A photographer and a New York Times bestsellingnovelist profile 50 women over the age of 50 who have been remarkably successful -- whether in reaching the top of thecorporate ladder, finding fame in politics or the arts, orraising a son to be proud of a single mother -- and revealthe ways that they have prevailed despite daunting obstacles.

Jewels includes well-known and little-known womenalike, from teachers and executives to artists, authors, andentertainers. Among the celebrities profiled in the book areRuby Dee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, S. Epatha Merkerson,and Marion Wright Edelman. Coauthor Connie Briscoe alsoappears here as one of the featured Jewels, telling herinspiring personal story. World-renowned poet, writer,commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovannicontributes an original poem to the book.