The Discovery of Jeanne Baret

I felt like I was seeing and experiencing the world through Jeanne Baret's eyes in this completely engaging narrative of the first woman to travel around the world at a time when women were not even supposed to be allowed on ships. This peasant herb woman, Jeanne, passed herself off as the male assistant to a French botanist tasked with identifying and collecting flora & fauna on a planned voyage of discovery and exploration around the world. This deception was necessary because naval rules and social/class etiquette forbade women on ships–not only because they were deemed unable to survive sea voyages, but also because they were bad luck.

I was fascinated by this book and finished it with a greater appreciation and awareness of what the history of sea exploration involved and the history of women in science as well as their exclusion. For me, a book is especially noteworthy if it makes me want to read more on the subject and follow more trails of curiosity that spring up. This story has created that need for me and I would suggest it to anyone with even the slightest interest in reading “history that reads like a novel”.

Note: The book was suggested through the excellent botanical art & education blog, ArtPlantae Today. ArtPlantae Today Blog