J. M. Barrie 
What Every Woman Knows (Annotated) 

  • This edition includes the following editor’s introduction:
The traumatic life of J. M. Barrie, source of universal creativity



First produced in 1908, “What Every Woman Knows” is a four-act play written by Scottish author J. M. Barrie, appeared four years after his more famous work
Peter Pan. Written before women’s suffrage, the play posits that ‘every woman knows’ she is the invisible power responsible for the successes of the men in her life.

“What Every Woman Knows” is considered one of Barrie’s most realistic and important theatrical works. Graced with bursts of sly wit and dramatic irony, it will delight all readers and theatre lovers alike.



“What Every Woman Knows”  is social satire set in England and Scotland during the early 20th century. The story centres around plain, spinsterish Maggie Wylie and John Shand, an ambitious young student, who promises to marry Maggie after five years if she agrees and if her family pays for his education. Years later, following his successful bid for a seat in Parliament, Shand keeps his word, but trouble lies ahead…. Attractive woman are drawn to the Scottish politician — in particular, the lovely Lady Sybil Tenterden. Moreover, Shand’s speeches in Parliament, which had won him great popularity for their flashes of humour, begin to suffer when his wife no longer helps write them. Soon, both Shand’s career and marriage are in jeopardy…