Mischievous Creatures

Book cover of Mischievous Creatures: The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science

Book description

The untold story of two sisters whose discoveries sped the growth of American science in the nineteenth century

In Mischievous Creatures, historian Catherine McNeur uncovers the lives and work of Margaretta Hare Morris and Elizabeth Carrington Morris, sisters and scientists in early America. Margaretta, an entomologist, was famous among her…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Mischievous Creatures as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Olivia Campbell

Author

I was totally captivated by the tale of these scientist sisters—one an entomologist, the other a botanist—who lived together and collaborated on projects. I loved how they seemed to almost gleefully eschew the societal and social expectations of women in mid-1800s America and fully embrace their passion for nature.

While true that interest in plants was one scientific discipline deemed feminine enough for women (flowers, so girly!), being a professional scientist was still a relative novelty at the time, making these women true trailblazers. Historian McNeur does an amazing job at unearthing their stories by depicting amazing scenes and underscoring…

From Olivia's list on the history of women in science.