Bringing to bear a commanding knowledge of Hebrew Scripture, Osherow presents a series of case studies of biblical heroines who engage in poetry and in song. The author investigates how the cultural requirement for feminine silence informs early modern readings of these biblical characters, and furthermore, how they were used to counteract cultural constraints on women's speech. The book's chapters focus on Miriam, Hannah, Deborah, and a feminized King David.

UMI's "Early English books, 1641-1700" series is a microfilm collection of works selected from: Donald Wing's "Short-title catalog of books ... 1641-1700".