Civil War and the problem of loyalties -- A Savannah childhood -- Schooling in the South and beyond -- Emotional upheaval -- Broken hearts -- Omens and weddings -- The whirl of married life -- Wars, colonial and domestic -- A parting of the ways -- Journeys -- General Sir Robert Baden-Powell -- The Savannah Girl Guides -- The excitement of Girl Scouting -- Good deeds -- Girl Scouting in the roaring twenties -- Making new friends internationally -- Epilogue: "long live the Girl Scouts!"

In celebration of the Girl Scouts' centennial, this biography ia a salute to its maverick founder. Born at the start of the Civil War, Juliette Gordon Low grew up in Georgia, where she struggled to reconcile being a good Southern belle with her desire to run barefoot through the fields. Deafened by an accident, "Daisy" married a dashing British aristocrat and moved to England. But she was ultimately betrayed by her husband and dissatisfied by the aimlessness of privileged life. Her search for a greater purpose ended when she met Robert Baden-Powell, war hero, adventurer, and founder of the Boy Scouts. Captivated with his program, Daisy aimed to instill the same useful skills and moral values in young girls, with an emphasis on fun. She imported the Boy Scouts' sister organization, the Girl Guides, to Savannah in 1912. Rechristened the Girl Scouts, it grew rapidly because of her unquenchable determination and energetic, charismatic leadership. In this biography, the author paints a dynamic portrait of an intriguing woman and a true pioneer whose work touched the lives of millions of girls and women around the world