BOOKS to pair with our/your TRAVELS

As we travel, we often come across wonderful books about the area, written by local authors. Like a fine wine with a good meal, these books expand our knowledge and understanding of the place, its people and its history. Here is a list of our favourite ones. We’ll be addig titles often, so check back regularly. The best place to order is, of course, your local independent bookstore. You can also order from www.betterworldbooks.com which ships for free to most countries and supports literacy.

CLICK THE HEADINGS TO GO TO POSTS ABOUT THOSE COUNTRIES

Australia

• In addition to the usual travel guides to Australia like Lonely Planet, Fodor and others, we found these books enlightening:

• Who Am I? by Robert Bernard Taylor.

  Well, he was a child migrant from Britain, sent to Australia by an orphanage even thought he, most likely, was not an orphan. He because a park ranger in Australia and traced his uncertain roots. A fascinating read about how the continent was, in part, populated.

• Australia, Beyond The Dreamtime by Thomas Keneally and others. This BBC book celebrates the continent’s rich and varied history from several viewpoints.

• Over 40 in Broken Hill, by Jack Hodgins (McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 0-7710-4192-6) is the story of unusual encounters of a Canadian in the Outback.

• Cold Beer and Crocodiles, a bicycle journey into Australia by Roff Smith

• Charlie Boorman’s By Any Means (Sphere, ISBN 978-1-84744-247-5) highlights Charlie’s travels by motorbike from Wicklow, England to Wolongong, Australia.

• My Place by Sally Morgan was a fascinating read for us as we traveled across Australia. She was told she was white but discovered she was aboriginal. The book traces her journey and discoveries and is now an Australian classic. Highly recommended. ISBN 0949206318

• Tanami: On Foot Across Australia's Desert Heart by Kieran Kelly. This book made me extra thankful for the comfortable vehicle we had to cross the Outback but is an amazing true adventure story. ISBN 978073291188

• Thumbs Up Australia, Hitchhiking the Outback by Tom Parry, ISBN 978-1-85788-390-9

• Koala Lou, I Do Love You and Possum Magic, by Mem Fox

• In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson

• Nomads At Large is written by Monty Dwyer, an Australia radio personality who traveled and interviewed seniors known here as grey nomads. This book opened our eyes to the vast numbers of retirees who all buy campers and start traveling around the country as they retire, changing the economy of many places.

• The Salvado Memoirs is a historical account of Australia focused on a particular Catholic mission in the mid 1800’s with the emphasize on aboriginal information. It is a biography of a Benedictine priest who ended up being a bishop and who established one of the first missions in the country. The book gives amazing details on customs and language of the aboriginal people.

• The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

Cambodia:

• Cambodia, Nick Ray, Lonely Planet

• The River’s Tale, A Year on the Mekong by Edward A. Gargan

• Angkor, Heart of an Asian Empire, Bruno Dagens

• Art & Architecture of Cambodia, Helen Ibbitson Jessup

Canada:

• The Kids Book of Canada's Railway: And How the CPR Was Built by Deborah Hodge

• The Kids Book of Canadian Immigration by Deborah Hodge

British Columbia:

• Totem Poles and Tea by Hughina Harold

• Vancouver Island Vs The World, Donna Lynch

• The Curve of Time: The Classic Memoir of a Woman and Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest, Blanchet, M. Wylie

Salt Spring Island:

• The Freedom of Jenny, Julie Burtinshaw - a fictional children’s book based on actual history of settlers.

• Hiking the Gulf Islands of British Columbia,  Charles Kahn

• Salt Spring: The Story of an Island, Charles Kahn

• Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life by Brian Brett

• High Endeavours: The Extraordinary Life and Adventures of Miles and Beryl Smeeton by Miles Clark - a brief mention of Salt Spring but a fascinating biography of two explorers.

• Mod & Lavender: Salt Spring Island In The 60’s by John Grain

• Planet Salt Spring by Arthur Black, CD audio book

• Salt Spring: portrait of an island, Michael Levy

• Once Upon An Island, David Conover

• Never Fly Over an Eagle’s Nest, Joe Garner

Haida Gwaii:

• Hideaway by James Houston.

