The Illustrated Virago Book of Women Travellers

Book excerpt: Three hundred years of wanderlust are captured in this beautiful new illustrated edition of the VIRAGO BOOK OF WOMEN TRAVELLERS. Some of the women are observers of the world in which they wander and others are more active. Often they are storytellers, weaving tales about the people they encounter and whether it is curiosity about the world or escape from personal tragedy, these women approached their journeys with wit, intelligence, compassion and empathy for the lives of others. The constraints and perils, the perceptions and complex emotions women journey with are different and for many women, the inner landscape is as important as the outer. This does not mean that the woman traveller is not politically aware, historically astute or in touch with the customs and language of the place but it does mean that a woman cannot travel and not be aware of her body and the limitations her sex presents.