Despite having traveled to 95 countries, I have never been to Iraq, nor am I likely to travel there in the near future. My images of the country mainly come from news reports of the war, which don’t offer much insight into what the people and place are like. Palin’s vivid writing, curiosity, and non-judgmental take on his experiences made me feel as though I was traveling with him.
In addition to his encounters with people, he provides historical context and a glimpse into what Iraq’s future might be. It is the best kind of travel writing.
In March 2022, Michael Palin travelled the length of the River Tigris through Iraq to get a sense of what life is like in a region of the world that once formed the cradle of civilisation, but that in recent times has witnessed turmoil and appalling bloodshed. In the journal he kept during his trip he describes the war-ravaged city of Mosul and the children he encounters growing up amid its ruins. He contemplates the graffiti-strewn ruins of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, and he notes the constant presence of armed guards. But there are patches of light amid the dark:…
I met Karen Gedney while traveling in Mexico. She started to tell me stories about her time as a physician at a male prison in Nevada, then gave me a copy of her memoir. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down.
The world inside a prison is one I know nothing about. After reading her recollections of inmates, bureaucracy, successes, and terrifying encounters, I have a far better sense of this very different world.
Her bravery and candor made this a totally compelling read.
Have you ever wondered what really goes on in US prisons? Karen Gedney, the first female prison doctor in Nevada, takes you behind prison bars with such vividness that you become invested in knowing what is coming next. You will learn what it takes to survive when you’re taken hostage and what a prison doctor can teach you about dealing with difficult people. The topics in 30 Years Behind Bars are as diverse as surviving as a woman in a male-dominated hierarchy, overcoming personal trauma, the issues of racism, mental illness, HIV, executions, and cancer. The overriding theme of the…
I’ve been reading the series of mysteries about Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette Manuelitto since Tony Hillerman started publishing them in 1970. After he passed away, his daughter Anne continued the series.
All of them are wonderful mysteries, but what I love about them are the descriptions of the landscape, rituals, thought processes and insights into Navaho culture.
The Way of the Bear, the most recent book in the series (#26), is fast paced, engaging and, as always, gives me greater understanding of a different culture.
Fossil harvesting, ancient lore, greed, rejected love and murder combine in this gripping new installment of New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series.
An unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument raises questions for Navajo Tribal Police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito. Why would a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known paleontologist freeze to death within walking distance of his car? A second death brings more turmoil. Who is the unidentified man killed during a home invasion where nothing much seems to have been taken? Why was he murdered?
Karen Gershowitz is officially a travel addict—one with more than ninety countries under her belt. In these engaging stories, she brings readers along as her companions as she explores, laughs, and marvels at the richness of other cultures.
Whether she’s picking through the worst meal ever in the wilds of Tanzania, eating a transcendent strudel in Vienna, meeting the locals in an isolated opal mining hamlet in Australia’s outback, or learning to make noodles in a Chinese village, she invites you to share in her experiences.
Whatever kind of traveler you are, novice or experienced, or even if you prefer sitting in your armchair, these stories will transport you deep into other ways of living in the world—and, hopefully, inspire you to set out on your own journeys!
