Woman, Captain, Rebel

Description

Woman, Captain, Rebel
by Margaret Willson

ISBN: 9781728240053
Softcover, new

Brief Description:
A daring and magnificent historical narrative nonfiction account of
Iceland’s most famous female sea captain who constantly fought for women’s
rights and equality–and who also solved one of the country’s most
notorious robberies. Every day was a fight for survival, equality, and
justice for Iceland’s most renowned female fishing captain of the 19th
century. History would have us believe the sea has always been a male
realm, the idea of female captains almost unthinkable. But there is one
exception, so notable she defies any expectation. This is her remarkable
story. Captain Thurídur, born in Iceland in 1777, lived a life that was
both controversial and unconventional. Her first time fishing, on the open
unprotected rowboats of her time, was at age 11. Soon after, she
audaciously began wearing trousers. She later became an acclaimed fishing
captain brilliant at weather-reading and seacraft and consistently brought
in the largest catches. In the Arctic seas where drownings occurred with
terrifying regularity, she never lost a single crewmember. Renowned for her
acute powers of observation, she also solved a notorious crime. In this
extremely unequal society, she used the courts to fight for justice for the
abused, and in her sixties, embarked on perilous journeys over trackless
mountains. Weaving together fastidious research and captivating prose,
Margaret Willson reveals Captain Thurídur’s fascinating story, her
extraordinary courage, intelligence, and personal integrity. Through
adventure, oppression, joy, betrayal, and grief, Captain Thurídur speaks a
universal voice. Here is a woman so ahead of her times she remains modern
and inspirational today. Her story can now finally be told.