Louisiana Voyages

Book excerpt: "Toward the end of the 19th century, journalist Field traveled by boat and buggy around Louisiana, writing columns under the name of Catharine Cole for the New Orleans Daily Picayune. Her work spread to other papers, and she was read widely throughout the South. This collection details her journeys around the state in the 1890s. With evocative and adjective-filled prose, she describes the beauty as well as the practical aspects of Louisiana life, including shrimp drying, levee building, and the cost of land. Field conjures up vivid images of the places she visits, such as the town that "lifts its comb of roof and gray gable and soft-colored adobe chimneys from out the clumps and clouds of the chinaberry tree." The editors, both retired professors of English at Clemson University, add brief introductions to each piece. Although Field's travel adventures depict a time without modern convenience, when women were not expected to journey alone, her enjoyment of travel for its own sake resonates with readers today. Recommended for Louisiana libraries and for academic libraries with a Southern history collection.-Janet Clapp, Athens-Clarke Cty. Lib., Athens, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information." --Library Jour.