The white heart of Mojave;: An adventure with the outdoors of the desert [Unknown Binding]

Edna Brush Perkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1922

An ardent early suffragette, Edna Brush Perkins set out in 1920 with her friend, Charlotte Hannahs Jordan, to journey into the Mojave, both women seeking to escape civilization and their struggle to secure voting rights for women. The Mojave at that time was considered to be a desolate, inaccessible region--part of the fading American frontier. Originally published in 1922, The White Heart of Mojave is Perkins' account of this journey.

Perkins' evocative writing describes the landscape and the people she encounters. As editor Peter Wild writes, this is ultimately the story of two wealthy women who enter Death Valley "as a sort of middle-aged lark" and "emerge from the trip profoundly changed."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The White Heart of Mojave demonstrates the intrepid spirit of adventuring women in the 1920s, especially those who worked so hard to achieve the vote. It gives readers a chance to see the Mojave and Death Valley as it was in the years between the early mineral exploitation and the current tourist exploitation. For feminist scholars, Perkins's tone and attitude toward her subject matter will be fascinating." -- Ann Ronald, University of Nevada, Reno

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Edna Brush Perkins (1880-1930), author of A Red Carpet on the Sahara, was deeply involved in women's causes and related issues of social reform. She traveled widely, climbed the Jungfrau, painted, and promoted the arts. Peter Wild, a professor of English at the University of Arizona, is one of the foremost poets of the American West.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 5 pages
• Publisher: Boni and Liveright (1922)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00085UZYS
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Tale of Old Death Valley, May 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The White Heart of Mojave: An Adventure with the Outdoors of the Desert (American Land Classics) (Paperback)

The White Heart of Mojave is an old classic of desert literature, recently brought back into print as part of the American Land Classics series. Centered around an adventurous trip through Death Valley by two women in the 1920s, it gives a fascinating glimpse into the region and some of its eccentric inhabitants before it became a National Park and popular tourist destination. The book was written at a time when real American wilderness was beginning to disappear, and the deserts were first coming to be appreciated for their remoteness and solitude and austere beauty, rather than as simply wastelands to be exploited for mineral resources. Edna Brush Perkins, along with a few other desert pioneers like Mary Austen and John Van Dyke, was among the first to contribute to a greater understanding and appreciation of the great American deserts. Aside from its historical significance, though, the book is well written and is sure to be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in this harsh but fascinating region.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, September 2, 2008

By 

Carolee "Carole R" (CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The White Heart of Mojave: An Adventure with the Outdoors of the Desert (American Land Classics) (Paperback)

Had I never been to Death Valley.. then I would want to go now !
It is as if you were there.. she describes it so lifelike.
I know the place and am a desertrat, a desertlover. And when I read it.. I had to cry because it actually transformed me there, it was as if I stood in the midst of all those wonders. Death Valley defies any description.. there just are no words for what you see there. Yet Edna managed to do it, inspite of no language being adequate enough to do it justice.
Incredible book. I wanted to go there next month but can't because the few hotels that are there.. are sold out.. even during the summer.. by European tourists. Makes me angry, I want to go so badly.
Only a true desertlover will understand what I am saying, I know this.
But.. if you get a chance to go there.. maybe just maybe.. you will understand, maybe !

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very descriptive of the beauty of the desert, August 8, 2010

By 

Desert lover - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The White Heart of Mojave: An Adventure with the Outdoors of the Desert (American Land Classics) (Paperback)

I've spent a good part of my life living and visiting Death Valley. What I liked most was the wonderful descriptions of the colors of the desert. People that just drive through the desert without slowing down and seeing it miss so much. This lady captures the true beauty.