So over at Voices I have a review of Martha Field's late 19th century weekly columns for the New Orleans Daily Times: Louisiana Voyages. (She wrote under the name of Catharine Cole.) I thought Field was a total kick - she went all over the state by all manner of transportation and was constantly ferreting out information on turtle hunting, logging, fishing for all kinds of creatures and the glory of swamp life. In one column she would write about a Cajun wedding and in the next she was considering the romantic architecture of antebellum mansions. Her interests were incredibly diverse and she really was pretty much fearless. I would love to read a biography of Field and see how she end up with a job that allowed her to pursue so many elements of Louisiana life.

I have noted many times before my weakness for intrepid lady explorers; there is something about the vision of these women suiting up in the 18th and 19th (and early 20) centuries and just going off to find out more about the world they live in while most women were lucky to spend five minutes outside of the kitchen (or nursery). I think they embody all of those stellar ideas of feminism that have gotten rather muddled over the years - travel was what they wanted to do and so they did it, plain and simple. They also were not anti wife and mother as many were married and traveled with their husbands and many, as in the case of Martha Field, were also mothers who managed to make the travel work with being a parent. (This is part of why I'd like to see a biography of Field - I want to know how she managed that trick.)

The whole time I was reading Field's columns I kept thinking that somebody needed to write a mystery series with her as the protagonist. She was so involved in the research of every community she visited, I'm sure there are ample ways in which plots could be concocted around burglaries, murders and kidnappings in such unusual locales. (Ala the wonderful Rosemary and Thyme series perhaps.) Since Field was clearly the curious sort, I'm sure she would have no problem getting involved and I think it would be most interesting to have a historic series set in late 19th century America that perhaps dwelled as much on rural life as it did in the intrigues of New Orleans. (I'm just saying - a ton of stuff has been written set in England.)

You could even make Field younger and turn the whole thing into a YA historic detective series. I mean really - someone should write this.

All of this has made me think of adult mystery series that would appeal to teens and my first thought was Amelia Peabody because it has Egypt, romance, drama and EGYPT! (Everybody finds the pyramids fascinating.) I blew through a bunch of these books in my early 20s and think they would be awesome for high school. I also was reading a book the other day where a teen interview subject noted his love for the Easy Rawlins mysteries. I read some of them also when I was in my 20s but it's been awhile - seems like they would work too though. So, any nominations of adult mysteries for the You Should Read This Awards?