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The main themes of the book are the portraits of old Warsaw (1864-1939) sketched by Polish female writers, and their depictions of the experiences of women in the city space. The author invites the reader to engage with women's novels, short stories, reportages and editorials relating to the capital city, produced between the fall of the January Uprising and the beginning of World War II. The subject of the study are the works by fifteen writers, from Eliza Orzeszkowa and Maria Konopnicka, to Pola Gojawiczyńska and Magdalena Samozwaniec. The book analyses the ways in which the texts, dating from a period rich in important civilisational changes, reflect the development of the metropolis and the progressive emancipation of women. It also focuses on how their heroines from different social strata negotiate their presence and roles in the public sphere. Warsaw is seen in the study both as a generic example of a modern city, and as a specific space, with its characteristic history and topography. The author consults contexts from various areas of the Humanities, with a particular focus on varsavianist contexts. The gender perspective allows for a highlighting of issues previously not covered in the research on the city and literature.

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