Overview
On June 25th, 1894, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, a young Jewish mother of three small children set out on a fifteen-month ‘round-the-world bicycle trip that the New York World declared, “the most extraordinary journey ever undertaken by a woman.” In SPIN, Peter Zheutlin takes inspiration from her real-life story to present a rollicking account of her bicycle trip and explore the personal costs of forging ahead as an ambitious New Woman in the 1890s.
Reportedly set in motion by a wager between two wealthy Boston merchants, the bet required Annie not only to circle the earth by bicycle in 15 months, but to earn $5,000 en route, as well. This was no mere test of a woman’s physical endurance and mental fortitude; it was a test of a woman’s ability to fend for herself in the world.
Traveling with only a change of clothes and a pearl-handled revolver, Annie was outlandish, brash, and charismatic – a master of public relations, a consummate self-promoter, and a skillful creator of her own myth. In SPIN, this remarkable heroine and her marvelous, stranger-than-fiction story is vividly brought to life for a new generation.
Review
Because of a wager between two men, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky headed out in June 1894 for a 15 month bicycle tour around the world. Not only did she have to complete the tour…she had to raise $5000 during the tour. Annie and her Pearl handled revolver created quite a stir in every place and town!
This is definitely a different read. I have never heard of Annie Cohen Kopchovsky before. Nor have I ever heard of her bicycle trip ‘round the world!’ I admire Annie, her tenacity and her ingenuity. But, I felt sorry for her family. She left her young children at home for 15 months to accomplish this feat. I will be honest…this is something I had trouble with.
However, I enjoyed reading about Annie and her experiences on this magical trip. Nothing hindered her, including falls and pneumonia. She was truly unstoppable.
Need a unique tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
About the Author
Peter Zheutlin is the author of the New York Times bestseller Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dogs and a Million Miles on the Lost Hope Highway; Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things; and The Dog Went Over the Mountain: Travels With Albie—An American Journey (also available from Pegasus Books), a Lowell Thomas/Society of American Travel Writers Award winner. Peter lives in Massachusetts with his wife, author Judy Gelman.
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