A Voyage in the Sunbeam

Deemed by the "Wall Street Journal" as one of the five best books about female adventurers, "A Voyage in the Sunbeam" is a collection of Annie Brassey's journal entries of her voyage around the world with her family (husband and four children), crew (38 members), two dogs, three birds, and a "charming Persian kitten" (who disappeared early into the voyage) aboard a 157-foot steam-powered yacht. Starting at noon on July 1, 1876, they sailed from England and visited South America, the South Pacific, Asia, and the Middle East, returning back home on May 26, 1877. A best-seller in its day, with its descriptions of exotic locales and ship life, this book was even used as a textbook in the United States.