Popular Culture Review 30.2
motherhood , of course ) ( 5 ). She notes that historians of science have regularly exposed the systemic neglect of women scientists , who often had to have their observations published under a pen name , or their husbands ’ names , to get it out into the world . The list of women mentioned here who have been robbed of credit for their discoveries and contributions falls far short , I suspect , of being comprehensive .
The unique approach in this narrative is the focus on women travelers�themselves the focus of scholarship in a variety of fields�and the ways in which their travels enabled them to gain access to fieldwork as well as a way to circulate their discoveries under an acceptable and nonthreatening umbrella of public discourse . Gender studies research has unleashed a compendium of archival source material revealing just how prevalent women ’ s research and discussion in natural science were ( 8 ). Travel allowed women unprecedented opportunities to use their race in their favor and surpass gender limitations ( 8 ); in other words , by leaving their own national and social spheres , they were able to stretch their wings and apply themselves to any and all areas of interest .
The book ’ s four chapters each focus on specific women travelers , and how they approached natural history discourse , negotiating their unique contexts and idiosyncrasies through their writings ( 15 ). The first chapter examines the travel narratives of Maria Graham in nineteenth-century Brazil . Graham used her position as a social explorer to create opportunities to discuss scientific subjects even beyond the boundaries of natural science , often refuting her male predecessors ’ impressions of Latin America ( 16 ). The second chapter presents Cuban traveler Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda ’ s travel accounts to Europe and the Spanish and French Pyrenees , which frame her transatlantic subjectivity and literary authority ( 16 ). Chapter 3 focuses on Brazilian educator
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