Gifts of the Wild: A Woman's Book of Adventure (Adventura Books) (Paperback)

~ Conlon Emerick & Goode (Author) "In 1925, Lady Clara Coulton Rogers Vyvyan and her friend Gwen Dorian Smith left the comforts of home and hearth in England to embark on..." (more)
Key Phrases: high ropes, Ernestine Bayer, Grand Canyon, Lake Superior (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Wilderness offers our jaded age a way to test our soft and hard spots. The 34 writers in Gifts of the Wild touch down in Patagonia and Nepal and skip across vast expanses of America. Visiting college professor Pam Houston dips a toe into freezing waters and the bonds between men by joining a group of fly-fishing male poets on their after-midnight jaunts. Susana Levin's sharply honed "Night Skates" follows a loose-knit clan of deranged urban guerrillas who cruise the huffing rise and stomach-churning drops of San Francisco's streets on in-line skates at night. Spilling down the long, dizzy ski jump of Golden Gate Avenue, says Levin, "I was having the kind of rush you only get when you're doing something really fun, really stupid and illegal." Whether read in an armchair or stuffed into a backpack, this lively collection calls to the wild in all of us. --Francesca Coltrera

From Library Journal

This book contains selections of women's adventures in the wilderness divided into 12 sections, each of which is described by trees, such as "Ash: Gift of Joy" and "Ivy: Gift of Solace." All the selections are taken from the "Adventura" book series. The 37 authors include Lucy Jane Bledsoe, the editor of several anthologies such as Gay Travels: A Literary Companion (Whereabouts, 1998), and Jessica Maxwell, a regular contributor to Esquire and Forbes and the author of two books of travel tales. Selections describe a canoe trip with Girl Scouts, surfing with dolphins, and night skating in San Francisco. The writing is apt and beautiful, describing adventures in nature from many viewpoints. Buy for all libraries.AAlison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press (April 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580050069
• ISBN-13: 978-1580050067
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #346,464 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, May 27, 1998

By A Customer

What a fabulous book! It's a collection of writings by women about their experiences in the outdoors...ranging from a terrifying night skate down the hills of San Francisco to a swim with wild dolphins to ice climbing to a walk in the forest. Every story is wonderfully written and inspires me to experience life to the fullest.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Uplifting and Positive., December 28, 1998

By A Customer

I bought this book for a friend for Christmas on a whim. When I previewed it, I decided that I needed a copy as well. This is a fantastic book.