Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest

Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest recounts the captivating journey of bold women who departed the safety and luxuries of refined Victorian society to explore the vast landscapes of the American Southwest, seeking a broader understanding of both themselves and the world around them. Natalie Curtis, Carol Stanley, Alice Klauber, and Mary Cabot Wheelwright, characterized by their education, restlessness, and curiosity, underwent transformative experiences in the early decades of the twentieth century, profoundly influenced by the people and scenery of the Southwest. Within a notable circle that included influential women like Louisa Wade Wetherill, Alice Corbin Henderson, Mabel Dodge Luhan, Mary Austin, and Willa Cather, these resilient women envisioned and established a new home, society, and identity, shaping not only their destinies but also paving the way for the generations of women to come.

AWARDS: WILLA Literary Award, 2016. Reading the West Book Award for Nonfiction, MPIBASilver Medal, US History, 2016 IPPY AwardsWestern Writers of America Spur Award finalist.

REVIEWS: Ladies of the Canyons is the story of New Women stepping boldly into the New World of inconspicuous success, ambitious failure, and the personal challenges experienced by women and men during the emergence of the Modern Age. “Poling-Kempes’s command of social history, cultural anthropology, and prehistorical archaeology is evident throughout this volume. The lives depicted in “Ladies of the Canyons” is yet another narrative of lives well lived and a reminder that no person is an island.” — Canadian Journal of Archaeology
“Poling-Kempes is an experienced writer of both history and fiction, and deftly weaves a clear and engaging narrative from what could have become an overwhelming barrage of people, places, and events”–The Journal of Arizona History

“This book fills an important niche in the history of the Southwest”– New Mexico Historical Review

“The members of her ‘league of extraordinary women’ come together in the Southwest much like the members of television’s A-Team assemble for their maverick adventures”–Western Historical Quarterly