? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon. “Exciting” was never an adjective that would have occurred to us when writing about a book on the study of plants. But Melissa Sevigny’s work is about a lot more than that. It’s about the bravery and fearlessness of two women — Lois Jotte and Elzada Clover — in late 1930s America and their determination to brave one of the world’s most perilous rivers and society’s criticism, to achieve what no one had accomplished before them.

Eradicating stereotypes: During the long and dangerous journey that lasted over 40 days, survival was never certain. But through the voyage, Jotte and Clover imposed their own take on the science they so loved: One that was exhilarating and bold — in other words, a far cry from the time’s typical view of botany as a delicate and therefore appropriately feminine pastime. Sevigny gives us a compelling book with an intimate touch through the writings of the protagonists themselves.

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