A Road of Her Own

"I wondered what the West would have become if more women had explored the landscape, naming the rivers, valleys, mountains, if we made maps with a feminine geography, " puzzles writer Brenda Peterson in her essay, "Detours." A Road of Her Own is first and foremost a chunk of that long-awaited map, created by stories from twenty western women writers, each of whom offers a unique telling, a different road.<P>Within the book's pages, share Linda Hasselstrom's fear and resolve as her car breaks down and she's stranded in a threatening small town. And rejoice when Kim Barnes succeeds in protecting her small children during a nondescript journey down the road. Shiver and shake as you read about Susan Ewing's lessons in dog sledding in the Yukon. And meet Susan Tweit as she ponders a lifelong health threat during a hike through the Rockies with a dog. Work, widowhood, recreation, pilgrimages into other cultures, journeys to new life in a new land — these are only a few of the themes that the writers in A Road of Her Own touch upon.<P>Maybe women are more able than ever to claim the road for their own, enjoying unprecedented independence. but the literature of their journeys is just beginning to accumulate. A Road of Her Own gathers a richly talented chorus of storytellers to share their singular forays into the heart of the West.

Twenty Western women writers describe their inner and outer journeys in the West by car, foot, and dogsled. They write of obstacles to women travellers, unfulfilled dreams, adventures in the wilderness, and long-distance runs. Blessing is a published author and editor-in- chief at a publishing company.
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