Reading around the world: how to travel without leaving your home
If you happen to know me personally then you’re well aware of my love for reading. Over the past several years I have met and exceeded my personal goal of reading 100 books per year. Even though I’m dyslexic, I am able to enjoy books through Audible while driving, doing chores, or gaming. With over 300 titles devoured since beginning my annual challenges, I’m bound to find stories set in some of the most picturesque locales in the world. Through masterful storytelling, the following authors have described their settings so perfectly that I want to immediately pack their book in my carry-on and soar off to submerge myself in the culture and beauty of the landscape. Unfortunately for many in today’s economy, who has the money or time? Until then, here are some of my favorite travel-inspiring books that just might send you to new places.
100 Years of Solitude
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Aracataca, Colombia
“At that time Macondo was a village of twenty adobe houses, built on the bank of a river of clear water that ran along a bed of polished stones…”
This story follows 7 generations of the Buendia family, whose patriarch founded the village of Macondo–a fictional city based on the author’s hometown, Aracataca, Colombia. Both the literal and fictional towns are secluded rural places found along the banks of Rio Aracataca. Through the century of history covered within, 100 Years of Solitude paints a colorful fresco of life in 19th and 20th century Colombia.
Readers are walked through huge events in Colombia’s history without it feeling like a Latin American history course. Macondo develops from a small settlement to a fully-realized modern society. Generations of the Buendia family experience the true-to-life effects of the Colombian Civil War, the economic development of railroads, and the rise and fall of Banana Republics. Published as a work of mystical realism, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez adds a touch of magic to every chapter, offering readers non-stop curiosity and entertainment.
Bright colors mean a lot to me. My brain feels good whenever I am surrounded by vibrant colors, which most in the autistic community call “stimming”--short for stimulating. When I realized that Garcia Marquez included colors as symbols, I connected with this book deeply. For example, the imperialist Spanish government is symbolized with yellow–a prominent color of the Spanish flag. Another surprise history fact that I found neat!
With its vast wealth of culture, enigmatic landscapes, and a people proud of their indigenous ancestors, I can’t imagine a better place to lounge and take in the mystical realism of life around us than Colombia.
The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District
James Rebanks
Lake District, Northern England
“Working up these mountains is as good as it gets… There is a thrill in the timelessness up there. I have always liked the feeling of carrying on something bigger than me, something that stretches back through other hands and other eyes into the depths of time.”
I had the absolute honor to read about James’s life in a university colloquium course focusing on global nomadic peoples (rest in peace, professor Ellen Poteet). A very common occupation for nomads is shepherding, allowing the flock to lead their way. Reader, please note, this is no textbook of dates and facts. A Shepherd’s Life is a memoir from one of the funniest herders in the world.
Rebanks is vulnerable and honest about his feelings towards his education, tourism, and the history of his country. The author speaks candidly on the shock he endured when he realized his school was teaching a “dead, rich, white man’s version” of the country’s history. “Landscapes like ours were created by and survive through the efforts of nobodies,” he proclaims. “This is a landscape of modest, hard working people. The real history of our landscape should be the history of the nobodies.”
The mountainous area of the Lake District in Cumbria county is known for having 16 lakes and is a popular tourist destination. The area resembles the landscape of its bordering country, Scotland, rather than what is considered the average English countryside. Because mountaineering isn’t really my thing, I’d stick to the lush forest below the tree line, the watery valleys, or overlooking the dunes neighboring the Irish Sea. A Shepherd’s Life delights the senses with breathtaking
A Shepherd’s Life delights the senses with breathtaking descriptions of the beautiful environments. Dubbed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a governmentally protected National Park, everyone knows there is something special about the disposition of this idyllic landscape.
The sheep (and lovely dogs) may feature heavily in his accounts, but this is hardly about them. Instead, readers learn about the duties, hardships, and physical strains of a life fully intertwined with the land. A clever quip mentioned while working during inclimate weather always makes me chuckle. “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.”
I highly recommend keeping up with James’s journey through his enjoyable online presence.
The Island of Missing Trees
Elif Shafak
Nicosia, Cyprus
“...You might be surprised to see the soil take on unexpected shades. Rusty red, soft peach, warm mustard, lime green, rich turquoise… [Humans] imagine the sky in blue, the grass in green, the sun in yellow, and the earth entirely brown. If they only knew they have rainbows under their feet.”
