Rating: 3 out of 5

This book covers aspects of Marianne North’s travels from 1872 until 1883 through Brazil, California, Japan, India, Australia and South Africa.

My reading of this book was a direct result of the Chelsea Flower Show. The BBCs coverage discussed botanical artists and featured Marianne North’s works as well as a high regard for her travels. A quick look on Amazon led me to this book.

She certainly appears to have been a courageous and well-connected lady who collected friends and contacts as easily as she gathered botanical specimens to preserve.

There are some descriptive passages which don’t sit well with current tolerances of acceptability (especially with regard to native people in some of the countries visited) but this must be read in the context of the time when a different observation would have been perceived as equally odd.

All in all fascinating but dry in places. I’m glad to have read it and learnt more about her through her own words and now feel the need to visit her gallery at Kew Gardens

Originally posted to my Goodreads account