• The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Vaillant

• Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands by George F. MacDonald

Nunavut + NorthWest Territories:

• Confessions of an Igloo Dweller, James Houston

• An Arctic Man by Ernie Lyall is the fascinating account of a man who spent his entire life in the Arctic, close to 100 years ago.

• Paddle to the Arctic, Don Starkell

• Northern Exposures, Eric Walters

• The Inukshuk Book, Mary Wallace, explains what inukshuks are how they are built and used across the Arctic.

• T Is for Territories: A Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut Alphabet by Michael Kusugak

• Baseball Bats for Christmas, Michael Kusugak, a wonderful true story from the North for kids.

• Fatty Legs, by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton  - about residential school.

Yukon:

• A Castle on the Frontier, John Lammers

• Yukon, A Wilder Place by Teresa Earle with photography by Fritz Mueller

• Drifting Home, Pierre Berton

• I Married The Klondike by Laura Bertson

• Women of the Klondike by Frances Backhouse

• Books by John Firth: Cariboo Hotel, Yukon Quest, Whitehorse History and more.

• The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Spell of the Yukon, by Robert Service, illustrated by Ted Harrison

• My Ninety Years, the Life of Martha Black by Flo Whyard

• Me and Martha Black, Margriet Ruurs

Chile:

• Easter Island: Mystery Islands, Discovering the Ancient Pacific, Tom Koppel

• Traveling With Che Guevara by Alberto Granado

China:

• Beijing is in series Through Time by Richard Platt, illustrated by Mauela Cappon, Kingfisher, New York, ISBN 978-0-7534-6175-4

• Adventures in Ancient China, Bailey, Linda

• Throwaway Daughter, Ting-xing Ye

• The River’s Tale, A Year on the Mekong by Edward A. Gargan

Czech Republic:

• Rick Steves’ Prague & The Czech Republic

Ecuador:

• Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman.

Egypt:

• One of my favourite books ever is Desert Queen, The Life of Gertrude Bell, by Janet Wallach. The amazing life of a British woman who explored, was ally of Lawrence of Arabia and helped establish borders of Syria.

• Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell

• The Great Pyramid by Piazzi Smyth

• Pyramids Road, An Egyptian Homecoming, Midhat Gazalé

• Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff by Rosemary Mahoney

• Mistress of Nothing, Kate Pullinger

• Dreamers of the Day, Mary Doria Russell

• Ancient Egypt by Linda Bailey is a children’s book but packed full of fun facts for readers of all ages.

• The Egyptology Handbook: A Course in the Wonders of Egypt (Ologies) by Emily Sands

Ethiopia:

• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (fiction)

• No Biking in the House Without a Helmet, Greene, Melissa Fay (not strictly about Ethiopia but a fun read about a family that travels to and adopts severla kids from Ethiopia)

• The Storyteller's Beads by Jane Kurtz 

• Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot by Jane Kurtz

Greece:

• The Island by Victoria Hislop

• Aesop’s Fables

• Greek Mythology: Learn About Greek History, Myths, Gods, and Legends by Amy Hughes

• Mythos by Stephen Fry is a fabulous retelling of the Greek myths.

• One of our favourite movies is Zorba the Greek starring Anthony Quinn, based on the novel The Life And Times Of Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis.

Indonesia:

• Berani by Michelle Kadarusman, ISBN 978-1-77278-260-8, Pajama Press

Israel/Palestine:

• One of my favourite books ever is The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. This is the powerful true story of friendship across religions and cultures in one of the most divided places on earth - a young Palestian man and a oyung Jewish woman who grew up in the same place and struggle with the consequences of where they live.

• This Heated Place: Encounters in the Promised Land by Deborah Campbell

• My Jerusalem, Secular Adventures in the Holy City by Bronwyn Drainie

• A powerful book about Israel and Palestinian conflict and hope for peace: I Shall Not Hate, A Gaza Doctor’s Journey by Isseldin Abuelaish is an important autobiography.

