In this episode of She Wrote Too, we dive into one of the most extraordinary and strangely forgotten works of women’s travel writing: On Sledge and Horseback to Outcast Siberian Lepers by Kate Marsden. It’s a pretty special title for the true story of an incredible adventure!
Caroline had read this book and told me about it - I had not read it but having done some cursory googling (also known as ‘research’) I was very interested to know more about this extraordinary story. Listen how I, characteristically, rudely interrupt Caroline’s well-considered thoughts on this incredible read.
Published in 1892, Marsden’s account follows her gruelling, ice-bitten journey across Siberia in search of a cure for leprosy and to investigate the conditions of remote leper colonies. It’s a book full of contradictions: deeply Victorian and yet radically bold; missionary in tone yet quietly rebellious; full of hardship, compassion, controversy, and grit. As Caroline says, she does love a grim read. It raises the question we keep coming back to on this podcast: how do women like Marsden disappear from literary history when their lives were anything but small?
We explore Marsden’s resilience, the political and religious storms she walked into, and the way her voice oscillates between duty, adventure, and something much more complex. We also talk about the reception of her work - why it was celebrated, then dismissed, and how modern readers can reclaim it with fresh eyes.
It’s a remarkable story from a remarkable woman. Make yourself a cup of something warm, settle in, and let’s ride alongside Kate Marsden into the snow.
Ho ho oh.
