Follow the Stars Home BY Diane C. McPhail

"The Steamboat Odyssey: Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt's Journey" is a captivating biographical novel that reimagines the remarkable voyage of Lydia Latrobe Roosevelt, an intrepid woman who defied the odds in 1811. Acclaimed for her previous work, the author of The Seamstress of New Orleans brings Lydia’s extraordinary story to life in a lush and evocative narrative.

On October 20th, 1811, Lydia boards the steamship New Orleans in Pittsburgh, eight months pregnant and accompanied by a toddler. This voyage is fraught with danger and defies convention, as Lydia, daughter of one of the architects of the U.S. Capitol, undertakes an unprecedented journey. Despite her father’s disapproval of her marriage to Nicholas Roosevelt—an older business colleague and inventor of the steamboat—Lydia has always been one to challenge norms. She had already made waves with a flatboat honeymoon, but this trip is far more significant.

Nicholas’s untried steamboat aims to revolutionize travel and trade by proving steam power's viability on the Mississippi River. Success would not only secure the Roosevelts' future but also transform American expansion. However, the journey is fraught with peril: growing unrest among native populations, disease, and the treacherous Falls of the Ohio, a sixty-foot drop believed impassable for such a large vessel.

As Lydia faces these formidable challenges, the voyage will test her resilience and courage, with consequences that will shape both her life and the course of American history. This novel is perfect for fans of Paula McLain, Gill Paul, and Allison Pataki, celebrating a lesser-known yet extraordinary female adventurer.