Audrey Smedley offers a unique interpretation of the role of women in traditional patrilineal societies. Her research with the Birom people of Nigeria reveals that many of the critical features of patrilyny were in fact invented by women. Her work contributes to the new global studies of women that document the realities of their lives that often contradict current Western assumptions. It is a valuable resource for researchers in anthropological kinship and theory, gender studies, and African studies.