Canadian Women Adventurers: Stories of Daring and Courage. (Great Canadian Stories). Tamela Georgi & Lisa Wojna. Edmonton, AB: Folklore Publishing, 2005. 142 pp., pbk., $9.95. ISBN 1-894864-39-5. Subject Heading: Women-Canada-Biography. Women adventurers-Canada-Biography. Grades 4 and up / Ages 9 and up. Review by Lee Anne Smith. *** /4
	Great Canadian Women: Nineteen Portraits of Extraordinary Women. (Great Canadian Stories). Lisa Wojna. Edmonton, AB: Folklore Publishing, 2005. 158 pp., pbk., $9.95. ISBN 1-894864-47-6. Subject Heading: Women-Canada-Biography. Grades 4 and up / Ages 9 and up. Review by Lee Anne Smith. *** /4

excerpt:

There was a time, not so long ago, when there was no road, no path to follow. A person with a vision of change had to blaze his or her own trail, and risking one’s own life was often part of the journey. The following women had no role models. What they did had never been done before. (from Canadian Women Adventurers).

Canadian women fought to follow their callings. That was their goal – to be the best they could be. If that meant breaking the artificial barriers erected by society between the sexes, redefining what it meant to be a woman or facing ridicule day after day in their quest to achieve their goals, then that was exactly what they did. (from Great Canadian Women).

When we think of adventure, we often think of men striking out on dangerous journeys but not women. Canadian Women Adventurers changes our perceptions by informing us about real women in Canadian history who went where no other woman had ever ventured before. Here are three examples.

     Thanadelthur, a First Nations kidnap victim, not only brought peace to the long and bloody wars between the Chipewyan and Cree nations, but she also established a trade agreement with the Hudson Bay Company despite repeated threats to her own personal safety. Faith Fenton, a teacher by day and a reporter by night, was the first woman to live and write about the tough life along the Klondike trail during the gold rush. Present day heroine Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to scale Mount Everest, climbed a dangerous and daring route never before attempted in the history of mountain climbing.

     In Great Canadian Women, each of the nineteen profiles is an example of how women are making a difference in the fields of politics, aboriginal activism, sports, entertainment/media, among others. They demonstrate the unique contributions and importance of Canadian women from all walks of life to Canadian society.

     Both of these short and easy to read collections of mini-biographies shine a light on the courage, tenacity and determination of women whose achievements have not been recognized or have been under recognized women in Canadian history. However the amount of material included may not be sufficient as a single source for school reports. Canadian Women Adventurers and Great Canadian Women will hopefully inspire young readers to reach for their own dreams.

Recommended.

Lee Anne Smith is a youth services librarian and Head of the Cambie Branch for Richmond Public Library in Richmond, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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