In a culture that obsesses over every conceivable determinant of woman’s identity, from physical appearance to marital status, from mothering skills to career potential, the real women behind the societal images often get lost. In Torn, 46 successful, well-educated women have taken on the challenging task of telling it like it is, relaying their stories of how they manage (or not) to balance career and motherhood, professional life with the demands of family. These essays promise to entertain and answer the question asked by every generation of women: is it possible to do it all?