Some of the extraordinary women whose writings are including in this collection are observers of the world in which they wander; their prose rich in description, remarkable in detail. Mary McCarthy conveys the vitality of Florence while Willa Cather's essay on Lavandou foreshadows her descriptions of the French countryside in later novels. Others are more active participants in the culture they are visiting, such as Leila Philip, as she harvests rice with chiding Japanese women, or Emily Carr, as she wins the respect and trust of the female chieftain of an Indian village in Northern Canada. Whether it is curiosity about the world, a thirst for adventure or escape from personal tragedy, all of these women are united in that they approached their journeys with wit, intelligence, compassion and empathy for the lives of those they encountered along the way. Features writing from Gertrude Bell, Edith Wharton, Isabella Bird, Kate O'Brien, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and many others.

This volume explores some of the global challenges and possible solutions for transcultural health and social care, and includes a selection of papers that were presented at the 2nd European Transcultural Nursing Association International Conference, in June 2011. This collection explores some of the challenges and possible solutions from the perspectives of various countries regarding promoting transcultural health and social care, including Ireland, Turkey, Strasbourg, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Sweden and Australia. As outlined in the papers included, the provision of transculturally competent care is challenging and requires knowledgeable, skilled and culturally sensitive health and social care professionals. The delivery of culturally competent care requires a commitment from health and social care services, professionals working within these services, and institutes of education responsible for educating healthcare professionals to understand and be responsive to the needs of culturally diverse patients. Learned behaviour and deeply rooted values must be challenged to address unwitting prejudices and stereotyping. Attention should focus on creating an environment of trust where critical reflection occurs, blame is avoided, risk managed and new ideas developed, tested and evaluated.