The I Index

Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon

Top of the pile

83

/100

I Index Overall Rating

Readers

73/100

Critics

93/100

Scholars

N/A

Author:

Melissa L. Sevigny

Publisher:

W. W. Norton & Company

Date:

May 23, 2023

The riveting tale of two pioneering botanists and their historic boat trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon.

What The Reviewers Say

Deborah Blum,
The New York Times Book Review
[A] cascade of a story, colored by sun and water and driven by courage and determination.
Anita Snow,
Associated Press
Highlights the little-known contributions two women made to our knowledge about the Southwest ecology. And it pays homage to a pair of scientists far ahead of their time..
Donna Seaman,
Booklist
As she brings both intriguing botanists vividly to life, Sevigny also captures the intensity of the expedition’s dangers and the seemingly miraculous ability of the scientists to collect and preserve 500 plant specimens, some new to science, under nearly impossible conditions while also doing all the cooking. A breath-catching, enlightening, and significant work of scientific, environmental, and women’s history..
Mary L. Holden,
Los Angeles Review of Books
Despite the subject matter, only a few black-and-white photos of plant specimens are included in this book.