Brownsworth, Claire. Big world; a girl's own adventure.

BROWNSWORTH, Claire. Big world; a girl's own adventure. Allen & Unwin. 261p. illus. c2005, 1-74114-308-X. $14.95. SA

Twenty-something Claire Brownsworth grew up on a five-acre Australian bush block, a tomboy from the beginning. Instead of playing with dolls, she was "outside barefoot, dirty, climbing and exploring, just waiting for any opportunity to have an adventure, more often than not limping home with jumper-ant bites and bleeding body parts." At the end of her senior year of high school in 1994, she was six foot two, had sold a painting, and entered the physiotherapy program at the university. In college, which she hated, Claire discovered the joys of rock climbing. After graduating she took a job in a mining town in the Outback, took up beer and found more rocks to climb. She soon discovered that she should have attended more classes and hurriedly sat down with a pile of textbooks to research treatments. Claire took various jobs and traveled to Arnhem Land, where the aboriginal tribes live, Wales, the Middle East (Turkey for paragliding, Syria for a steam bath and diarrhea), and London. In Australia in 2000, Claire got a chance to sail on the Endeavor, a replica of Captain Cook's vessel, and she surfed in frigid waters off the coast of Cornwall. Next she tried her hand at videography, filming a trip with Hot Rock, a three-year around-the-world rock climbing and mountaineering expedition that she joined in 2003 in La Paz, Bolivia. She met Adam, the love of her life, who shared her passion for climbing. Just three months into their relationship, they bought "eighteen acres of rambling bush, a creek, a rainforest, a dilapidated cottage, a driveway, rusted old water talks, power poles and a magical rambling garden alive with flowers and birds. Oh, and a hell of a big carpet snake that lives in the roof." Claire's philosophy, gleaned from a pit toilet, is that "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'Woo-hoo, what a ride!'" A few photos, several boyfriends, lots of beer, a brief glossary of climbing terms, and scattered obscenities included. The descriptions of climbing are worth the price of the book. Janet Julian, English Teacher (retired), Grafton, MA

S--Recommend for senior high school students.

A--Recommend for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.