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Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands
Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands (1857) is the autobiography of a Jamaican woman whose fame rivaled Florence Nightingale's during the Crimean War. Mary Seacole traveled widely before eventually arriving in London, where her offer to volunteer as a nurse in the war was met with racism and refusal. Undaunted, she set out independently to the Crimea, where she acted as doctor and 'mother' to wounded soldiers while running her business, the 'British Hotel'. Told with energy, warmth, and humour, her remarkable life story is a key work of nineteenth-century literarure that provides insights into the history of race politics.
224 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1857
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3968 people want to read
About the author
Mary Seacole
26 books12 followersMary Jane Seacole (1805 - 1881), née Grant, was a Jamaican-born woman of Scottish and Creole descent who set up a 'British Hotel' behind the lines during the Crimean War, which she described as "a mess-table and comfortable quarters for sick and convalescent officers," and provided succour for wounded servicemen on the battlefield. She was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit in 1991. In 2004 she was voted the greatest black Briton.
She acquired knowledge of herbal medicine in the Caribbean. When the Crimean War broke out, she applied to the War Office to assist but was refused. She travelled independently and set up her hotel and assisted battlefield wounded. She became extremely popular among service personnel who raised money for her when she faced destitution after the war.
After her death, she was forgotten for almost a century, but today is celebrated as a woman who successfully combatted racial prejudice.
She acquired knowledge of herbal medicine in the Caribbean. When the Crimean War broke out, she applied to the War Office to assist but was refused. She travelled independently and set up her hotel and assisted battlefield wounded. She became extremely popular among service personnel who raised money for her when she faced destitution after the war.
After her death, she was forgotten for almost a century, but today is celebrated as a woman who successfully combatted racial prejudice.
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January 31, 2021
This book is surprisingly informal and chatty -- I loved the conversational voice and how it humanised the events of the Crimean War. Rather than focus on the political events which, she recognises, her reader will have read about in The Times, she focuses on the tiny domestic details of her career and the incredibly human moments she shared with injured soldiers. Parts are truly moving as she remembers those who were lost.
I only gave it three stars because, despite its perks, I didn't exactly enjoy reading it. There were melancholy moments that made me pause and stare (and I appreciated these greatly), but the lack of a real plot meant that I could quite easily have put it down at any point. This obviously makes sense because it's an autobiography and real life is not as formulaic and well-planned as fiction, but it did interfere with the enjoyment of the book for me -- and more so than with contemporary autobiographies I have read.
Nonetheless, given its important role in pop culture and important questions it raises about English and American responsibility in the slave trade, I would recommend it.
I only gave it three stars because, despite its perks, I didn't exactly enjoy reading it. There were melancholy moments that made me pause and stare (and I appreciated these greatly), but the lack of a real plot meant that I could quite easily have put it down at any point. This obviously makes sense because it's an autobiography and real life is not as formulaic and well-planned as fiction, but it did interfere with the enjoyment of the book for me -- and more so than with contemporary autobiographies I have read.
Nonetheless, given its important role in pop culture and important questions it raises about English and American responsibility in the slave trade, I would recommend it.
April 11, 2017
SOMEONE GET LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA ON THE LINE, BECAUSE I'VE DISCOVERED AN AMAZING HISTORICAL FIGURE IN NEED OF A MUSICAL!
Excuse me for yelling, but truly guys, this incredible woman doesn't deserve to be forgotten like this. Because while Florence Nightingale is nowadays known as the classic example of a hard working nurse, Mary Seacole as a POC deserves to get the same fame.
'Mother' Mary Seacole (1805-1881) did what very little women in her time and age ever could: make a name for herself. She explored the field of medication by using both western- and eastern techniques, she broaded the role of nursing by adding hygiene and after-care as a vital part of the treatment, and was able to publish an auto-biography in England in 1857.
All of that is incredible enough, but even more since she was a mixed-race woman who worked and lived in a world where racism was the norm. The color of her skin got her kicked off boats and brought people to the streets when she was in Greece, but Mary didn't care about that. She had patients to cure.
-> A quick introduction to Mary's life can be found here on Youtube, but if you rather read, here's a quick summary:
This biography, combined with the introduction written by Corry Staring-Derks* , a Dutch nurse and historian herself, told me all I wanted to know about mother Seacole and more. Staring-Derks really has done her research and doesn't only spend chapters explaining the life of Mary Seacole herself, but also on the history of Jamaica as an English colony, and on the status of the medical field of 1800. Because while Eastern- as the Western- doctors had knowledge of medications, they both had little ideas on the best way to treat a patient.
The first (woman) one who did have ideas was the famous Florence Nightingale, which whom I was unfamiliar with until this book. Staring-Derks brings her up as a 'colleague' or 'rival' of Mary Seacole since both women had very opposite ideas on the subject of patient-treatment. Nightingale was focused on running a hospital and training nurses, while Seacole thought that tending to a patients with love and medicine was the most important job of a nurse. Staring-Derks shows her qualities as a critical historian by not choosing a side but by paying attention to Florence's as Mary's strenghts and flaws.
(*: I read this biography in Dutch, but since the edition by Corry-Staring-Derks (published in 2007) isn't available on Goodreads, I choose the edition closest in publication date.)
Mary's biography follows after the introduction, and although her story reads easily and is never dull, it doesn't tell us much about the woman herself. Mary focuses on telling the English people about her work as a nurse in Jamaica, Panama and the Crimea, and keeps reminding people of her English heritage. You can also read this in her writing-style, which is dignified and filled with proper, complicated words.
Mary also rarely mentions the subject of racism while in truth the color of her skin often worked against her; however, Staring-Derks is smart to point out that this is likely done to appease Mary's public. Although she saved a lot of English soldiers, Mary was a poor, mixed-race woman, opposed to white, upper-class Florence Nightingale. It's sad but easy to understand who remained famous after their death.
So in conclusion: this biography was a great introduction to a very remarkable woman. I was very impressed by both Corry Staring-Derks research and Mary Seacole's own story, and the combination of the two gives this book 5 stars . As a last hommage to Mary, and due to the fact that I listened to the Hamilton-soundtrack a lot this summer, I'll leave you with this re-write, and the recommendation to discover this woman as well.
