'Take your broken heart and make it into art,' said Carrie Fisher. But is it that easy?

Jessie Thompson grew up on the works - and the myths - of Louisa May Alcott, Nancy Mitford, Sylvia Plath, Nora Ephron and Carrie Fisher. They helped her navigate everything from early heartbreak to starting her career to motherhood.

These authors took the defining moments of their lives and turned them into beloved novels that have given comfort and guidance to generations of readers. But in order to do so, they faced resistance - from society, critics and sometimes even the people closest to them.

In novels like The Bell Jar, Heartburn and Little Women, these five authors reshaped popular culture. The Main Character is a warm, witty celebration of their legacies that explores how literature can help us understand ourselves - and invent new selves, too. It asks urgent questions about how women should write, live, take up space and break the rules.