Taking his lead from Thomas Hardy, who over 100 years ago published ' A group of Noble Dames' - a series of portraits of gentry he admired - Kellner has compiled his own group of noble dames, none of whom are made noble by their parentage, but rather by their own achievements. Including such personalities as Alice B. Toklas, Marguerite Young and Fritzi Scheff, these candid and affectionate portraits all touch on the importance and influence of these women to and on the author. Though all different in how they evoke the woman, from each essay an arresting figure emerges.