Excuse me for yelling, but truly guys, this incredible woman doesn't deserve to be forgotten like this. Because while Florence Nightingale is nowadays known as the classic example of a hard working nurse, Mary Seacole as a POC deserves to get the same fame.
'Mother' Mary Seacole (1805-1881) did what very little women in her time and age ever could: make a name for herself. She explored the field of medication by using both western- and eastern techniques, she broaded the role of nursing by adding hygiene and after-care as a vital part of the treatment, and was able to publish an auto-biography in England in 1857.
All of that is incredible enough, but even more since she was a mixed-race woman who worked and lived in a world where racism was the norm. The color of her skin got her kicked off boats and brought people to the streets when she was in Greece, but Mary didn't care about that. She had patients to cure.
-> A quick introduction to Mary's life can be found here on Youtube, but if you rather read, here's a quick summary:
Mary Seacole, the daughter of an Creole mother and a Scottish general, was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1805. From a young age she wanted to explore the world, especially the land of her father, and find a place where she could use her talents as a nurse. But not only that; Mary was also a great business woman. While she travelled all across Jamaica and Panama, she opened up hotels where she sold good food alongside medical care.
Still, her work during the Crimean War (1853-1856) got her the most fame. When she read in the papers that the English soldiers were dying en masse because of cholera and diarrhea, she packed up her stuff and took a boat to the Crimea. There, Mary set up a hotel like the ones in Jamaica and Panama and became known because she sold English wares and because of her professional medical treatments.
This biography, combined with the introduction written by Corry Staring-Derks* , a Dutch nurse and historian herself, told me all I wanted to know about mother Seacole and more. Staring-Derks really has done her research and doesn't only spend chapters explaining the life of Mary Seacole herself, but also on the history of Jamaica as an English colony, and on the status of the medical field of 1800. Because while Eastern- as the Western- doctors had knowledge of medications, they both had little ideas on the best way to treat a patient.
The first (woman) one who did have ideas was the famous Florence Nightingale, which whom I was unfamiliar with until this book. Staring-Derks brings her up as a 'colleague' or 'rival' of Mary Seacole since both women had very opposite ideas on the subject of patient-treatment. Nightingale was focused on running a hospital and training nurses, while Seacole thought that tending to a patients with love and medicine was the most important job of a nurse. Staring-Derks shows her qualities as a critical historian by not choosing a side but by paying attention to Florence's as Mary's strenghts and flaws.
(*: I read this biography in Dutch, but since the edition by Corry-Staring-Derks (published in 2007) isn't available on Goodreads, I choose the edition closest in publication date.)
Mary's biography follows after the introduction, and although her story reads easily and is never dull, it doesn't tell us much about the woman herself. Mary focuses on telling the English people about her work as a nurse in Jamaica, Panama and the Crimea, and keeps reminding people of her English heritage. You can also read this in her writing-style, which is dignified and filled with proper, complicated words.
Mary also rarely mentions the subject of racism while in truth the color of her skin often worked against her; however, Staring-Derks is smart to point out that this is likely done to appease Mary's public. Although she saved a lot of English soldiers, Mary was a poor, mixed-race woman, opposed to white, upper-class Florence Nightingale. It's sad but easy to understand who remained famous after their death.
So in conclusion: this biography was a great introduction to a very remarkable woman. I was very impressed by both Corry Staring-Derks research and Mary Seacole's own story, and the combination of the two gives this book 5 stars . As a last hommage to Mary, and due to the fact that I listened to the Hamilton-soundtrack a lot this summer, I'll leave you with this re-write, and the recommendation to discover this woman as well.
[Thomas Day]
How does a bastard, orphan, daughter of a nurse and a
Scotsman, born in a English
colony in the Caribbean by providence
in foulness, and divergent
Grow up to be a doctress and a merchant?
[Alexis Soyer]
The mighty mother from a Creole mother
Got famous by working harder than any other
By being more successful than her brother
By nurturing among the pother
By eighteen, she brought her Jamaican wares to London
For the English to discover
[Florence Nightingale]
And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted
Away across the waves, she struggled and kept her hopes up
Inside, she was longing for a place to belong and thrive
The sister was ready to travel far to keep her sons alive
[Edwin Seacole]
Then Cholera came, and devastation spread
A woman saw her people and family die in their bed
But she dried her tears and fought the foul beast
She tended to the sick by a combo of West and East
[William Russell]
Well, the word got around, they said, “This woman is a saint, man”
Black and white patients got cured under her treatment plan
Her brave adventures in the Crimea gave her true fame, but
sadly the world forgot her name, so what’s your name,
Madam?
[Mary Seacole]
I am Mary Seacole
My name is Mary Seacole
And there’re a million men I've not tended to
But just you wait, just you wait…
October 12, 2020
A really interesting read, truly historically fascinating and engaging throughout. I'm very glad I read it and I'd highly recommend it.
February 25, 2018
“Of course, had it not been for my old strong-mindedness (which has nothing to do with obstinacy, and is no way related to it—the best term I can think of to express it being ‘judicious decisiveness’), I should have given up the scheme a score of times in as many days …”
I wondered what adventures a Jamaican woman in the 1850’s might have. I don’t know what I expected exactly, but I didn’t expect this.
Mary Seacole was a wonder; a heroine and larger-than-life character, but at the same time she reminds me of my own very simple, down-to-earth ancestors. Her mother was a Jamaican healer, and her father a Scottish soldier, and it seems she inherited both drives and put them to amazing use.
Her adventurous spirit took her to Panama, where she was disgusted by American manners and California gold seekers. Expanding on the herbal medicine she learned from her mother, she cured many cholera patients, and eventually had to heal herself from the disease.
Later when the Crimean War broke out she longed to be a war nurse, but was turned down so she went on her own. I’m not kidding. She hopped a military transport ship to Balaclava.
“It was an ammunition ship, and we slept over barrels of gunpowder and tons of cartridges, with the by no means impossible contingency of their prematurely igniting, and giving us no time to say our prayers before launching us into eternity.”
