You were born with instincts you no longer trust. Not lost — muffled. Estés calls that self the Wild Woman, and argues she is still in there.
A Jungian analyst reads old tales — Bluebeard, Vasalisa, La Loba — as maps of the female psyche. New York Times bestseller. Over 2.7 million copies sold.
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"This is like a bible and a rite of passage for every woman. You have to read it to understand the symbolism of every word. Incredible."
✔ Sarah C. ★★★★★
"Such a fantastic piece of writing. Super enjoyable, and an insight into a world we should access if we can."
✔ Rebecca L. ★★★★★
"An old book that has stood the test of time. Full of wisdom. Highly recommended for all women to read."
✔ Susan S. ★★★★★
Estés tells the story first — Bluebeard, Vasalisa, the Handless Maiden — in full, the way it would be told aloud. Then she goes back through it as a psychologist, taking the parts one at a time and reading them as things that happen inside a woman. Each chapter works on its own, which is why people dip back in for years.
Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a Jungian analyst and a cantadora, a keeper of the old stories in her own family traditions. That combination is what makes the book unusual: the tales are not illustrations chosen to fit a theory, they are stories she was raised inside, read afterwards through twenty years of clinical practice.
Worth knowing before you order. The prose is dense and it rewards going slowly — most readers take months rather than a weekend, and many describe reading a chapter and then sitting with it. If you want something you can get through on a flight, this is not that book.
Not a self-help book with exercises, and not a fairy tale collection. There is nothing to complete and no programme to follow. It is closer to a long conversation with an analyst who keeps telling you stories, and the work happens in the recognising rather than in any instruction.
First published in 1992 and never out of print since. A New York Times bestseller, over 2.7 million copies sold, and chosen for Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf book club. The Washington Post Book World called it a deeply spiritual book that honours what is tough, smart and untamed in women.
Dispatched within 1 to 2 business days with tracking emailed as soon as it ships. Free shipping on all orders.
30 days from delivery. If it isn’t what you were after, contact us for a full refund.
This book is worth reading. She has compiled storytelling from different cultures that gives us an amazing insight into the wild woman in all of us. The first chapter may seem drawn out — just keep reading.
Tess C.✔Verified customerReading some people’s reviews, I can tell this book is simply not for everyone. In my opinion, you have to be at a certain point in your journey for it to resonate or make sense.
To me, this book is a gem. I don’t remember the last time a book had such an impact on me. I started reading it at the most perfect time too. Thank you, Clarissa, for writing this book.
Sofia S.✔Verified customerPinkola Estés’ message is that we all need to trust our gut, connect to our wild woman spirit, our creativity and inner knowing. Wonderfully told through stories from around the world that trace how women can rely on their ancestral strength and wisdom to live free and true to themselves.
Such an enjoyable read, and this edition is well worth the price. It’s gorgeous, the paper is high quality and the printface is wonderful.
Susan S.✔Verified customerA book every woman should read. It took Clarissa Pinkola Estés 30 years to write and in my opinion it is a masterpiece. Coming from a tradition of storytellers, she is a Jungian psychotherapist who collected and rewrote fairy tales, later explained through symbolic keys. Beautiful if you like fairy tales and believe narrative has healing powers.
Maria F.✔Verified customerI am still reading this eye-opening book for female transformation. THIS book should be studied by every woman, to help her uncover the extent to which she is living outside of herself in a society that has spent centuries turning us away from our womanhood, and thus from our power.
It’s not an easy read, and certainly not a book to be read for entertainment if you want to really take something away from it. Every word counts. It has the power to help us transform.
Abby C.✔Verified customerBought this as a gift and it was very well received. It’s a powerful and reflective read, full of deep insights and storytelling that really stays with you. A beautiful choice for anyone who enjoys introspective, thought-provoking books.
Sharon L.✔Verified customer
Every order comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read the first chapter and see whether the register is for you. If it isn’t, contact us for a full refund. No questions asked.
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“Extraordinary book!!!! This book has woken something up in me and is reminding me who I am. This is beyond powerful and it's a book I'm handling with care. I can literally only read this one in small doses because of the power it harnesses to move me and crack open parts and pieces that have been slammed shut.”
Laure P
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“A must read for all — especially women who find support from a sisterhood. I had a very old used paperback copy on my shelf for many years, which I could not read when I wanted to a couple of years ago because of the tiny font. Thank god for a digital version now. A must read for everyone, especially for women trying to make sense of a world out to enslave them in small and big ways.”
Samantha T.
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“Truly, a book has never spoke to every chapter I've ever lived in my life while blowing to bits every question mark I've ever held over myself. I will be gifting this book to every woman in my world, young and old. It's a book for life regardless of gender and a map in your hands that will guide you to all of the parts of your soul ever lost, ever dimmed or ever taken from you.”
Jessica M.Jungian psychology, organised around folk tales. Estés tells a story in full — Bluebeard, Vasalisa, the Handless Maiden — then goes back through it as an analyst, reading each part as something that happens inside a woman. It is not a self-help book and it is not a fairy tale collection, though it looks like both.
Slow rather than hard. The prose is dense and lyrical, and it rewards taking your time — most readers get through it over months, a chapter at a sitting. If you want something to finish on a weekend, this will frustrate you. If you want something to live with, that is exactly what it is.
No. Each chapter takes one story and stands on its own, so you can start with whichever one draws you in and come back to the rest. Many readers keep it on a shelf for years and go back to a particular chapter when something in their life brings them to it.
A Jungian analyst with decades of clinical practice, and a cantadora — a keeper of stories in her own family traditions. That combination is the reason the book is unusual. The tales are not examples chosen to fit a theory; they are stories she grew up inside, read afterwards through the psychology.
It is written for women and about the female psyche, and that is who it speaks to most directly. Men do read it, usually to understand someone rather than themselves. If you are buying it for a woman in your life, that is how most copies are sold.
Orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 business days with tracking emailed as soon as they ship. Free shipping on all orders. You have 30 days from delivery, and if it is not what you were after, contact us for a full refund.
