Women historically have been denigrated as lower than men or viewed as privileged. Dr. Alice von Hildebrand characterizes the difference between such views as based on whether man's vision is secularistic or steeped in the supernatural. She shows that feminism's attempts to gain equality with men by imitation of men is unnatural, foolish, destructive, and self-defeating. The Blessed Mother's role in the Incarnation points to the true privilege of being a woman. Both virginity and maternity meet in Mary who exhibits the feminine gifts of purity, receptivity to God's word, and life-giving nurturance at their highest.

This very short book explores the concept of femininity from a Christian (specifically Catholic) point of view. The author takes issue with the historical perception of women as an inferior sex; rather, she argues, femininity is privileged because the feminine virtues of receptivity, empathy, and sensitivity are what make women naturally able to respond to their call as Christians. The author also criticizes the modern feminist movement insofar as it denies the differences between men and women; rather, she claims, women’s unique qualities make them privileged when viewed in the light of Christianity.

While this book made several good points, it ultimately rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t particularly consider myself a feminist, and I certainly think that there are differences between men and women that go deeper than mere biology, but I didn’t like the book’s treatment of feminism. It seems to lump all feminists into one narrow category and then dismiss all feminist beliefs as antithetical to Christian teaching. The author also makes several assertions about history and sociology that aren’t supported by citations; the book does contain endnotes, but only for certain statements, which I found a little odd. Ultimately, I don’t think this book would convince anyone who didn’t already agree with the author’s premises, and it would probably antagonize the average reader.