While in Crimea, she ran a hotel, ministered to war-wounded, and presided over many a death bed. And all because she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Hers is a remarkable story--high drama, but told in honest, straightforward language. And her “judicious decisiveness” is nothing short of inspiring.
I wondered what adventures a Jamaican woman in the 1850’s might have. I don’t know what I expected exactly, but I didn’t expect this.
Mary Seacole was a wonder; a heroine and larger-than-life character, but at the same time she reminds me of my own very simple, down-to-earth ancestors. Her mother was a Jamaican healer, and her father a Scottish soldier, and it seems she inherited both drives and put them to amazing use.
Her adventurous spirit took her to Panama, where she was disgusted by American manners and California gold seekers. Expanding on the herbal medicine she learned from her mother, she cured many cholera patients, and eventually had to heal herself from the disease.
Later when the Crimean War broke out she longed to be a war nurse, but was turned down so she went on her own. I’m not kidding. She hopped a military transport ship to Balaclava.
“It was an ammunition ship, and we slept over barrels of gunpowder and tons of cartridges, with the by no means impossible contingency of their prematurely igniting, and giving us no time to say our prayers before launching us into eternity.”
While in Crimea, she ran a hotel, ministered to war-wounded, and presided over many a death bed. And all because she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Hers is a remarkable story--high drama, but told in honest, straightforward language. And her “judicious decisiveness” is nothing short of inspiring.
February 10, 2018
4.5/5
It's very hard to contest with a state of things if they've been made to seem that way for forever and a day. The nineteenth-century is case in point: white, white, white, with everyone become a history expert if you slightly beg to differ. There's also the matter of colonialism and lack of Internet at the time rendering the majority of visible stories grinding to the abject, a representation that may go a long way in terms of scope but is not nearly the entirety. Something that's bothered me specifically with this is literature for children and younger adults, which in the 19th century and earlier, to my admittedly blinkered gaze, is white, white, white. More contemporary works are a gift, but there's something to be said for writing whose very existence sticks itself into all the glazed over assumptions of a multifarious century and says, pardon me. Contrary to popular belief, here I am.
It's very hard to contest with a state of things if they've been made to seem that way for forever and a day. The nineteenth-century is case in point: white, white, white, with everyone become a history expert if you slightly beg to differ. There's also the matter of colonialism and lack of Internet at the time rendering the majority of visible stories grinding to the abject, a representation that may go a long way in terms of scope but is not nearly the entirety. Something that's bothered me specifically with this is literature for children and younger adults, which in the 19th century and earlier, to my admittedly blinkered gaze, is white, white, white. More contemporary works are a gift, but there's something to be said for writing whose very existence sticks itself into all the glazed over assumptions of a multifarious century and says, pardon me. Contrary to popular belief, here I am.
Recent news from America bring the intelligence that the Government of the United States has at length succeeded in finding a reasonable excuse for exercising a protectorate over, or in other words annexing, the Isthmus of Panama. To any one at all acquainted with American policy in Central America, this intelligence can give no surprise; our only wonder being that some excuse was not made years ago.Mrs. Mary Seacole makes A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains look like an imperialist walk in the park that didn't too much and came nigh twenty years too late. West Indies? Yep. Central America? Yep. England, Turkey, the infamous historicality of Crimea? Yep, yep, yep. Seacole wasn't some pampered twit in a white coat who rode the parent's financial coat-tales to an MD and thereupon sat back and conducted human experimentation and made bank. You couldn't even find her comparison in the militaries today, what with them all partaking domination rather than warfare between two countries that didn't as much resemble cancerous infection, although the fact that the Crimea War boils down to two different strains of Christianity battering away at each other is rather ludicrous the modern day. Doctors Without Borders fits in terms of standard definition, but considering the shit that the UN and Peace Corp and every other interventionist claptrap pull, I find it hard to believe that the members would do good without a 401k behind them. What Seacole's life encompasses is glory, a word more oft misconstrued in order to excuse rape and genocide than put to the test of humanity and found more than qualified. Various pages on the Internet speak of overestimation of her abilities, thus implying an overestimation of her in history. I say, having read the amount of demographic specific literature I have in both the hegemonic and the otherwise sense of the word, this is a rare piece of narratological work, subverting race, blackness, gender, nationalism, duty, family structure, love, economics, travel narrative, and so much more in the age old year of 1857.
If I had been in the least humour for what was ludicrous, the looks and curiosity of the Russians who saw me during the armistice would have afforded me considerable amusement. I wonder what rank they assigned me.It's not as if Seacole doesn't have a decent prose style, either, so the low rating is even more baffling. Maybe it's the work's insistent refusal to be regulated to some nondescript corner while the Victorian period has its handy dandy whitey say. The world was grand even then, and you didn't have to conquer to discover it for yourself.
Some people, indeed, have called me quite a female Ulysses. I believe that they intended it as a compliment; but from my experience of the Greeks, I do not consider it a very flattering one.
December 8, 2023
fascinating. good to know
January 11, 2011
I picked this up for my Kindle for two reasons. The first is because it didn't cost my anything. The second because I actually knew who Mary Seacole was after reading an essay about her in either British Heritage or a British history magazine.
Mrs. Mary Seacole was first and foremost a lady. To call her anything else, except for a lady nurse, would be an insult to this wonderful woman.
Mrs Seacole was a nurse, in particular in her native Kingston and in the Crimea. She was biracial and refused a position with Florence Nightengale's nurses because of it. Mrs Seacole did not let this stop her, and went to the Crimena along with her business partner, Mr Day. Not only did she nurse and tend the wounded (in fact, she seems to be more of a doctor than a nurse), but she ran a store that doubled as a resturant.
The troops loved her. They called her Mother Seacole.
What makes Mrs Seacole's books a good read is what she covers. While most of the book is concerned about the war, the beginning of the book concerns her early life in Kingston as while as Granda. This includes interactions with Americans during a time when slavery was legal. Seacole relates not only stories about her treatment, she could not travel on a American boat, but also how residents of the town in Panama actually intervened in a case of a woman abusing her slave.
Her treatment by Americans is sharply contrasted to her treatment by the British and French troops (including some Russians). She had the respect of the officers as well as the common solider. She relates stories about how she regained her stolen pig, about almost being arrested as a spy by some French troops (apparently, Mrs Seacole was very good in wielding a bell as a weapon).
