Kite Strings of the Southern Cross : A Woman's Travel Odyssey

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Summary: MY NEW FAVORITE TRAVEL BOOK!
Review: Up until now, Bill Bryson has been my favorite travel author, and I still find him hugely funny, but Laurie Gough is an excellent and funny writer, AND she has real adventures (unlike Bryson, who usually just stays in motels and eats in restaurants). Laurie Gough travels alone with a backpack up mountains, through dark foreign alleys, and from one tropical island to the next. She also has a gift for writing. We studied her book in my travel lit class and we were supposed to compare her odyssey to other odysseys in literature. I got so wrapped up in her story that I went out looking for other stuff she's written. I recommend this book highly!

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Summary: A fellow traveller...
Review: When dad first sent me the book, I looked at the cover and the title and wondered why he was sending it. Not the sort of thing I usually read. And then I saw I grew up with the author, so of course had to read it. And what a treat! As someone who has travelled to some of the same places as Laurie (but with considerably less adventuressness) I was thrilled to see that someone had captured, in beautifully descriptive language, some of the experiences I had as a lone woman travelling the world. I passed it around my office and everyone (travellers and non-travellers alike) enjoyed it immensely. Interestingly people all focussed on different aspects of the story, showing that it really has something for everyone.

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Summary: Gough is present, vulnerable and delightful.
Review: [Laurie Gough] is...an enchanting guide, moving us rather effortlessly from one exotic site to another....Outer and inner landscapes and the poetry of her convictions conspire to create a narrative that is rich and emotional.... Gough is present, vulnerable and delightful.