Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands

by Mary Seacole

Mary Seacole was born a free black woman in Jamaica of the early 19th century. In her long and varied life, she was to travel in Central America, Russia and Europe, find work as a inn-keeper and as a doctress during the Crimean War, and become a famed heroine, the author of her own biography, in Britain. As this autobiography shows, Mary Seacole had a sharp instinct for hypocrisy as well as a ripe taste for sarcasm. Frequently we see her joyfully rise to mock the limitations artificially imposed on her as a black woman. She emerges from her writings as an individual with a most un-Victorian zest for travel, adventure and independence.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Biography

132 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2023

About the author

Mary 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.

Reviews

[Libby Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring woman! Fascinating memoir from Mary Seacole that details mainly her time in Panama and the Crimean war. Not only does she write about her experience as a doctress but also as a keen traveller and business woman.
Great to hear her voice come alive through her writing (though bear in mind that this book was written in the 1800s and therefore not all language and descriptions used are completely transferable to today’s standards). She writes with humour and with feeling, the book is short and generally informative and enjoyable. On top of all that, it’s great to read the first autobiography written by a black woman in Britain.
What an unsung hero of war and medicine!

[Lilz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Seacole literally invented being a selfless queen?? So admirable how her life’s work was to help others, even in face of disease, war and racism. She is a great role model for bravery and kindness. As a memoir it may have been a little bit repetitive, but Mary’s tone and her way of focusing on fun stories, no unnecessary tangents, made it remain entertaining all throughout.

[Taelor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Seacole sounds like a wonderful & courageous person I would want to befriend & learn from, I feel so lucky to have read about her experiences from her own perspective! She was a world traveler and healer! 🥹😍❤️‍🩹

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a historical standpoint, this first memoir by a British woman who was also a person of color is remarkable (Seacole describes herself as Creole, a term then used for people of European descent born in the Carribean). Seacole recounts her adventures healing the sick and wounded in Panama and during the Crimean war. She is entertaining and matter-of-fact. She describes American racism in a blase way, but is disturbed to encounter it in London.

Of her own volition, she starts a hotel near the army's trench warfare on that north part of the Black Sea south of Ukraine. She says she just wanted to help and be in on the action--this woman should have been an emergency room doctor. She makes food to comfort soldiers and helps to treat their wounds. She mourns with them when they die and shares in wartime drama. A few chapters felt a bit tedious to me, but I highly recommend reading a few chapters (I bet it is often excerpted in anthologies).

[Rhiannon Spellman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good comforting book. I loved getting to read about a life I wish I could chase the way Mary Seacole did. I found it easy to find comfort in her words that the people she helped must have felt tenfold when she was treating them. Not a fast paced book but definitely one to read to take a step back from the rush of life.

[Ana Luiza Alfaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muito interessante a perspectiva de uma mulher negra rica, independente, absolutamente empreendedora, loucamente corajosa, nascida na jamaica do seculo XIX. A narrativa é por vezes um pouco repetitiva e o estilo é um pouco datado, acho, mas a história é enormemente inspiradora e uma aula de história do dia a dia e costumes de diversas regiões e continentes.

[Emanuele Baseggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always nice to read a book where Americans are descripted as they are

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't like travel narratives so not my vibe. very impressive person though

[hannah (taylor’s version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

she’s important
and she ate
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