Birle, the heroine of On Fortune's Wheel, carries a double burden: she is a member of the people who must obey the rulers, and she is a woman who must obey the men in her life. The titles of three sections of the novel emphasize her subservient role. She belongs first to the Innkeeper, then to the Philosopher, and finally to the Earl.

Cynthia Voigt is a contemporary and successful woman, and she introduces the dilemma of establishing a woman's role as her heroine struggles against the limitations of her society. As the innkeeper's daughter, Birle resents the drudgery of her daily chores; as a slave, she is constantly reminded that she has no real options; she recognizes her complete helplessness to save not only herself but also Yul and Orien.

Even at the Earl's court, her options are limited; she is only an accessory. Little...