Ever hear of Victoria Drummond, the woman who single handedly used her sailing skills to prevent German bombing of her British troop ship? Did you know there was a huge market for women travelling as stewards across the Atlantic? The new book Maiden Voyages looks at the stories of these women, and the history of women at sea. While we’ve read time and time again about the influences of men on sea travel, we don’t always get to hear about the women who helped establish ship travel, which later turned into the cruise ship industry. With fascinating stories about individual ships and the women who sailed in them, the book itself is already a must read. The audiobook narrated by Jilly Bond makes it even more delightful. It was wonderful to hear the stories of women watching out for young immigrants, protecting them from possible traffickers and guiding their charges safely to port. Stories of bravery in war time abound in this book, and it gave me a new look at many women I’d never heard of, but who should be greatly celebrated.
As someone who grew up around The Queen Mary and has loved time out on the water, Maiden Voyages is a superb read or listen. Maiden Voyages is available now from Macmillan.
