Books Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype Mass Market by Clarissa Pinkola Estés (Author)

Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a seminal work that explores the powerful, instinctual nature within women—what Estés terms the "Wild Woman." Using rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and folk stories, the book guides women on a journey to reclaim their natural instincts, creativity, and wisdm, which society often suppresses through rigid roles and expectations.

The book begins with the story of La Loba, the bone collector, who resurrects the wolf woman, symbolizing the revival of lost tribal knowledge and inner wildness. Subsequent tales like Bluebeard highlight the inner and outer predators that threaten a woman’s autonomous nature. Estés emphasizes the importance of cultivating intuition, exploring the dark parts of the psyche, and nurturing one's authentic self despite societal pressures to conform.