A new edition of Breaking Trail: Remarkable Women of the Adirondacks is now available from Purple Mountain Press. Since its initial publication in 2004, this book has become a classic of New York State history. In Breaking Trail, authors Peggy Lynn and Sandra Weber teamed up to tell the stories of remarkable and courageous women who blazed trails – in some cases literally – through the Adirondacks in the 19th and 20th centuries.
In Breaking Trail, Peggy Lynn offers us folk songs about strong women, while Sandra Weber digs through archives and recovers pieces of forgotten history.
Together they share 25 stories that will make you laugh, cry, and reconsider Adirondack history. Along the way, we meet hikers, hunters, artists, activists, and educators who have positively impacted the region, including:
Esther Combs: in 1839, at the age of 15, Esther solo-climbed the mountain that now bears her name, Mt. Esther – the only Adirondack High Peak named for a woman–mainly to prove that she could – or so goes the legend.
Mary Brown (1816-1884), an abolitionist who raised a large family on a farm in North Elba and carried on the name of her famous husband, John Brown.
Emily Cheney Neville (1919-1997), a newspaper columnist and Newbery Medal-winning author who, late in life, became a lawyer who offered legal services to prisoners and victims of domestic violence.
The latest episode of the ADK Talks podcast, delves into the pages of this new edition with co-authors Peggy Lynn and Sandra Weber.
They’ve assembled a powerful collection of stories that celebrate women who have left an indelible mark on the region, challenging its limits and expanding our understanding of what it means to belong in the Adirondacks.
You can listen to the podcast here.
About the Authors
Peggy Lynn has recorded numerous albums and has been a full-time singer, songwriter, and arts educator for decades. She performs extensively throughout the Adirondacks.
Sandra Weber has written several books about the Adirondacks, including: The Lure of Esther Mountain: Matriarch of the Adirondack High Peaks (1995); Mount Marcy: The High Peak of New York (2001); and The Finest Square Mile: Mount Jo and Heart Lake (2003).
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