"'Isabella Bird was like a wild vine stuck in a too-small pot. She needed more room. She had to get out. She had to explore.' Exploring was easier said than done in Victorian England. But Isabella persisted, and with each journey, she breathed in new ways to see and describe everything around her. Question by question, word by word, Isabella bloomed. First, out in the English countryside. Then, off to America and Canada. And eventually, around the world, to Africa, Asia, Australia, and more."-- Provided by publisher.