The top 10 short stories of all time written by American female authors.<p><p>Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations people and experiences with a sweep of landscape narration feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.<p><p>In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author? <p><p>The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics newly told to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.<p><p>Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.<p><p>Across the continent women are determined independent and with a force to change all that is around them but the odds are always against them. In literary terms though they made things change. Different outcomes were both achievable and believable. To this day their talents still emblazon our heritage with stories of sumptuous worth.<p>1 - The Top 10 - The American Women - An Introduction<p>2 - The Brothers by Louisa May Alcott<p>3 - On The Gulls Road by Willa Cather<p>4 - Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin<p>5 - The Stones of the Village by Alice Dunbar-Nelson<p>6 - A New England Nun by Mary Elizabeth Wilkins Freeman<p>7 - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman<p>8 - A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell<p>9 - A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett<p>10 - Here We Are by Dorothy Parker<p>11 - Souls Belated by Edith Wharton