Jeanne Baret, was a French peasant during the Age of Enlightenment. As a herb woman she had great knowledge of plants and began an association with the noted botanist, Philibert Commerson, and when he joins an expedition to circumnavigate the globe, she accompanies him, but …more disguised as a young man since women were considered bad luck on French ships. The author's research is meticulous, and so the book reads like an academic thesis. While there are some documents relating to the voyage, including the captain's log, many parts of Jeanne's life are undocumented, so there is a lot of 'might have', 'could have', 'must have'. Fictionalized, this could be a great film, but here it is somewhat dead in the water.
The published edition includes some black & white photos, but no map. I would have found a map most helpful, especially when they are navigating the Straits of Magellan. (less)