Mrs Seacole's book was written, in part, to help her make money during her "old" age (she would refer to them as her mature years). The troops loved her and several came to her aid in terms of raising money for her. The book does not read like a ego piece. Instead, it is as if she is talking to you, telling you the story.
This book is a good read simply because it covers war, racism, and women's rights.
Note: Considering the recent editing of Huck Finn, I feel I should point out that the "n" word does make an appearance. Please note that Mrs Seacole does not use it to describe someone, but an a** and a b***h use it describe Mrs Seacole. I believe that the word should NOT be edited out because to do so would mask the treatment that Mrs Seacole had to deal with. If you are senastive to the word, it only appears twice.
Mrs. Mary Seacole was first and foremost a lady. To call her anything else, except for a lady nurse, would be an insult to this wonderful woman.
Mrs Seacole was a nurse, in particular in her native Kingston and in the Crimea. She was biracial and refused a position with Florence Nightengale's nurses because of it. Mrs Seacole did not let this stop her, and went to the Crimena along with her business partner, Mr Day. Not only did she nurse and tend the wounded (in fact, she seems to be more of a doctor than a nurse), but she ran a store that doubled as a resturant.
The troops loved her. They called her Mother Seacole.
What makes Mrs Seacole's books a good read is what she covers. While most of the book is concerned about the war, the beginning of the book concerns her early life in Kingston as while as Granda. This includes interactions with Americans during a time when slavery was legal. Seacole relates not only stories about her treatment, she could not travel on a American boat, but also how residents of the town in Panama actually intervened in a case of a woman abusing her slave.
Her treatment by Americans is sharply contrasted to her treatment by the British and French troops (including some Russians). She had the respect of the officers as well as the common solider. She relates stories about how she regained her stolen pig, about almost being arrested as a spy by some French troops (apparently, Mrs Seacole was very good in wielding a bell as a weapon).
Mrs Seacole's book was written, in part, to help her make money during her "old" age (she would refer to them as her mature years). The troops loved her and several came to her aid in terms of raising money for her. The book does not read like a ego piece. Instead, it is as if she is talking to you, telling you the story.
This book is a good read simply because it covers war, racism, and women's rights.
Note: Considering the recent editing of Huck Finn, I feel I should point out that the "n" word does make an appearance. Please note that Mrs Seacole does not use it to describe someone, but an a** and a b***h use it describe Mrs Seacole. I believe that the word should NOT be edited out because to do so would mask the treatment that Mrs Seacole had to deal with. If you are senastive to the word, it only appears twice.
January 10, 2016
Thank you public domain for another excellent, free book. The most interesting part of this book was Mrs. Seacole’s observations during her travels and her notions about race and discrimination. She was very proud of being Jamaican, but she was also proud of her “yellow” complexion. She loved the English, but knew that they were a conquering power. The writing has a sense of flirtation and hominess, but Mary Seacole was complicated. Her attitudes were an amalgamation of contradictions that were just down right interesting.
The biggest problem that I had with the book was that so much was left out about Mrs. Seacole’ financial dealings. Mary Seacole engaged in capitalist activities everywhere she went, but where did she get the seed money? Who paid for her first trip to England? What did she do there? Why was she there? How much of her services did she deny to men who couldn’t pay. The complete lack of disclosure left me with a feeling of impropriety. Also, the book contained absolutely nothing about Mrs. Seacole’s personal life. She told us that her first husband died, but, after that, she mentions absolutely nothing about romantic interests. Who was Sarah, a young woman who is documented to have joined her in Balaclava? Sara is rumored to be Seacole’s daughter, but there is no mention in the autobiography of Sarah at all, which is weird no matter who she was. Like I said before, Mary Seacole was a complicated woman. She wrote this book to make money, not to unburden her soul, but mostly everything that is known about Mary Seacole comes from this book. I wish that she would have left us with more.
In 2004, Mary Seacole was voted the ‘Greatest Black Briton’ in history, and I’d never heard of her. This book is worth at least four stars to me for introducing me to a person that I should have been teaching about right alongside Florence Nightingale. I would recommend this book to anyone who is unfamiliar with Mary Seacole. We should all have learned about her in World History. Shame on public education.
The biggest problem that I had with the book was that so much was left out about Mrs. Seacole’ financial dealings. Mary Seacole engaged in capitalist activities everywhere she went, but where did she get the seed money? Who paid for her first trip to England? What did she do there? Why was she there? How much of her services did she deny to men who couldn’t pay. The complete lack of disclosure left me with a feeling of impropriety. Also, the book contained absolutely nothing about Mrs. Seacole’s personal life. She told us that her first husband died, but, after that, she mentions absolutely nothing about romantic interests. Who was Sarah, a young woman who is documented to have joined her in Balaclava? Sara is rumored to be Seacole’s daughter, but there is no mention in the autobiography of Sarah at all, which is weird no matter who she was. Like I said before, Mary Seacole was a complicated woman. She wrote this book to make money, not to unburden her soul, but mostly everything that is known about Mary Seacole comes from this book. I wish that she would have left us with more.
In 2004, Mary Seacole was voted the ‘Greatest Black Briton’ in history, and I’d never heard of her. This book is worth at least four stars to me for introducing me to a person that I should have been teaching about right alongside Florence Nightingale. I would recommend this book to anyone who is unfamiliar with Mary Seacole. We should all have learned about her in World History. Shame on public education.
November 1, 2021
Four stars: five for the content, three for the writing.
The life of Mary Seacole would have been amazing if she was our contemporary, but it becomes even more incredible because she lived in the XIX century, when women had to endure so many more limitations.
Although the writing is mainly descriptive and often too elaborate (as writing was in those days), this was still a very interesting read, a first hand account not just of the Crimean war, but of how life was in Central America and Europe in the XIX century.
