The extraordinary women whose writings are included in this remarkable collection—Gertrude Bell, Edith Wharton, Isabella Bird, Kate O'Brien, and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu among others—are all observers of the world in which they wander. Mary McCarthy conveys the vitality of Florence while Willa Cather's essay Lavandou foreshadows her descriptions of the French countryside in later novels. Other authors are also active participants in the culture they are visiting: Leila Philip harvests rice with chiding Japanese women, and Emily Carr wins the respect and trust of the female chieftain of an Indian village in Northern Canada. Whether it is curiosity about the world, a thirst for adventure, or a need for escape from personal tragedy, all of the authors are united by their wit, intelligence, compassion, and the empathy they hold for the lives of those they encounter along the way.