Ida Pfeiffer was a housewife of limited means. But later in life, she became a trailblazing author whose journals about her journeys to Palestine and Egypt (1842), Scandinavia and Iceland (1845), South America (1846) and beyond were important works of her time.
Author Sharon M. Hannon covers Pfeiffer and other globe-trotting women in her book "Women Explorers (Women Who Dare)" (Pomegranate, 2007). The book tells inspiring stories, with dozens of historical and contemporary photographs, about women who faced more social barriers and societal restrictions than their male counterparts. That list includes Pfeiffer and Dr. Constanza Ceruti, the only Andean high-altitude archeologist in the world.
Hannon will discuss her book at the Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls, 703-444-3228, Saturday, March 24, at 2 p.m. Her talk is part of an ongoing series from the Library of Congress in Celebration of WomenÕs History Month. Books will be available for purchase.