This is a small excerpt, where Mary recalls the work of the Times correspondent, and what he wrote about her:
It was on this, as on every similar occasion, that I saw the Times correspondent eagerly taking down notes and sketches of the scene, under fire—listening apparently with attention to all the busy little crowd that surrounded him, but without laying down his pencil; and yet finding time, even in his busiest moment, to lend a helping hand to the wounded. It may have been on this occasion that his keen eye noticed me, and his mind, albeit engrossed with far more important memories, found room to remember me. I may well be proud of his testimony, borne so generously only the other day, and may well be excused for transcribing it from the columns of the Times:—“I have seen her go down, under fire, with her little store of creature comforts for our wounded men; and a more tender or skilful hand about a wound or broken limb could not be found among our best surgeons. I saw her at the assault on the Redan, at the Tchernaya, at the fall of Sebastopol, laden, not with plunder, good old soul! but with wine, bandages, and food for the wounded or the prisoners.”
The life of Mary Seacole would have been amazing if she was our contemporary, but it becomes even more incredible because she lived in the XIX century, when women had to endure so many more limitations.
Although the writing is mainly descriptive and often too elaborate (as writing was in those days), this was still a very interesting read, a first hand account not just of the Crimean war, but of how life was in Central America and Europe in the XIX century.
This is a small excerpt, where Mary recalls the work of the Times correspondent, and what he wrote about her:
It was on this, as on every similar occasion, that I saw the Times correspondent eagerly taking down notes and sketches of the scene, under fire—listening apparently with attention to all the busy little crowd that surrounded him, but without laying down his pencil; and yet finding time, even in his busiest moment, to lend a helping hand to the wounded. It may have been on this occasion that his keen eye noticed me, and his mind, albeit engrossed with far more important memories, found room to remember me. I may well be proud of his testimony, borne so generously only the other day, and may well be excused for transcribing it from the columns of the Times:—“I have seen her go down, under fire, with her little store of creature comforts for our wounded men; and a more tender or skilful hand about a wound or broken limb could not be found among our best surgeons. I saw her at the assault on the Redan, at the Tchernaya, at the fall of Sebastopol, laden, not with plunder, good old soul! but with wine, bandages, and food for the wounded or the prisoners.”
January 22, 2018
The first autobiography by a black woman in Britain, Wonderful Adventures was written out of desperation after Seacole's business ventures during the Crimean War left her broke. Yet I know of few authors who wouldn't give their eyeteeth to possess a voice like hers: bold, funny, frank. "Some people, indeed, have called me quite a female Ulysses," she tells us. "I believe that they intended it as a compliment, but from my experience of the Greeks, I do not consider it a very flattering one." Her descriptions of the battlefields in Crimea, like much of the best war writing, are surreal at times, and remind us that humor and trauma are fused in peculiar ways. One of my favorite images in the book: after the city of Sebastopol is recaptured following a long siege, she and some French and English soldiers walk through the destroyed, still-burning streets. The French soldiers misunderstand a joke and believe that Seacole is actually a Russian spy, and they surround her to make an arrest. She (successfully) fends them off by wielding a church bell as a weapon—a bell she'd looted from the wreckage and that had probably "rung many to prayers during the siege." ("How I longed for a better one," she reflects.) Revealed, too, are the ways in which war created possibilities for her that, because of her race and her gender, would exist nowhere else. When the war ends, Seacole admits that she is saddened: now that the crisis that suspended certain social mores is over, her friendships with soldiers and officers will evaporate, her business and livelihood will collapse, her sense of purpose will suddenly become unclear. "It was with something like regret," she writes at the end, "that we said to one another that the play was fairly over, that peace had rung the curtain down."
October 10, 2007
Why and how have I never heard of Mary Seacole?! She's awesome. Sure, I've heard of Florence Nightingale (nurse to the soldiers in the Crimean War). But it turns out that Mary Seacole (also a nurse but was refused hire by Nightingale) was better liked by the soldiers. And she was Creole! White history has overlooked this amazing woman.
May 25, 2025
Unless I am allowed to tell the story of my life in my own way, I cannot tell it at all.
I think this book got on my TBR as a result of reading Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World which I really loved at the time (2022) when I read it. It's kind of surprising that this is one of the first books from that list I got to (although I already read Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea) since although I was interested in Mary Seacole she wasn't at the top of my list of most "amazing women mentioned". But she was still pretty high.
Anyway, the start of this was pretty rough and I was doubting whether picking this up now was a good idea (I picked it to fulfil my one-classic-a-month goal). This was mostly because of the racism of the time - Mary Seacole has to start the book by defending her position as a Black woman and Creole, battling away some of the prejudices and stereotypes of the time and I felt kind of gaslight as a result. (I'm kind of sensitive about talks about laziness and productivity at the moment.) But after that rocky start we were all good.
I did find it pretty interesting that she primarily identifies herself as a Creole, which might make perfect sense to you if you think Creole means a child of white and Black parents but that's actually not what Creole meant at the time. (Thank you for that lesson Wide Sargasso Sea!) Creole is a descendent of Europeans that was raised in Caribbean - so Creole isn't really a racial indicator (since Creoles could have been white, biracial, Black...) She also pays way more attention to her Scottish father at the beginning than her mother and both of them are kind of absent from the narrative, although father definitely more than mother and yet we get to know more about him! There is certainly some internalized racism at play, but definitely less than I thought from the beginning. A lot of the coyness seems to be more part of the literary style than the way Mrs. Seacole actually felt about some things. (That, or she was a saint.)
Anyway, there is a lot of really emotional and moving passages even though Seacole clearly isn't writing this as a tearjerker. She doesn't dwell on the deaths of her patients and friends for long, but she still manages to infuse them with so much feeling that I did tear up multiple times.
I feel like I should spend more time to talk about the actual content of the book since I spend so much time on the Creole question, but I'm getting tired and I just don't feel like it much...
Anyway, if you made it this far through my review and don't know who Mary Seacole is I feel obliged to tell you. Mary Seacol is often called "the Black Florence Nightingale" she was born in Jamaica and the title she uses for herself is "doctress" she is most famous for being a nurse/hotelier during a Crimean war (1853-56) which is also what takes about half of this book, although we also spend some time in Kingston in Jamaica and Panama.
