Authors Laurdella Foulkes-Levy and Burt J. Levy provide a wealth of insight into the life of this significant feminist composer of the twentieth-century. The work surveys her compositions written through 2001, and recounts many of the subject's anecdotes as told to the authors, revealing much about the origins of Van de Vate's compositions, moral views, and musical theory. After tracing Van de Vate's tumultuous life experiences including a divorce, remarriage, professorships at numerous American Universities, and eventual settlement in Austria, the Levys undertake a close examination of the composer's musical works. Accompanying the analyses are musical examples from the composer's large repertoire of scores. An audio CD containing five of Van de Vate's larger works as well as portions of her lesser-known compositions further enhance the book. With two bibliographies and three helpful appendixes, this work will be of interest to scholars of 20th Century music and those specializing in women's studies.