It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our greatest writers. But before that, she was just an ordinary girl.

In the 1800s, any women had a difficult time being taken seroiusly as authors. Some got around this by publishing their work under male pen-names---and they proved that gender has nothing to do with being a capable author. Once these women paved the way, other female writers began to take up the pen and write about topics no one else had considered. Uncommon Women: Writers looks at some of these authors and how they set a new standard---not just for...