Overall, this is such an interesting historical document and I did learn quite a few new things. If you are interested in reading this take in mind that there are depictions of slavery and quite disgusting and severe racism in the first part of the book such as , there is also quite a lot of death as the second half of the book is set during a war in Crimea, which I really should have think through better when picking up, but it is also kind of the perfect time to pick it up, I guess it depends on your style of response to trauma.
There isn't really an overarching plot, so some readers might find the book boring and hard to get through. I honestly might have been one of them, but I listened to the recording of LibriVox (which you can access for free), so that turned out to be pretty perfect: https://librivox.org/wonderful-advent...
Would recommend although this book wouldn't be for everyone for sure.
July 3, 2023
got absolutely nothing out of this read, thank goodness we don’t have a sac on it.
April 9, 2020
“Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands” is a very enjoyable memoir with humorous candor and a unique perspective on historical events. The author, a Creole who expressed pride in having “good Scotch blood coursing in my veins” from her father grew up the daughter of a Jamaican doctress and learned many of her mother’s medical skills. The author’s last name came from a marriage to a man whose first name is not revealed. Per Wikipedia, the marriage lasted 8 years until Mr. Seacole died. The book only devotes four sentences to the marriage, and the author shows her personality and subtle sense of humor when she writes, “I do not mind confessing to my reader, in a friendly confidential way, that one of the hardest struggles of my life in Kingston was to resist the pressing candidates for the late Mr. Seacole’s shoes.”
Although she is somewhat vague on dates, Mrs. Seacole seems to have a great memory for detail. She refers to many of the soldiers and other people she encounters by their full names, but some just by initials, such as “Captain H-----” and “Colonel B----.” Readers may wonder if she forgot their names or if there were reasons to protect their confidentiality.
Mary Seacole spent most of her life in Jamaica, Panama, and England; but the most memorable portions of the book - and 19 of the 29 chapters - describe her year and a half experience during the Crimean War. With a partner, she established the British Hotel at Spring Hill near Sebastopol and was there from early 1855 through mid-1856. The British Hotel was primarily a British officers’ club, and managing it had many challenges including losing inventory to local thieves and determining appropriate levels of inventory. At the end of the war when the British soldiers departed, she was overstocked with wine and cheese, which the remaining Russians offered to purchase for a fraction of the cost. Out of frustration, she used a hammer to smash case after case of wine, so that the cheap Russians would not be able to enjoy it.
But the main takeaway from this book is what Mrs. Seacole is primarily remembered for: tirelessly sharing her Jamaican doctress skills and home cures and helping to ease the suffering of many wounded and sick soldiers, both at the British Hotel and on the battlefield.
Although she is somewhat vague on dates, Mrs. Seacole seems to have a great memory for detail. She refers to many of the soldiers and other people she encounters by their full names, but some just by initials, such as “Captain H-----” and “Colonel B----.” Readers may wonder if she forgot their names or if there were reasons to protect their confidentiality.
Mary Seacole spent most of her life in Jamaica, Panama, and England; but the most memorable portions of the book - and 19 of the 29 chapters - describe her year and a half experience during the Crimean War. With a partner, she established the British Hotel at Spring Hill near Sebastopol and was there from early 1855 through mid-1856. The British Hotel was primarily a British officers’ club, and managing it had many challenges including losing inventory to local thieves and determining appropriate levels of inventory. At the end of the war when the British soldiers departed, she was overstocked with wine and cheese, which the remaining Russians offered to purchase for a fraction of the cost. Out of frustration, she used a hammer to smash case after case of wine, so that the cheap Russians would not be able to enjoy it.
But the main takeaway from this book is what Mrs. Seacole is primarily remembered for: tirelessly sharing her Jamaican doctress skills and home cures and helping to ease the suffering of many wounded and sick soldiers, both at the British Hotel and on the battlefield.
May 7, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. Something about it reminded me of Moll Flanders, not the naughtiness or the debauchery, Seacole certainly wasn't guilty of either of those, but just a sense of mischievousness, of great warmth and humour. This whole book buzzed with life and joy, even in the most awful of tragedies. Seacole is always a woman who has fascinated me, and whose life I have admired enormously. And I am so glad to have read her autobiography! This is also a fascinating book about war, and its vexed position in the Victorian imagination. Seacole herself seems to be caught at times between celebrating the heroism of the soldiers, and seeing their campaigns as noble and right, whilst at the same time, being all too aware of the horrors of warfare. It is a strange tension between a sense of pride in the British soldier, and a sense of horror, that emerges throughout 19th century war literature and poetry. I also just loved reading about the scrapes Seacole gets into, and all the places she visits, and I really loved it when she wanted to boast and show off a nice report in the paper, but was feigning modesty, there are lots of moments like this, and they always made me laugh. All in all, a really enjoyable read.
October 23, 2015
I really really enjoyed this one. Although a classic it was a delightful story about how determination and drive can make a difference in the world. What a wonderful thought to be left with!
did-not-finish
October 14, 2021Boring. Bailed at the 25% mark.
May 24, 2024
*Update 5/23/24
Finally, an illustrative quote!
"When, after passing Chagres, an old-world, tumble-down town, for about seven miles, the steamer reached Navy Bay, I thought I had never seen a more luckless, dreary spot. Three sides of the place were a mere swamp, and the town itself stood upon a sand-reef, the houses being built upon piles, which some one told me rotted regularly every three years. The railway, which now connects the bay with Panama, was then building, and ran, as far as we could see, on piles, connected with the town by a wooden jetty. It seemed as capital a nursery for ague and fever as Death could hit upon anywhere, and those on board the steamer who knew it confirmed my opinion."
Doesn't she have a marvelous talent for detailing a setting?
****Original Review****
I definitely didn't follow the details as well via audio, but it was absolutely still worth listening to. Someday, if I study more about Crimea, I would really like to revisit this with my eyes. Mrs. Seacole was a boss and had a wonderful gift for description. I felt transported to the places where she lived and I learned a lot from her. I didn't get to save any quotes before my hold went back to the library 🤦♀️
Finally, an illustrative quote!
