''The Woman's Book of Superlatives'' is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

collection written by Singaporean writer

Catherine Lim Catherine Lim Poh Imm (, born 21 March 1942) is a Singaporean fiction author known for writing about Singapore society and of themes of traditional Chinese culture. Hailed as the "doyenne of Singapore writers", Lim has published nine collectio ...

, first published in 1993 by Times Edition Pte Ltd. It is a collection with

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

overtones.

Plot summaries (Stories' order)

*"Prologue: Images": The author writes of the "scorpions" women received instead of the eggs. *"The Enemy": A girl's incipient breast development leads to her being

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...

d by her stepfather. *"For the Gift of a Man's Understanding": A female secretary is

sexually harassed Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...

by her immediate superior. *"Bina": An 11-year-old

child bride ''Child Bride'', also known as ''Child Brides'', ''Child Bride of the Ozarks'' and ''Dust to Dust'' (USA reissue titles), is a 1938

is sold to a lecherous Arab man of 65 for $2,000. *"The Paper Women": A divorcée with a Sterilization Certificate encounters a virgin prostitute with her Virginal Certificate and a Filipino maid with a Certificate of Non-Pregnancy. *"The Rest is Bonus": Meenachi offers food to a shrine goddess for protecting her from

domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

, even though her husband kills her unborn child. *"The Song of Golden Frond": A Chinese bondmaid falls in love with a scholar, and bears witness to the licentiousness in her master's household. *"The Solace of Guilt": 47-year-old Andrew nurses a guilty conscience for causing the death of a Thai child prostitute. *"The Revenge": A mother teaches a daughter to cut off a man's organ for having his way with the daughter. *"The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts": The Feast provides the well-needed food for a homeless woman and her brood of children. *"Transit to Heaven": Feminist author Dora Warren gets a glimpse of women's heaven, who are divided into the E-Station (Egg) and the S-Station (Scorpion).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woman's Book of Superlatives, The 1993 short story collections Singaporean short story collections