Brave the Wild River

The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon

By: Melissa L. Sevigny

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off to run the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious and entrepreneurial expedition leader, a zoologist, and two amateur boatmen. With its churning waters and treacherous boulders, the Colorado was famed as the most dangerous river in the world. Journalists and veteran river runners boldly proclaimed that the motley crew would never make it out alive. But for Clover and Jotter, the expedition held a tantalizing appeal: no one had yet surveyed the plant life of the Grand Canyon, and they were determined to be the first.

Through the vibrant letters and diaries of the two women, science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny traces their daring forty-three-day journey down the river, during which they meticulously cataloged the thorny plants that thrived in the Grand Canyon's secret nooks and crannies. Along the way, they chased a runaway boat, ran the river's most fearsome rapids, and turned the harshest critic of female river runners into an ally. Clover and Jotter's plant list, including four new cactus species, would one day become vital for efforts to protect and restore the river ecosystem.

Brave the Wild River is a spellbinding adventure of two women who risked their lives to make an unprecedented botanical survey of a defining landscape in the American West.

©2023 Melissa L. Sevigny (P)2023 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

A look into the past

I've been down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, and this book helped me see how it must have been back in the day. As a Botanist-by-trade, I deeply feel what these women felt. Great story telling!

Wonderful book!

It was so interesting to hear about the early exploration of the Colorado river from two amazingly adventurous women.

Favorite book of the year

Loved this tale of adventure, courage and science. Inspired by the determination of these women to overcome the challenges of society and achieve something truly amazing only to be forgotten with time. This also inspired me to visit one of the original boats they used to raft the Colorado River in a museum in Green River, Utah. Also appreciated the epilogue with follow up on each of the characters after their historic trip down the Colorado.

Excellent

Well told story. The story of taking a raft down the river was riveting. Educational and interesting story of women in the sciences going into the wild

Taking women seriously in science

I liked that the author used the scientific names for the plants. I loved the descriptions of life on the river. I have run the Grand Canyon and could picture where they were and the rapids they were running. This book accurately details the obstacles and harassment that women face yet how we have made progress with more changes needed. As a woman in science and one who love botany this book was a joy to read!