Inventorying the travel collection at our library, I identified another little-read book worthy of promoting. It is Living with Cannibals and Other Women's Adventures by Michele Slung, a collection of biographical pieces about adventurous women from the 19th and 20th centuries. In it are short profiles featuring women with strong international travel urges. I recognized some of the names, such as Dian Fossey and Amelia Earhart, but most I did not know. Almost all wrote bestselling books. Many also submitted articles and photos to the National Geographic magazine.
This book sprang from the work of a librarian. In the Afterword, librarian Susan Fifer Canby says that she discovered writings by these women in the National Geographic Society Library where she worked. She added a bibliography of articles and books by these and other adventurous women to the back of Living with Cannibals. She also provides a chronology "Women Who Pushed the Limits," which starts with "A.D. 381 - ETHERIA, a nun, travels to Jerusalem and Egypt, and writes a guide to the Holy Land for pilgrims."
Most of Slung's profiles are about twelve pages long. With the bibliography, the profiles make a great resource for students looking for out-of-the-ordinary biographical subjects. Living with Cannibals is also a pleasant and inspiring read for adults.
Slung, Michele. Living with Cannibals and Other Women's Adventures. National Geographic Society, 2000. 243p. ISBN 0792276868.