About Hannah Kimberley

My biography involves a more intimate view of Peck and her accomplishments that will be enjoyed by a popular audience – one that recreates her Hannah_Kimberly-8x10_BnW-72dpidramatic achievements and iron resolve to explore uncharted territory and conquer virgin peaks in a world dominated by men.

I first learned about Peck in 2007 via a poster from an antique shop that displays an image of her in her climbing costume and reads, “A Woman’s Place Is at the Top.” I had never before heard of Peck, but the image of her in her climbing costume was so striking that I set out to see who she was and what she had accomplished. After some research, I became completely enthralled with Peck’s accomplishments, including her scholarship, her climbing career, her role in politics, and her longstanding commitment to the advancement of women’s rights.

Annie Smith Peck is one of the most accomplished women of the twentieth century that you have never heard of. Until now.  A Woman’s Place Is at the Top is the biography of an ultimate underdog, a woman who singlehandedly carved her place on the map of mountain climbing and international relations. With unprecedented access to Peck’s original letters, artifacts, and ephemera, this book will bring her entire life to the page for the first time.

 A Woman’s Place Is at the Top:The Biography of Annie Smith Peck is now available! You can order it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and IndieBound.

You can also check out more images of Peck on my Instagram Page.

23 thoughts on “About Hannah Kimberley”

    1. hannahskimberley Post author

      Thank you so much, Nate! What a wonderful use of Facebook! I also visited your Tripod Site (natelevin.tripod.com) and saw your writing on Carrie Chapman Catt — what an amazing woman she was! By the way, Catt and Peck knew each other and corresponded during the 1920s and 1930s, mostly about Catt’s conferences on “the Cause and Cure of War.” I look forward to reading more of your work and visiting your Suffrage Buffs of America Facebook Page often!

      Cheers,

      Hannah

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  2. Nate Levin

    Seems like Peck had a more interesting personality than Catt. Many considered Catt to be a dull stick in the mud, though I think of her as the ultimate organization woman. Are you familiar with Marguerite Kearns’s “Suffrage Wagon” blog? Or David Dismore’s daily posts on women’s history on Facebook? I see a network of suffrage fans arising.

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    1. hannahskimberley Post author

      Ha, Nate! Well, Peck was interesting to say the least, but also noted, “I have never been accused of having a sense of humor.” Essentially, I think both women took their business seriously, and were fighting a huge backlash against their causes. So it makes sense that they might be labeled as “sticks in the mud.” Of course, hindsight is 20/20! Thanks for the references re: the other suffrage blogs — I will be sure to check them out! And, yes, it is about time for a larger fanbase who recognizes the importance of the suffrage movement, especially since it so closely parallels the many political and cultural instances of our own place in time. Thanks again!

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  3. Nate Levin

    Hannah, thanks so much for your kind attention to my Facebook page. I have to say for Catt that she did have a sense of humor; she wrote light verse and as a speaker often drew laughs from the audience.

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  5. gwen

    we would be happy to host you for a book talk/signing in Hudson, Ohio on your book tour. Let us know if you are coming through the area

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    1. Hannah Kimberley Post author

      Hi, Gwen. I really appreciate that. I don’t think my publisher is sending me on a book tour. However, if I am ever in or around Hudson, Ohio, I will certainly contact you. Thank you!

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  6. Ann Whalen

    I’m enjoying your book a great deal but I have to correct an obvious error which is that Mt Shasta is not in Yosemite, not even close.

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    1. Hannah Kimberley Post author

      Hi, Ann. Thank you for this great note and your close reading. I did not intend to imply that Mount Shasta was in Yosemite. Annie started in San Francisco, then headed to Yosemite, and then to Mount Shasta. I will be sure to clarify that in the next printing. I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying the book! Thanks again!

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  7. Josh Nilaya

    Hi Hannah. WNPR was hoping to set up an interview with you about this new book. It would be this Thursday from 1:40-2pm EDT and would reach our audience of over 240,000 NPR listeners. We’re happy to promote your book in exchange. Please let me know ASAP if you’re interested.
    Josh Nilaya
    Producer | WNPR
    The Colin McEnroe Show
    W: http://www.wnpr.org
    E: jnilaya@wnpr.org
    T: 203-589-2852

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  8. Nate Levin

    Hannah—I enjoyed reading your book. I especially liked the sections in which ASP was racing against time or rival climbers, and the many adventures and misadventures she experienced during those times. Very well done indeed!

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  10. Esther Rothblum

    You indicate that there is no prior book about Annie Smith Peck, yet there is the book WOMEN OF THE FOUR WINDS that focuses on four women explorers–the first is Annie Smith Peck–with some of the same photographs. I love that book and have re-read it several times.

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    1. Hannah Kimberley Post author

      Hi, Esther. Thanks for your message. Yes! While Olds’ book is not a full-length biography about Peck, it does contain one remarkable chapter about her, which I have read many times over myself and cite in my book. Thanks for reading A Woman’s Place Is at the Top! Best wishes, Hannah

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  11. Stuart Nurse

    I came across Annie Peck’s name while reading about a certain Mr. Bingham and was immediately intrigued by her. It was with great pleasure therefore I discovered your book, which I regard as excellent in all respects except one. You label Ms. Peck as a racist because, while climbing in South America, she expressed apprehension about travelling alone with local men she did not have a cultural connection with. This is a sad example of the kind of retroactive political correctness that taints such much of modern history writing. Given the fact that the Geographical Society of Lima commended her for, “the many kind thoughts you have left on record regarding the inhabitants of Peru,” she can’t have been that much a racist.+

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    1. Hannah Kimberley Post author

      Hi, Stuart. Thank you so much for reading my book! I don’t think there’s any escaping looking at history through a contemporary lens. I was not condemning all of Annie’s actions. My book has celebrated her achievements while pointing out that she was a product of her time and a flawed, complicated human being, as are we all.

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