Grace and Grit: Motorcycle Dispatches of Early 20th Century Women

Author Bill Murphy's driving ambition and tireless research turns up the stories of five women from 1910 to 1916 who set out to pave the way for women adventurers. They packed their motorcycles with tents, tools and tenacity and charged ahead on cross country routes to make a point: that women were strong, capable and fearless. The roads were dirty and dusty, some merely cowpaths, and fuel was hard to find. Flat tires and broken chains were left to their own ingenuity and know-how to repair. And the weather ranged from rain for days to unrelenting desert sun. They endured. Here is the incredible story of daring young women in the Victorian era who chose the adventure of the ultimate road trip on two wheels.