The Fictional Woman

What are your fictions? Tara Moss has worn many labels in her time, including 'author', 'model', 'gold-digger', 'commentator', 'inspiration', 'dumb blonde', 'feminist' and 'mother', among many others.Now, in her first work of non-fiction, she blends memoir and social analysis to examine the common fictions about women. She traces key moments in her life - from small-town tomboy in Canada, to international fashion model in the 90s, to bestselling author taking a polygraph test in 2002 to prove she writes her own work - and weaves her own experiences into a broader look at everyday sexism and issues surrounding the underrepresentation of women, modern motherhood, body image and the portrayal of women in politics, entertainment, advertising and the media.Deeply personal and revealing, this is more than just Tara Moss's own story. At once insightful, challenging and entertaining, she asks how we can change the old fictions, one woman at a time. 'This book, part memoir, part manifesto, catapults [Tara] into the frontline as a public commentator who demands serious attention. She is a welcome addition to any conversation about social justice, public ethics and the objectification of women, about which she knows a great deal.'  Caroline Baum'a nimbly argued, statistic-laden exploration of the various labels we give women and the impact this has on their lives'  Catherine Keenan, ABC The Drum 'hits its mark with sharp-shooting precision ... Moss' skill is in marshalling the evidence and communicating it in a way that is accessible, warm, open, lucid and passionate ... Moss is a serious thinker'  Dr Clare Wright, The Age 'An engaging mix of personal observation and well-structured argument and reasoning ... one of the most accessible texts on the subject of contemporary feminism, and I have been recommending to everyone I know, both women and men.'  Good Reading 'The most insightful book about women since The Feminine Mystique' Eve Mahlab, AO '