This masterfully written novel follows the romance of a couple in a politically dangerous relationship. Partially set in 1970s Cyprus, a Greek and a Turk fall in love under the branches of a young fig tree. Their love was forbidden after Greece-Turkey relations were strained by the Cold War. Ultimately, the island of Cyprus was divided by Greek and Turkish rule. The other timeline in the book is set in London where the lover’s child is learning about her heritage after her mother’s death. The creative treasure of this novel is Shafak’s inclusion of a third narrative: the fig tree. Throughout the story, the fig tree oversees the blooming risky romance before being transplanted in suburban London.
Common themes throughout Shafak’s works include the oral and written culture between her Eastern and Western worlds, Turkish human rights issues, and advocating for gender equality and the violence against women epidemic. In The Island of Missing Trees the issues of generational trauma, political unrest, and culturally dividing nationalisms. The way she is able to address historical events while still capturing the beauty of Aphrodite’s birthplace is astonishing.
An ancient Mediterranean island, Cyprus offers stunning beaches, thick woodlands, and mountains caressing Elysium. Widely known as the Island of Love, romance features heavily in Cypriot culture. Known for their sweet dessert wine and crystal clear waters, who wouldn’t fall madly in love with a total stranger? Beyond its natural beauty and cultural depths, Cyprus hosts 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, meaning the tiny island is home to some of the most influential places in the development of our world. 11,000 years of history can be experienced on an island hardly bigger than Connecticut.
The Death of Vishnu
Manil Suri
Mumbai, India
“What will happen to the flowers, now that you are gone? The colors that brighten the darkness of the stairs, the scents that perfume the air[?]”
Filled to the brim with Hindu mythology, The Death of Vishnu follows the story of a dying man and those around him. Vishnu lives on the stoop of an apartment building, affecting every neighbor who must pass by him. Readers see into the lives of the other residents as the ever-present Vishnu ascends the building’s staircase, symbolizing the soul’s progress into the afterlife. These stories bring rich and deeply human characters to life as metaphors for the social and religious divisions in turn of the 20th century Mumbai–then: Bombay.
Another novel I was blessed with as assigned reading, Suri’s work allowed an International Studies course to be engrossed in meaningful understanding of Indian culture. I was deeply moved by this book in the sense of shared humanism. A Newsday review said it best, “In just a few pages, Suri immerses us in a world almost unimaginably foreign from our own, yet universally understandable.” This book certainly reminds readers of the similarities within diversity.
A city full of enchanting surprises, Mumbai is the city of peaceful chaos. This city is full of life, culture, and excitement. An ancient culture conjoined with architecture only a century old, as much of the subcontinent was raided by British colonizers. A city of islands off the coast of the Arabian Sea, Mumbai is known for its bustling markets, vibrant street life, and colorful festivals. Imagine reading this soul-changing novel on the steps of a temple to the god Vishnu. It may sound stereotypical if I say that I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to grow spiritually than India.
As long as the history and culture are treated with the utmost respect, Mumbai should be moved up on your travel list.
Homegoing
Yaa Gyasi
Elmina, Ghana
“There should be no room in your life for regret. In the moment of doing, you felt clarity…”
You may be noticing a theme in my book choices–I took a lot of international literature courses in college. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi was popular and well-liked in Immigrant Literature.
Similar to Marquez’s “100 Years of Solitude,” this is a tale of multiple generations beginning in the 18th century with the colonization of their tribal village and the development of the Atlantic slave trade. Following the familial roots, the story advances through history. Readers are offered true insights on slavery, segregation, the Great Migration, and the Harlem Renaissance through the eyes of those who lived it. Due to the sheer amount of characters, the novel is often considered a collection of historical fiction short stories. Each character is presented in their timeline, all with unique perspectives. This can keep the storyline fresh and new, keeping my attention from lingering.
Even though the majority of the book takes place in the United States, the beautiful southern coast of Ghana is featured in both the beginning and end. An important featured landmark is the Cape Coast Castle. This was one of the many designated slave ports that dotted the Gold Coast, now a World Heritage Site. UNESCO believes the castle is a testament to the horrors of the slave trade and needs to be preserved in solemn remembrance.
Coastal towns like Elmina offer picturesque views of the sea from white sand beaches. A backdrop of wild rainforest mixes with a cool breeze and an even cooler drink. A quarter of Ghana’s population is found in coastal communities, sharing space with the Kakum National Park. There, visitors can find tons of endangered species from elephants to monkeys while walking amongst the canopy on a 40 meter rope bridge.
If you’re an adventurer interested in a laid back, friendly culture with new things to see around every corner, the Cape Coast region of southern Ghana may be the best place to crack open Gyasi’s “Homegoing”.
So, with these recommendations, go off on your next adventure! Whether you're on a flight, in a new country, or just lounging in bed, these books are sure to immerse you in exciting spots.