"When, after passing Chagres, an old-world, tumble-down town, for about seven miles, the steamer reached Navy Bay, I thought I had never seen a more luckless, dreary spot. Three sides of the place were a mere swamp, and the town itself stood upon a sand-reef, the houses being built upon piles, which some one told me rotted regularly every three years. The railway, which now connects the bay with Panama, was then building, and ran, as far as we could see, on piles, connected with the town by a wooden jetty. It seemed as capital a nursery for ague and fever as Death could hit upon anywhere, and those on board the steamer who knew it confirmed my opinion."
Doesn't she have a marvelous talent for detailing a setting?
****Original Review****
I definitely didn't follow the details as well via audio, but it was absolutely still worth listening to. Someday, if I study more about Crimea, I would really like to revisit this with my eyes. Mrs. Seacole was a boss and had a wonderful gift for description. I felt transported to the places where she lived and I learned a lot from her. I didn't get to save any quotes before my hold went back to the library 🤦♀️
January 18, 2011
Mary Seacole was a Jamacian nurse whose extraordinary life combined her favorite things, travel and medicine. This autobiography tells us a little about her background and trips to England, but it mostly focuses on her time in a small town in Central America and then her work during the Crimean War.
Often called Mother by her friends and patients, Mrs. Seacole was trained as a nurse by her mother. She used those skills during a cholera epidemic while living in Central America, and then she became determined to go to the front lines of the war and help soldiers. She applied through both the British military and Florence Nightingale's nursing association, but she was turned away, despite her experience, because she was biracial. Rather than give up her dream, Mrs. Seacole traveled to the Crimea herself, set up a hotel and store with a business partner, and visited the army camps and battlefields to help tend the wounded.
She faced down many difficulties, things like supply shortages, disease outbreaks, persistent thieves, and working under enemy fire. The book describes some of the horrors of war, but Mrs. Seacole also mentions lighter moments - my favorite of these was an attempt by some British soldiers to convince a group of Russians that she was Queen Victoria.
Mrs. Seacole was rightly proud of her accomplishments, but often expressed the worry that readers may see her book as bragging. She occasionally mentioned an editor, and I think that editor would have done her a favor to restrain a few of those asides. The book is at its best when Mrs. Seacole was frank about her opinions, those little self-conscious moments feel restrictive in comparison.
As with many books of that era, there's some language - and more importantly, some ideas - that will seem jarring to modern readers. Mrs. Seacole occasionally expresses her hurt or anger about being treated poorly because of her skin color, but she also makes her own generalizations about other races or nationalities. She's very sympathetic to the less fortunate, but then casually mentions whipping a disobedient servant. These kinds of contradictions weren't overwhelming, but they certainly managed to remind me that I was reading something from a very different time.
Mary Seacole was a strong, determined woman, and the way that she made her own place in medicine, and in history, after being discriminated against was really admirable. This was a fast read that managed to be entertaining as well as educational, and it was enjoyable both for its own sake and for its unique perspective on history.
Often called Mother by her friends and patients, Mrs. Seacole was trained as a nurse by her mother. She used those skills during a cholera epidemic while living in Central America, and then she became determined to go to the front lines of the war and help soldiers. She applied through both the British military and Florence Nightingale's nursing association, but she was turned away, despite her experience, because she was biracial. Rather than give up her dream, Mrs. Seacole traveled to the Crimea herself, set up a hotel and store with a business partner, and visited the army camps and battlefields to help tend the wounded.
She faced down many difficulties, things like supply shortages, disease outbreaks, persistent thieves, and working under enemy fire. The book describes some of the horrors of war, but Mrs. Seacole also mentions lighter moments - my favorite of these was an attempt by some British soldiers to convince a group of Russians that she was Queen Victoria.
Mrs. Seacole was rightly proud of her accomplishments, but often expressed the worry that readers may see her book as bragging. She occasionally mentioned an editor, and I think that editor would have done her a favor to restrain a few of those asides. The book is at its best when Mrs. Seacole was frank about her opinions, those little self-conscious moments feel restrictive in comparison.
As with many books of that era, there's some language - and more importantly, some ideas - that will seem jarring to modern readers. Mrs. Seacole occasionally expresses her hurt or anger about being treated poorly because of her skin color, but she also makes her own generalizations about other races or nationalities. She's very sympathetic to the less fortunate, but then casually mentions whipping a disobedient servant. These kinds of contradictions weren't overwhelming, but they certainly managed to remind me that I was reading something from a very different time.
Mary Seacole was a strong, determined woman, and the way that she made her own place in medicine, and in history, after being discriminated against was really admirable. This was a fast read that managed to be entertaining as well as educational, and it was enjoyable both for its own sake and for its unique perspective on history.
January 14, 2016
I just recently heard about Mary Seacole for the first time, after watching a YouTube video about her life. Her life intrigued me right away. Born in Jamaica to a Jamaican mother and Scottish father, starting a business in Panama, leaving for England and becoming a nurse in the Crimean War....
This books is interesting for so many different reasons. First of all: the life Mrs. Seacole led is just amazing it itself. Adventures truly is the right word to describe this. She's lived everywhere and seen everything. Second, the book gives a very good insight on the way people viewed class and race in the days that Mary Seacole writes about. As a person with a mixed background the way she is treated is so different depending on where people are from. While in Jamaica and Panama everything's fine, the English seems to be ok with her skitonen but it does get in the way of thins sometimes and she really dislikes Americans because of the way they act towards her. At the same time she also looks down on some groups of people and is really aware of her higher social status compared to others and does not hesitate to act on that.
Mary seems to be a pretty funny person. I don't know if this is a usual way of writing in the 1850's but sentences like the following make me laugh (even if the event itself is not funny at all): "Upon collecting my luggage, I found, as I had expected, that the porters had not neglected the glorious opportunity of robbing a woman".
Because the book is over 150 years old reading it took me longer than I expected. It was not an easy read. The contents was worth it but I really had to push trough. What doesn't help is that mrs. Seacole doesn't explain most of the events around her (she first mentions going to Panama and later returns to the same place but now it's located in New Granada, she does not explain anything about the Crimean War etc) and she really only describes the world directly around her. Sometimes I really missed a bigger picture or more context.
Even with those point mentioned I still think the book is worth reading. Mary Seacole is a remarkable woman and her story gives a good insight in interesting historical times. Apparently she's pretty well known in the UK, but I had never heard of her before and I think she deserves to be more well known in the rest of the world.
