Book excerpt: Fast Fallen Women includes 75 previously unpublished pieces on the topic of the ways in which women fall-- whether they reach the boundaries of their lives and take flight, whether they stumble, or are pushed over the edge. Holding a compact mirror up to life, given that all the essays are under 750 words, the book bears witness to women's resilience, creativity, and wit as women write about rising up against all odds. With new and original works by Amy Tan, Jane Smiley, Bobbie Ann Mason, Caroline Leavitt, Darien Hsu Gee, Honor Moore, and Lynn Peril, as well as a dazzling range of emerging authors writing from diverse perspectives, ages 20-92, Fast Fallen Women gives whispered conversations a full voice.