The real cowgirls of the North American West own their experiences as women who usually have both hands on the reins all day and occasionally have both hands on the typewriter. For a century and more, cowgirls have participated in ranch and rodeo life on the western plains of North America. Now Cowgirls rounds up one hundred years of stories from famous and infamous cowgirls. Some cowgirls in this book live quiet lives on the range; others are better known in the rodeo arena. Some are well-known writers, others barely published. From running cattle sales and management companies to last-minute branding and bread-making, what bonds all of them is the honesty of real cowgirls, who ride and write the western range.