This books is interesting for so many different reasons. First of all: the life Mrs. Seacole led is just amazing it itself. Adventures truly is the right word to describe this. She's lived everywhere and seen everything. Second, the book gives a very good insight on the way people viewed class and race in the days that Mary Seacole writes about. As a person with a mixed background the way she is treated is so different depending on where people are from. While in Jamaica and Panama everything's fine, the English seems to be ok with her skitonen but it does get in the way of thins sometimes and she really dislikes Americans because of the way they act towards her. At the same time she also looks down on some groups of people and is really aware of her higher social status compared to others and does not hesitate to act on that.
Mary seems to be a pretty funny person. I don't know if this is a usual way of writing in the 1850's but sentences like the following make me laugh (even if the event itself is not funny at all): "Upon collecting my luggage, I found, as I had expected, that the porters had not neglected the glorious opportunity of robbing a woman".
Because the book is over 150 years old reading it took me longer than I expected. It was not an easy read. The contents was worth it but I really had to push trough. What doesn't help is that mrs. Seacole doesn't explain most of the events around her (she first mentions going to Panama and later returns to the same place but now it's located in New Granada, she does not explain anything about the Crimean War etc) and she really only describes the world directly around her. Sometimes I really missed a bigger picture or more context.
Even with those point mentioned I still think the book is worth reading. Mary Seacole is a remarkable woman and her story gives a good insight in interesting historical times. Apparently she's pretty well known in the UK, but I had never heard of her before and I think she deserves to be more well known in the rest of the world.
October 26, 2022
Jolly, positive, strong, determined, unfathomable, matter of fact and a survivor is the voice that came through this audiobook.
This was an uplifting read, read by Yasmin Mwanza, and though the Penguin Ed included an inciteful intro (that gave more context to Mrs Seacole and her life) it didn’t matter, from the moment the main part of this book started – I was enthralled and listened to it 3 times.
Mrs Seacole, who lived in the late 19th C, and gave aid to soldiers through the Crimean War (and may have met Florence Nightingale), tells her story of how she travelled from Jamaica, Caribbean, Panama, London and Balaclava (and other locations that situated her right at the centre of this war). I loved how she just reported her adventures, and was matter of fact about the people she helped with her medical skills, to the soldiers she was known as ‘Mother Seacole’. Her life was not easy but that didn’t get in her way in how in trying to survive and help herself she also helped others on the way.
I would have liked to know Mary Seacole better but she only focused on her adventures and gave little away of her personal life, regardless I found this to be an inspiring read, and after listening to this I knew I had to get it on Kindle.
This was an uplifting read, read by Yasmin Mwanza, and though the Penguin Ed included an inciteful intro (that gave more context to Mrs Seacole and her life) it didn’t matter, from the moment the main part of this book started – I was enthralled and listened to it 3 times.
Mrs Seacole, who lived in the late 19th C, and gave aid to soldiers through the Crimean War (and may have met Florence Nightingale), tells her story of how she travelled from Jamaica, Caribbean, Panama, London and Balaclava (and other locations that situated her right at the centre of this war). I loved how she just reported her adventures, and was matter of fact about the people she helped with her medical skills, to the soldiers she was known as ‘Mother Seacole’. Her life was not easy but that didn’t get in her way in how in trying to survive and help herself she also helped others on the way.
I would have liked to know Mary Seacole better but she only focused on her adventures and gave little away of her personal life, regardless I found this to be an inspiring read, and after listening to this I knew I had to get it on Kindle.
April 17, 2021
It took reading a few chapters for me to get used to her writing style, but once I did, I absolutely loved this book. It is as if she is having a conversation with her readers instead of telling a one-sided story. It is women like her that make me want to study women's history. So many times we hear about Florence Nightingale, but Mary Seacole's name never quite comes up. She was a hero in every sense of the word and I think it only fitting that all of the people who found themselves in her caring hands called her 'mother.'
March 20, 2024
3 / 5
this was not an enjoyable read. i mean, sure, it was entertaining at times but it was also gruelling and frustrating at others. that’s because it’s realistic—real life isn’t perfect and won’t follow the plot structure of a novel. that’s what made this story good, though. it’s good to read from a different perspective from time to time and live through another person’s eyes. anyway, Mrs Seacole is a wonderful person and deserves more recognition.
this was not an enjoyable read. i mean, sure, it was entertaining at times but it was also gruelling and frustrating at others. that’s because it’s realistic—real life isn’t perfect and won’t follow the plot structure of a novel. that’s what made this story good, though. it’s good to read from a different perspective from time to time and live through another person’s eyes. anyway, Mrs Seacole is a wonderful person and deserves more recognition.
October 9, 2020
O Mother Seacole....
March 6, 2025
3.5⭐️!
this book reads like that one family member at the gathering who starts telling you their entire life story after one too many glasses of sherry…but you’re enjoying it
i imagine this would be such a great experience as an audiobook
this book reads like that one family member at the gathering who starts telling you their entire life story after one too many glasses of sherry…but you’re enjoying it
i imagine this would be such a great experience as an audiobook
October 20, 2020
Simply wonderful. A great life, a huge heart and an enriching read. Go find yourself a copy.
February 3, 2025
The way Mary writes about the Crimean war honestly makes it sound kind of fun? I know this wasn't the dairy of a soldier so I might be way off, but Mrs. Seacole sure knows how to create some vibes.
March 9, 2012
Although I admire Mrs. Seacole and her work as a nurse, this autobiography became too redundant with how wonderful she was, against all odds. By the time I was half into the book, I was predicting how she would word her next amazing feat of saving everyone. I realize that part of the problem is that the writing from the late 1800s is somewhat more "stilted" than that of the present, but it took me much longer to read this than I normally would take simply because once I put it down, I really didn't want to pick it up again.
September 7, 2017
As historical fact, it does have its detractors, not least of which being Florence Nightingale, but as an insight into the period and a view of male-dominated British culture from a Creole woman, it is amazing. Plus it is wonderfully written and full of jolly humour, along with assorted other emotions.
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