I seem to have posts backing up again so look for a few extra in the coming weeks!

At first I wasn't sure just what trail best fit this book. For good or bad, I finally decided it would fit well with my other 'strong women' books.

I wish I knew how I found this book! What was I looking at, or for? James Barry was a prominent doctor in the Victorian Era who at death, was discovered to be a woman. An advocate of cleanliness, better health care for soldiers, the poor, and women, he sparked alot of controversy amongst his peers. He joined the military (no physical for MDs at that time) and served at several posts around the world. He performed one the first successful C-Sections. Why masquerade as a man? Consensus of opinion is that there were few educational/professional options for women. As a man, James could go to medical school, practice medicine and have a job he loved. The Secret Life of Dr. James Barry: Victorian England's Most Eminent Surgeon, by Rachel Holmes is a captivating look at the life of this most unusual person. You can find many interesting articles on line, too. :-)

Now, this book I know exactly how it came to me! It was a gift from a good friend with similar reading interests. :-) It started with an article in Mushing Magazine about a man named Slim Williams and his work as a trail blazer on what became the Alaska Highway. An unusually harsh winter left him with frostbitten lungs and he had gone to stay with family in California. It was there he met the young woman he eventually married, as well as her sister, who would live with them for a few years. They wrote of their experiences in Sisters: Coming of Age & Living Dangerously in the Wild Copper River Valley, by Samme Gallaher & Aileen Gallaher. Aileen moved from Fresno to a remote cabin, with no running water, an outhouse, no electricity ... and loved it! She learned to shoot, drive a dog team, helped build several cabins and survived in terrible conditions. When her sister joins them, she too, comes to love Alaska. A wonderful memoir of a life foreign to many of us!

There have been some amazing women in the history of Washington State. Read about many of them in More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington Women, by L.E. Bragg. In her introduction the author said she wanted her collection of short biographies to be ethnically and geographically diverse and indeed, the women are just that and more. Check out the "shocking climbing outfit" of Fay Fuller, the first women to reach the top of Mount Rainer (remember, though, this was in 1890) ;-). Read about the cow who guided boats to the dock in the fog and how her owner Thea Foss was afraid of water. (Think Foss tugboats). Lots of interesting stuff here. :-)

Other books on strong women may be found on the posts of May 31, June 2, and November 7 of 2015.

Reading Hermit With Dog