Elizabeth Black 's 'Herstory' is a novel with many references to history, which is feminist in tone, questioning the self- sacrifice of women who wish to be loved more than anything in the world. Protagonist Barbara feels that her own personal history has come to a position of hiatus. She knows that she has been too gullible- her partner has abandoned her to fulfil his fantasy mission of finding gold on a desert island, and she longs for his return. She has been left in London to fend for herself. Her days are lived with a sense of foreboding. Her lonely, agonising wait feels terrifying initially, as she tries to grapple with major life changes while adapting to being alone.
Barbara is an historian, yet she gradually gains an awareness that she has lived in the past for too long. Through writing e-mails to her partner Toby, she begins to become more aware of herself as a woman, looking into her needs rather than his, yet she feels pain and sorrow at the changes she has had to embrace. She begins to fall in love with Napoleon's letters to Josephine as she starts on her journey to find the true meaning of love. His words resonate in her heart, bringing hope to her that love can be part of her life once more, if only she can teach Toby how to love her. The linguistics of love are explored as Barbara writes her e-mails.
Barbara feels emotionally crippled , yet she begins to find inner peace as she cathartically releases her feelings through her e-mails. She tries to find a way out of her solitude by attempting to lure Toby back. However, he has many flaws, which seem to surface in her mind the more she writes. He always admired her writing ability, so she writes e-mails to him which she feels will appeal to his ego. Honesty and a sense of frustration grip her, as she begins to realise that she has been made to feel like a fool. Her e-mails echo her changing moods, as he learns more about herself. As her independence grows, she exposes Toby's false sense of love. Barbara dresses in historical costumes to make time pass more quickly, as she reflects on their past together.
