"The women who were chosen for this book are remarkable because they are women, not in spite of it," writes author Erin H. Turner in her introduction to MORE THAN PETTICOATS: Remarkable California Women. Indeed, the ten women presented here, all born before the twentieth century, were extraordinary not because they took on male roles but because they blazed their own trails and became a part of California"s history. Meet Sarah Winchester, the mastermind behind an amazing mystery house; Isadora Duncan, one of the founders of modern dance; Dorothea Lange, a celebrated documentary photographer; and Tye Leung Schulze, who quietly defended the rights of California"s Chinese citizens. Just as the state of California is diverse and unique so too are the ten remarkable women in this book. Their lasting contributions are chronicled her in absorbing, historical biographies.