No Place for a Lady: Tales of Adventurous Women Travellers

Sharn Griffin is an associate editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual.

No Place for a Lady presents the fascinating stories of women travellers
from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Most of the women kept diaries
and sent many letters home. Some published books about their adventures
that sold extremely well and helped to fund more travels.

In the introduction, Hodgson debunks the notion that all women from
earlier centuries led highly restrictive lives, rarely leaving the home,
let alone traveling the world. The rest of her well-written book is
divided into geographic areas. The intrepid travelers who populate its
beautifully illustrated pages braved adventures that would have daunted
any man, and they shared their experiences with the reading public at
home. Their stories provide an entertaining way to learn about different
times and cultures.