A celebration of remarkably brave womenIn 1766, young Jeanne Baret is housekeeper to Dr. Philibert Commerson, a physician turned naturalist for the King of France. When Dr. Commerson is invited to participate in a long, exploratory sea voyage, collecting specimens, Jeanne wants to go, too. The only way is to disguise herself as a boy and steal aboard the ship. This is how Jeanne Baret becomes the first woman to sail around the world. Such determination characterizes each of the twelve women profiled here ? including Josephine Peary, Sylvia Earle, Junko Tabei, and Ann Bancroft. They come from across the globe, and their lives span about 240 years. Their accomplishments are real and their stories ? enhanced by thoughts and dialogue imagined by the author to bring them to life ? are contained within a framework of known facts.These tales of sailors, cavers, mountain climbers, deep-sea divers, and other explorers, combined with Dusan Petricic?s clever pictures, will inspire a new generation of dreamers.