• Two kids’ novels: Habibi by Noami Shihab Nye and

• Lydia, Queen of Palestine by Uri Orlev. Both books give a good idea of life in Palestine/Israel.

• If you are interested in books about the Holocaust, this children’s book is one of the best I know: The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen.

Italy:

• Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King

• Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, Ross King - both of these books are incredible accounts of life in Italy around the 1500’s. All details are based on facts and the writing bring the era and place to life.

• The Bookseller of Florence, Ross King

• Pompeii, Robert Harris - a fictional account of the eruption of Vesuvius and how it impacted people at the time. A total page turner.

• Under The Tuscan Sun, Frances Mayes

• Travelers’ Tales of Tuscany, James O’Reilly

• The Scribe of Siena, Melodie Winawer - this is a fictional novel involving time-travel, well researched and interesting to read after The Bookseller of Florence.

• Extra Virgin, Annie Hawes.

• Head Over Heel, Chris Harrison

Jordan:

• Leap of Faith, Memoirs of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor is a great read not just as a personal biography but full of interesting information about Jordan and its history.

• I Married A Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen is a fascinating biography about a New Zealand woman who marries a Bedouin and ends up living in a cave in Petra, raising her children there and even hosting the Queen of England at one point. She still signs books in Petra on occasion: http://marriedtoabedouin.com/

Kazakhstan:

• Diplomatic Bagage, The Adventures of a Trailing Spouse by Brigid Keenan is an entertaining story of the wife of a diplomat living in Kazakhstan. She has often hilarious adventures, misunderstandings and enriching experiences. A very fun read.

Kenya:

• Circling The Sun by Paula McLain

• Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story, Sheldrick, Daphne

• Walking Home, Eric Walters

• Hope Springs; My Name is Blessing; Light A Candle - all beautiful African stories by Eric Walters

• Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya, Napoli, Donna Jo

• Tick Bite Fever by David Bennun

Laos:

• The River’s Tale, A Year on the Mekong by Edward A. Gargan

Malaysia:

• A Malaysian Journey, Rehman Rashid

• The Gift of Rain and

• The Garden of Evening Mists, both by Tan Twan Eng

Mexico:

• Mexico, James Michener

• Plants in the Mayan Culture, Traditional Remedies, Food and Art - written by Svetlana Aleksandroff, ISBN 978-0-615-39528-9

• The Lost World of Quintana Roo, Michel Peissel

Mongolia:

• Walking The Gobi by Helen Thayer is the story of an incredible walk across this vast desert. Their adventures and descriptions are a great read! ISBN 978-1-59485-112-4

• Lost in Mongolia by Colin Angus. This is a cray, 5,500 KM journey down the Yenisey River. ISBN 0-385-66014-6

• Mongolia, Nomad Empire of Eternal Blue Sky by Carl Robinson is an in-depth look at the ocuntry, the culture, the people and everything Mongolian. ISBN 978-962-217-808-3

• Hearing Birds Fly is written by Louisa Waugh, who spent time living in a remote village in the western Gobi. This book gives a great impression of life in a rural, remote village. ISBN 978-0349115801

• Adventures on the Ancient Silk Road by Priscilla Galloway and Dawn Hunter

Morocco:

• The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah

• In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah

• The Caravanserai Stories by Tahir Shah

• Casablanca Blues by Tahir Shah 

• The Anthologies: Morocco by Tahir Shah

Myanmar:

• The White Umbrella: A Woman's Struggle for Freedom in Burma Kindle - by Patricia W. Elliott. This book was recommended to us inside Myanmar. When I asked if they had a copy, they said ‘No. And if you mailed us one, we’d go to jail’.

• The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason

• Burmese Lessons: A true love story by Karen Connelly

• The Lady and The Peacock by Peter Popham is the story of ‘The Life of Aung San Suu Kyi’

• Golden Parasol: A Daughter’s Memoir of Burma, Wendy Law-Yone

Pakistan:

• The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad is, of course, not about Pakistan but about Afghanistan. However, parts of this nonfiction book take place in Pakistan and the culture is similar. A fascinating read that sheds light on history, religion, customs and beliefs.

