I did enjoy this autobiographical account, derived from the diaries of Margaret Fountaine, though I believe she is very fortunate to have had W F Cater, of the Sunday Times, as Editor of her voluminous and by all accounts sometimes boring diaries. Miss Fountaine, for she never actually married, was a lady of independent means and a passionate lepidopderist (Butterfly collector), born in 1862. Blessed with indpendent means, for this purpose about £400 per year, travelled widely throughout her life, attracting many male admirers and quondam lovers along the way. Given the time period, her fortitude and determination deserve a certain admiration, though other more sympathetic character traits are hard to find in the text. ( )

I purchased this book second-hand a number of years ago and it sat on one of my book shelves patiently waiting to be read. I finally got around to reading it this Summer and am cross with myself for not having read it sooner! It is a wonderful account of an adventurous Victorian woman. What a life, what incredible travels, the people she met and the situations she found herself in. I had to read a couple of the sections twice just to make sure that I had read what I thought I had read! - sorry no spoilers.

So why only 4 & half stars and not the full five? Well it is in no way anything against the wonderful Miss Fountaine. It is simply to do with the brevity of the book, only 203 pages when the diaries themselves went to twelve volumes. Yes, I know that it would have been impractical to print all but more would have been very welcome. There is a sequel [Butterflies and Late Loves] but even this is only 174 pages long. I personally would have liked to know more about which butterfly books she owned/read in order to know where to find and identify her ever growing collection but then I am a keen naturalist and bookworm.

A great read for all who enjoy travel, natural history, or simply daring-do. A truly 'wild and fearless' life. ( )

I hope that by now most of us are disabused of the notion that well-off Victorian/Edwardian women did nothing but pay calls and swoon in the orangerie. Those who still hold that view should read Miss Fountaine's diaries. (This book is, in fact, a mere smattering of Fountaine's actual diaries, which began in 1878 and continued on until 1939, shortly before her death.)

The daughter of a country clergyman, Margaret and her mother and siblings were left, after his death, without a great deal of money. However, as there were large, comfortable families on both sides, the widow and children were not what we would consider poor. Two of her uncles were quite wealthy, and one made provision for his sister's children in his will, resulting in Margaret's independence.

And, oh! what she did with it! She had fallen in love with a man who, frankly, didn't deserve her, and quite literally attempted to buy him, renewing acquaintance in a letter following her inheritance in which she boldly points out her good fortune. Fortunately, despite his positive response, nothing came of the relationship, and she was free to wander the world and leave us these diaries.

It was not uncommon in this era for young ladies of her class to study natural history, and Margaret's consuming interest was lepidoptera. She pursued this interest in Italy, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, the Middle East, and in 1901, in Damascus, she met a young Syrian with "grey eyes that were always looking toward me." For the rest of his life, despite separations, disapproval, and his marriage, they continued to look towards her, as hers did towards him.

She was always open to what was new, adopting first the bicycle, then the car, and ultimately the airplane as modes of transportation. She grew from a modest maiden to a woman fully in charge of her desires. She took risks, she never stopped learning, she reveled in life.

I am only sad that this volume ends in 1913. I'd like to read what she had to say about the next twenty-seven years.

a great story of a woman who went everywhere for butterflies. ( )

Read this book in my twenties, it appealled to my love of nature,art,travel and romance. ( )