One for the Road: Virago Book of Women Travellers

by Kelly Amabile Oct 27th 2007 @ 2:43PM

Virago is a Latin word for woman, and Virago Press is a U.K. publisher known for its titles written by female authors. Several years back, travel writer Mary Morris (author of River Queen) edited the beautiful Illustrated Virago Book of Women Travellers, which was subsequently released in paperback.

It's a lovely collection of stories by and about some of the greatest female explorers: Gertrude Bell, Freya Stark, Edith Wharton, Leila Philip, Emily Carr and Mary Wollstonecraft (mother of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley.) The book claims to capture "300 years of wanderlust as women travel the world for pleasure and peril." Some things never change, huh? No matter the decade, there have always been adventurous women out there doing their own thing. Nice to see this tribute to some of the bravest from years gone by.

Filed under: Books, One for the Road

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1

Oct 27th 2007 @ 9:12PM

Marilyn Terrell said...

Sounds awesome-- thanks Kelly! I love Freya Stark, and her "Valley of the Assassins" is an amazing adventure through untamed Persia by an intrepid and curious woman in the l930s.

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2

Oct 27th 2007 @ 9:19PM

Kelly Amabile said...

Yes, Marilyn -- Freya is a favorite of mine too. Last year I read a biography about her called Passionate Nomad, and visited her burial site and former home in Asolo, Italy. I wish I could have met her, and some of these other remarkable women.

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