Letters From Yellowstone by Diane Smith
I picked up this gem on my summer travels through Yellowstone National Park. If you've never been to see the park in person, put it on your bucket list. Beauty, awe and wonder abound here. I had a tour guide that said every day he's still amazed that the adventurers that first discovered Old Faithful actually decided that this place should be saved for all Americans to enjoy instead of putting a fence up and charging admission.
Set in 1898, the story of scientists and botanists in Yellowstone is told through their letters home. The main character signs as A. E. Bartram, short for Alexandria. The leader of the expedition doesn't know A. E. Bartram is a woman until she appears at camp wearing a dress. Alex is a medical student who longs for something more in her life. Young and still trying to find her way in the world, she follows her dream of studying botany.
Professor Merriman reluctantly allows her into camp and slowly begins to rely on Alex's precise methods of documenting and collecting plant specimens from nature. Alex's family on the other hand is desperate to bring her home. A woman had no place in such primitive surroundings. She is strong willed and successfully rebuffs all of their attempts to disrupt her studies.
Letters From Yellowstone tells a brilliant historical tale of what life was like at the time. Men in control of the world and women struggling to make their voices heard in society. These pioneer women laid the groundwork for us all. The Yellowstone National Park of their time remains beautiful and pristine today because of their foresight. For that I am truly grateful. As we all should be. Read the book and then go for a visit. You'll be glad you did.
I picked up this gem on my summer travels through Yellowstone National Park. If you've never been to see the park in person, put it on your bucket list. Beauty, awe and wonder abound here. I had a tour guide that said every day he's still amazed that the adventurers that first discovered Old Faithful actually decided that this place should be saved for all Americans to enjoy instead of putting a fence up and charging admission.
Set in 1898, the story of scientists and botanists in Yellowstone is told through their letters home. The main character signs as A. E. Bartram, short for Alexandria. The leader of the expedition doesn't know A. E. Bartram is a woman until she appears at camp wearing a dress. Alex is a medical student who longs for something more in her life. Young and still trying to find her way in the world, she follows her dream of studying botany.
Professor Merriman reluctantly allows her into camp and slowly begins to rely on Alex's precise methods of documenting and collecting plant specimens from nature. Alex's family on the other hand is desperate to bring her home. A woman had no place in such primitive surroundings. She is strong willed and successfully rebuffs all of their attempts to disrupt her studies.
Letters From Yellowstone tells a brilliant historical tale of what life was like at the time. Men in control of the world and women struggling to make their voices heard in society. These pioneer women laid the groundwork for us all. The Yellowstone National Park of their time remains beautiful and pristine today because of their foresight. For that I am truly grateful. As we all should be. Read the book and then go for a visit. You'll be glad you did.
No comments:
Post a Comment