The first half of the novel first appeared in serialized form in the literary magazine Shirakaba , starting from January 1911 and running for 16 episodes to March 1913.

Yōko Satsuki, oldest of three sisters raised by a "progressive" mother at the start of the twentieth century, is strong-willed but capricious.

The journalist is devastated by the brief marriage and divorce, but Yōko feels only contempt for him, and (in the opening of the story), when she sees him on a train, she completely ignores his existence.

Although she only wanted to live her life as an individual not bound by the constrictions imposed by others, Japan at the start of the twentieth century was not the right place or time for such freedom.

A Certain Woman was made into a movie by Shochiku Studios in October 1942, directed by Minoru Shibuya, and starring Kinuyo Tanaka in the role of Yōko (who is named Oshige in the film version).