A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains

by Isabella L. Bird, Mint Editions (Contribution by)

Overview

Women were scarce enough in the West of the late nineteenth century, and a middle-aged English lady traveling alone, by horseback, was a real phenomenon. It was during the autumn and early winter of 1873 that Isabella Bird made this extended tour of the Rocky Mountain area of Colorado, when she was on her way back to England from the Sandwich Islands. What she called "no region for tourists and women" is today a popular resort, though some of the back trails retain their inaccessibility and wild aspect.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513274300
Publisher:	Mint Editions
Publication date:	05/07/2021
Series:	Mint Editions (The Natural World)
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	170
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Isabella Bird (1831-1904) was a British writer, explorer, photographer, and naturalist. Born in Yorkshire, Bird suffered from a spinal ailment from a young age. On her doctor’s recommendation, Bird’s parents facilitated an adventurous life for their young daughter, traveling throughout Scotland, educating her in botany and other scientific subjects, and teaching her to ride horses. These experiences and her need for exercise and fresh air inspired a life of adventure. Bird travelled to America in 1854, writing letters home that would form the material for her first book, An Englishwoman in America (1856). In 1872, Bird sailed to Australia and Hawaii before journeying to Colorado, where she explored over 800 miles of the Rocky Mountains and began her most famous work of travel literature, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879). In 1878, she traveled to Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam before returning to Britain to marry Dr. John Bishop, a surgeon. When he died in 1886, leaving Bird a large inheritance, she left home once more to explore India, Persia, Kurdistan, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. After years on the road as a missionary and healthcare worker, having achieved success and popularity as a travel writer and photographer, Bird was made the first woman member of the Royal Geographical Society in 1892.

Table of Contents

Prefatory note; 1. Lake Tahoe; 2. A lady's 'get-up'; 3. A temple of Morpheus; 4. A plague of flies; 5. A dateless day; 6. A bronco mare; 7. Personality of Long's Peak; 8. Estes Park; 9. 'Please ma'ams'; 10. A white world; 11. Tarryall Creek; 12. Deer Valley; 13. The blight of mining; 14. A dismal ride; 15. A whisky slave; 16. A harmonious home; 17. Woman's mission.

Editorial Reviews

Venture deep into the Colorado wilderness, and you will find her long-lasting legacy in the community of people choosing to live a life without limits . . . Isabella inspired a generation of Victorian women to dare to be bold, and her spirit lives on—Ruby Wax, Guardian

There never was anybody who had adventures as well as Miss Bird—Spectator

This book is an unputdownable record of a truly astounding journey—Dervla Murphy, Irish Times

The adventure inspired her travel book, A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains, which became my bible as we revered this incredible woman in the Colorado wilderness—Ruby Wax, Guardian

A forty-something British woman rode for 800 miles through the Rockies, consorting with pioneers, consumptives and desperadoes as she went. The result was A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains, an instant bestseller at the time, and a classic of travel literature to this day—Independent

There never was anybody who had adventures as well as Miss Bird—SPECTATOR

This book is an unputdownable record of a truly astounding journey—Dervla Murphy, Irish Times

From the Publisher