Pacific Lady: The First Woman to Sail Solo Across the World’s Largest Ocean
By Sharon Sites Adams, with Karen J. Coates
Hardcover, 193 pages
University of Nebraska Press, $24.95
It has been said that well-behaved women rarely make history. Nothing could be more true about Sharon Sites Adams’ decision to sail from mainland United States to Hawaii in the first of two successful, solo cross-Pacific journeys in the 1960s.
In an age when women are expected to stay in the home, Adams must battle the disapproval and skepticism of men who write her off as a foolish housewife. Undeterred, and in the wake of personal loss, she is driven by the simple desire to get out and explore her own limits.
With three months’ worth of provisions, a one-way radio and her pet turtle Sarah Beth-Ann, Adams takes to the sea. Without GPS, internet or high-tech monitoring, she navigates only with a sextant and her sense of intuition.
Pacific Lady is part travelogue, part introspective memoir — reflections not only on the physical hardships cast by the Pacific, but the emotional reckoning that comes with it. More than the merciless waves that threaten to capsize her boat, or the utter exhaustion of keeping vigil through violent storms, loneliness proves her greatest nemesis.
“Life at sea is a psychological game,” she says, but writes of finding hidden reserves of strength when the need arises.
To cope, Adams chronicles her journey with photos, journals and audio recordings. She gathers strength and encouragement from memories of home and the messages of friends and well-wishers. On her radio, she listens as talk show hosts discuss her journey — sometimes as an admirable feat of bravery, sometimes as nothing more than an act of reckless foolery.
When she arrives at port at the end of her first trip, she is greeted by women heralding her journey as a huge leap for womanhood. Her voyage is called “a woman-against-the-elements saga worthy of a book by Hemingway” and goes on to earn her the Los Angeles Times “Woman of the Year” Award in 1969.
In engrossing language, detail and candidness, Pacific Lady recounts the parallels of Adams’ sailing saga and her inward journey — and the four years that not only earned her multiple world records, but would inspire thousands and alter society’s attitudes about women who dream big and act accordingly.
Chasing Waves: A Surfer’s Tale of Obsessive Wandering
By Amy Waeschle
Paperback, 168 pages
Mountaineers Books, $16.95
From the beaches of Vancouver Island to the sands of Mexico, from the mountains of Fiji to the villages of Costa Rica, Amy Waeschle takes her surfboard on a tour of the world — and her readers along for the ride. Described in vivid, fresh detail, Waeschle’s saga will inspire yearning for waves in even the most water-shy readers.
Pickets and Dead Men: Seasons on Rainier
By Bree Loewen
Paperback, 190 pages
Mountaineers Books, $16.95
As a climbing ranger on Mount Rainier, Bree Loewen spends three years on the awe-inspiring but unforgiving mountain. In this adrenaline-pumped memoir, she recounts with wry humor her experiences with grumpy hikers, the brutality of wilderness, body retrieval missions, and the simple but exquisite pleasure of sleep after a long day on the mountain.
Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage
By Jennifer Hahn
Paperback, 268 pages
Mountaineers Books, $16.95
“Travel is, without a doubt, the best education I can give you,” Jennifer Hahn’s father once told her. Steeped in wanderlust from a young age, Hahn embarks on a solo kayak voyage from Ketchikan, Alaska to her home in Bellingham, Wash. Interspersed with everything from Tlingit mythology to seaweed recipes, Hahn’s introspective journey brings alive the plants, wildlife, and waters themselves.
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Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven
By Susan Jane Gilman
Hardcover, 306 pages
Grand Central Publishing, $23.99
The year is 1968. Fresh out of college and inspired by a placemat, Susan Jane Gilman and her best friend take off for a starry-eyed backpacking trip in China. With wit and bravado, Gilman’s memoir speaks to the thrills and perils of independent travel, culture shock, unforgettable strangers and ultimately, human resilience.
Smart Savvy Hiking: What Every Woman Needs to Know on the Trail
By Kim Lipker
Paperback, 236 pages
Menasha Ridge Press, $15.95
This visually appealing guide is packed with inspiring quotes, anecdotes, tips and sidebars like “The Hiker’s Dozen” — 12 essentials for any trailblazer’s backpack—and “Knots 101.” Lipker’s guide breaks the mold with sections like hiking as a solo woman, hiking while pregnant, and games to play on the trail when hiking with children.
Bicycling for Women
By Gale Bernhardt
Paperback, 304 pages
Velo Press, $18.95
With a wealth of information on bike fitting, strength training, nutritional needs and event-specific training plans, Gale Bernhardt’s manual addresses women-specific issues like menstruation, weight loss, osteoporosis, pregnancy and menopause in relation to cycling — while keeping her guide light with practical tips and anecdotes to inspire any woman to get on two wheels and go.
Fresh Off the Couch
By Marla Fields and Cris Kessler
Paperback, 110 pages
Cognitive Fitness, $14.95
Rather than commanding readers to start exercising, this unique book explores psychological roadblocks to getting in shape. Emphasizing fitness over weight loss, the writers offer advice on silencing your internal critic, utilizing a heart rate monitor, setting realistic fitness goals and sticking to them.
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