to one woman’s achievements, A Woman’s Education is sure to become a classic.