• The Nine Lives of Pakistan: Dispatches from a Precarious State by Declan Walsh. This brandnew release by the former New York Times Pakistan bureau chief paints an arresting, up-close portrait of a fractured country.

• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.

• I Am Malala, The Girl Who Stood Up for Education, Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb.

Panama:

• The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough

• Panama Fever: The Epic Story of the Building of the Panama Canal by Matthew Parker

Saudi Arabia:

• Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Sasson, Jean 

• In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta A. Ahmed 

South Korea:

• When My Name Was Keoko, Linda Sue Parks. A beautifully written novel based on true events in Korea, a children’s book that gives a great overview of Korea’s history under Japanese occupation.

Spain:

There are many, many books about the Camino de Santiago. You can find guide books but also personal accounts, including:

• All The Good Pilgrims, Robert Ward

• Camino de Santiago, A Practical Manual, by John Brierley

• I’m Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago by Hape Kerkeling

• The Camino, Shirley MacLaine

• I’ll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair by Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuck is the impressive account of a guy pushing his friend in a wheelchair. This is also listed under movies.

• Off The Road, A Modern Day Walk Down The Pilgrim’s Route Into Spain, by Jack Hitt

• Two Steps Forward, Graeme Simsion

• The Chocolate Pilgrim by Marie Maccagno

• The Way of Saint James, by James Bentley

• My Camino of Grief, Lucy Dineen

• Roads To Santiago, Cees Nooteboom

• The Camino Club by Kevin Craig is a new YA title - the fictional but realistic account of how a group of juvenile delinquents change as they walk. I had to get passed the foul language and negative attitudes in the beginning, but the end was worth it.

Other great books about Spain:

• Tales of the Alhambra, W. Irving

• Driving Over Lemons, Chris Stewart

• A Parrot in A Pepper Tree, Chris Stewart

• The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society, Chris Stewart

• Two Old Fools in Spain, Victoria Twead

• The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley

Switzerland:

• Swiss Watching by Diccon Bewes is a fun-to-read in-depth look inside everything that makes Switzerland and the Swiss tick. A great read, even if you are not traveling there.

• Heidi by Johanna Spyri is the Swiss story we all remember from childhood.

Tanzania, Serengeti:

• Barefoot Over the Serengeti by David Read is the wonderful childhood story of the author growing up among Maasai boys on Tanzania’s wild plains.

• Among The Elephants, Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton, this is a classic about African wildlife and preservation.

• 14 Cows for America, Carmen Agra Deedy and Kimeli Wilson Naiyomah, illustrated by Thomas Gonzales

• The Shadow of Kilimanjaro, On Foot Across East Africa by Rick Ridgeway

• Lonely Planet guide to Tanzania

Thailand:

• Bridge Over The River Kwai, Pierre Boulle

The Netherlands:

• Why The Dutch Are Different, Ben Coates, ISBN 978-1-857-88685-6

• The Dutch, I Presume? Icons of the Netherlands by Martijn De Rooi

• The official Pieterpad Guide, in Dutch, LAW 9-1: Pieterpad, NIVON

• Tulipomania: The Story of the World's Most Coveted Flower & the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused, Mike Dash

• Anne Frank’s Diary

Turkey:

• Full Moon over Noah's Ark: An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and Beyond by Rick Antonson, ISBN 1510705651

• Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci is a great graphic novel autobiography.

United Arab Emirates:

Dubai - • Sand Fish by Maha Gargash

USA:

• Alaska by James A. Michener (also Texas, Centennial, Chesapeake Bay and Legacy)

• Pilgrim’s Wilderness, A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier, by Tom Kizzia

• Educated, Tara Westover

• If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska by Heather Lende

• Race Across Alaska: First Woman to Win the Iditarod Tells Her Story by Libby Riddles, Tim Jones

• Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins (not the novel by the same name by John Green!)

