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There are currently 30 member reviews
for The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
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Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
18th Century Adventures in Botany
It is always a challenge to tell the story of those for which there is little written record. However, there is enough on the history of Jeanne Baret to make this a fascinating tale of a woman who should never have lived past the age of 26, yet managed to become the mistress / companion of one of France's foremost botanists, disguise herself as a man - servant, and join her companion in collecting and cataloging plant specimens from remote locales during Bougainville's circumnavigation of the earth which began in 1760.
Ridley has thoroughly researched this journey, which includes altered captain's logs and diaries with conflicting testimony about how her ruse was discovered. She was the first European women to circumnavigate the globe and an unsung heroine to those of us who appreciate the grit, resourcefulness, fortitude, resilience, and bravery of those women, in obscurity, who paved the way for the privileges we now take for granted.
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Julie B. (Menomonee Falls, WI)
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
I seldom read non-fiction, because I have the impression that it is tedious. When I started reading this book, I was sure my impression was correct. However, in later chapters, I became both fascinated and appalled by the account of the hardships Jeanne endured to be able to pursue her passion. Like other reviewers, I wish more material existed that would give more insight into Jeanne Baret. I would have liked to know more about how she felt about her experiences. She was such a brave and strong woman, and she deserves to be recognized.
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Suri F. (Durham, NC)
Great Subject, Academic Execution
I enjoyed this book very much for what it was--an academic historian's attempt to give readers insight into Eighteenth Century science. I do feel that since so little is known about Baret herself, the author might have taken more risks in making her come alive, even if the effort moved the book more into creative non-fiction. In any event, I found the tale exciting and inspiring.
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Rebecca G. (havertown, pa)
Great Historical Account
It wouldn't be correct to call Glynis Ridley's account of the1766 French expedition of the ships Etoile and Boudeuse a biography of Jeanne Baret. I wanted to read this book because I am fascinated by the lives of unique and unknown historical figures. It isn't what I expected; in fact, it is less biographical in relation to Baret than her mentor, Philibert Commerson. This is not a fault of the author; there is very little known about Baret. It is, however, a well researched account of the voyage with extensive botanical records, descriptions of fauna and flora of the regions encountered during the voyage, geography of places such as the Magellan Strait, and a detailed history of Paris and other regions important to the characters involved in this story. This book will be of interest to history buffs and those interested in botany and geography. To call it a biography of Jeanne Baret, however, is a little misleading.
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Mary L. (Madison, MS)
A wonderful discovery
As many other reviewers have stated the story is fascinating, well researched, and contains little information on the real Jeanne Barret. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I too wish there was more information to fill in the blanks of her life but with imagination you can see the courage, bravery, and skill of this fascinating woman. I do not read nonfiction often, but I would recommend this to all readers.
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Harriette K. (Weston, FL)
The discovery of Jeanne Baret
We are treated to the story of Jeanne Baret, a truly gifted herb woman, who assists a noted French botanist while gathering and naming plants during a round-the world trip during the mid 1700's. We are aware of the competition between nations and the deprivations suffered on the tiny ships that take these people on their voyage. I read the story eagerly and was saddened at the lack of knowledge of Jeanne's efforts. So much is supposed. My one complaint is some of the author's repetition. Other than that, I truly enjoyed reading about this remarkable woman.
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Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT)
The discovery of Jeanne Beret
This is a pretty good biography, and I learned many things by reading it. I never knew that the nursery rhyme "Peter Piper" was about a real person until I read this book. The author did some extensive research in writing this and it is filled with information about 18th Century France, and mainly the expedition led by Lewis de Bougainville. I recommend this story to history buffs, and anyone studying botany.
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