The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is a story that should appeal to many girls because of its sympathetic heroine and its message that girls can do anything boys can. Readers are likely to find the story exciting as they savor Alanna's triumphs in the face of adversity.

By focusing on the heroine's struggle to prove herself in a world that is dominated by men, Pierce directly attacks notions of stereotyped sex roles that still exist in our own society. Alanna finds that she must choose between becoming the prince's wife or keeping her own independence. It will also be noted that Alanna is sexually active in this story. Although there are no explicit sex scenes, Pierce does touch briefly on the subject of birth control, and begins to explore Alanna's growing love for two very different men: Prince Jonathan and George Cooper, the King...