• Hawaii, James A. Michener

• Moloka’i by Alan Brennert

• Up In The Hawaiian Sky, Lavonne Leong

• Route 66 Still Kicks, Driving America’s Main Street by Rick Antonson

• Ordinary Days, Family Life in a Farmhouse by Dorcas Smucker (Oregon)

• Walk Across The Sea, Susan Fletcher

• A Walk in the Woods, Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, Bill Bryson

• The Water Is Wide, Pat Conroy

Zambia:

• Tick Bite Fever by David Bennun is a hilarious account of life both in Zambia and Kenya.

• For Dutch speakers: Wieke in Zambia by Wieke Biesheuvel is a heartwarming account of a doctor/writer couple making a home in Zambia.

• The Eye of the Elephant by Delia and Mark Owens has as subtitle An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness - and it is. The impressive account of how they created a sanctuary for elephants as they battle poachers and bureaucracy. By the authors of Cry of the Kalahari. ISBN 0-395-42381-3

World in general/Global Travel:

• The Lost Girls, Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, Amanda Pressner. Three young women have adventures around the world for one year in countries like Kenya, Thailand and much more. ISBN 978-0-06-168907-9, Harper

• Our Trip Around The World by Renate Belczyk is a 2020 release. It is the story of two young German girls who set off on a trip around the world shortly after WWII in hopes of making friends and promoting peace. They have fabulous adventures hiking, climbing and cycling around South America, in Japan, in India, across Egypt and many other places. They fly by the seat of their pants, working, cleaning, teaching and making friends anywhere they go. A fascinating read.

• The International Bank of Bob, Connecting our Worlds one 25.- KIVA loan at a Time. This book is by Bob Harris who wondered if KIVA loans (online micro lending at www.kiva.org) really make a difference. In this book he shares his stories of meeting people and seeing their difference circumstances and how we can all help each other. As a long-term KIVA lender I loved reading this book. ISBN 978-0-8027-7751-5

• Take Me With You, A Round The Word Journey to Invite a Stranger Home by Brad Newsham. If we all set out to do what Newsham did, perhaps there’d never be war. He set off on a journey to find one special person to invite to visit him in America. Along the way he has great adventures and meets people from all walks of life. ISBN 0-345-44912-6

• Tales of A Female Nomad, Rita Golden Gelman. I very much enjoyed this book by a woman who quit ‘normal’ life and started traveling. She lived in Mexico, stayed in Indonesia, had adventures in Israel and many places in between. A great read.

• Pole to Pole, Michael Palin - a fascinating account of following the 30º east line of longitude, he travels from the North Pole, along the longitude line that crossed the most amount of land - via Norway, Russia, all the way to Egypt. His adventures south along the Nile and eventually all through Africa are fascinating. The book is older but that doesn’t really impact the adventures and his travelogue. ISBN 0-563-36283-9

• Around The World in 80 Days, Michael Palin. It’s an older title so much of the politics, sometimes even borders, have changed. But it’s still a fun book, particularly if you are interested in train and boat travel. It also made me read the original Around The World in 80 Days by Jules Verne, which is a most interesting book to (re)read. ISBN 0912333391

• Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood is the true story of how he left a high paying job to start building schools and libraries around the world. His foundation, Room to Read, is one of the most effective NGOs I know of, bringing books in local languages to children: www.roomtoread.org ISBN 978-0-06-117906-8

• Charlie Boorman’s By Any Means (Sphere, ISBN 978-1-84744-247-5) highlights Charlie’s travels by motorbike from Wicklow, England to Wolongong, Australia.

• Abel's Outback: Explorations and Misadventures on Six Continents by Allen Abel is a fun read. It starts with wild adventures in Australia but is about much more than the Outback. He writes about his travel in Kuwait, Hong Kong, about northern Canada and many other far flung places. ISBN 978-0771007064

• Both world travel and historic nonfiction, High Endeavours, The extraordinary life and adventures of Miles & Beryl Smeeton is the impressive biography of an adventurous couple. In the 1930’s she crossed Patagonia on horseback. She walked across Burma. Together they lived in India and many other places, sailed around Cape Horn (twice) and packed more adventure into their lives than anyone else. A great read. ISBN 1-55054—58-0 (Douglas & McIntyre)

