A woman of courage: The journal of Rose de Freycinet on her voyage around the world, 1817-1820

by Rose de Freycinet

English (translation)
Original French

Hardcover

First published November 30, 1996

Reviews

[Daniel Cradler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very unique book in that it is a journal of an early 19th century around-the-world scientific voyage written by a woman. Rose de Freycinet was an unauthorized crew member on a ship captained by her husband Louis, smuggled on board dressed as a man. The couple did not want to be separated for 3+ years and Rose had the courage and sense of adventure to come along. This journal was not published for 100 years (it takes the form of private letters to a close friend) and then not translated to English for many more decades. Rose's observations are quite keen, especially with regards to the customs of the cultures they encountered. Unlike most other journals from this era, she puts a lot of effort into recording her own thoughts, feelings, and doubts as she faces extreme danger and hardship. It's also clear that she was not merely along for the ride: Rose was a positive force for the health and morale of the crew and she certainly performed her fair share of work over the course of the voyage. This book is also a great source of info on what daily life was like on a ship during the age of sail, as journals written by naval officers tend to omit the more mundane aspects. This particular edition is lavishly illustrated with many color reproductions of artwork from the expedition. A lengthy introduction provides a biography of Rose and Louis and plenty of context so the journal is an easy read.