• A Boat in Our Baggage, Around the World with a Kayak by Maria Coffey is a wonderful adventure of a young couple and their foldable kayak. They paddle around the South Pacific, down Lake Malawi, even the Ganges River. A wonderful read. ISBN 0-349-10631-2

• Beyond The Horizon by Colin Angus is the fascinating, if somewhat bizarre, story of his race to finish the first human-powered circumnavigation of the planet. ISBN 978-0-385-66364-9

• You Are Here, by astronaut Chris Hatfield is a gorgeous photo essay of photos of earth from space. An eye opener to the fascinating planet on which we live. ISBN 978-0-345-81494-4

• One Year Off, Leaving it all behind for a round-the-world Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen is a fun, readable account of a family’s trials and tribulations as they travel the world. ISBN 0-684-83601-7

• A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel is a stunning coffee-table photo book by Annie Griffith Belt, a National Geographic photographer. The book is a chronological account of her travels from the USA to Galapagos, Jordan, Mexico and many other places. ISBN 978-1-4262-0245-2

• In The Footsteps of Marco Polo, Denis Belliveau and Francis O’Donnell, ASIN : B0163Y3AGM. This gorgeous book is also available as a video. You’ll enjoy watching this and reading the accompanying blog: https://www.wliw.org/marcopolo/2008/12/04/watch-the-full-episode/

• The Back of Beyond by David Yeadon is a fine collection of travel stories of wilder places around the globe. The big problem is that it’s so old by now, published in 1991, that much has changed. But if you can forgive that, it’s a fun read.

• Unforgettable Journeys to Take Before You Die, by Steve Watkins and Clare Jones - is a book that makes me want to travel even more. It lists trips that are so intriguing, like a sail on a tall ship from Rome to Venice, a boat on the Canal Du Midi, and many more.

These books are great reads about countries we have not (yet) visited. reading these makes me want to go there (except North Korea :-)

• Anguilla: A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean by Melinda Blanchard, Robert Blanchard

• Bhutan: Married to Bhutan by Linda Leaming, who married a man in this tiny country where the gross national product is measured in happiness rather than money. Her descriptions of the country and life in general make me want to go there! ISBN 978-1-4019-2846-9

A Field Guide to Happiness: What I Learned in Bhutan about Living, Loving, and Waking Up by Leaming, Linda

• Ghana: King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village, Bartels, Peggielene

• India: Q & A by Vikas Swarup ISBN 978-0552772501. The movie Slumdog Millionaire was based on this book but - the book is even better!

Secret Daughter and The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

• Mali: To Timbukto for a Haircut by Rick Antonson. I like all of his books but this one especially since it goes to a place where ancient manuscripts are housed in a historic library. On this topic, read also: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer.

• Morocco: A House in Fez: Building a Life in the Ancient Heart of Morocco by Suzanna Clarke

The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shah

In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah

Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir

• North Korea: The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee is the fascinating true story of life in North Korea and her escape to a life of freedom.

• Papua New Guinea: Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones Walking With Ghosts in Papua New Guinea by Rick Antonson

• Rwanda: Road Trip Rwanda by Will Ferguson. In this fascinating nonfiction book, Ferguson achieves the impossible: he writes a funny book about, mostly genocide. It is a heartwrenching, touching story about a dark history but written in a beautiful manner with a generous sprinkling of humour. It works. Highly recommended. I learned so much about today’s Rwanda.

• South America: Paddle to the Amazon, Ultimate 12,000 Mile Canoe Adventure, by Don Starkell

Walking the Amazon: 860 Days. The Impossible Task. The Incredible Journey by Ed Stafford

• Syria: Nujeen: One Girl's Incredible Journey from War-torn Syria in a Wheelchair by Nujeen Mustafa, Christina Lamb ISBN 0062567756

• Vietnam: Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai  A story of leaving Vietnam, ISBN 0061962783 Three Moons in Vietnam, Maria Coffey

Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham

• Zimbabwe: One Hundred and Four Horses by Mandy Retzlaff