What kind of book is a good winter read? You want something more complex than most popular fiction. Winter is the time for brooding… for philosophizing… for catching up on the classics. The cold, dark isolation of winter also means many people have more time for reading so longer books are more attractive. For wanderlusters, it more complicated than that. We want to get a sense of being there. We want a book to take us to a new place or help us experience a different culture. Literature is a great escape when you are grounded, snowbound, or missing the carefree days of summer. To continue my winter reading list for travelers…
The Place: India and what later became Pakistan
The Story: An Irish orphan lives a vagabond existence in Lahore and attaches himself to a Buddhist Lama. By chance, an acquaintance of his dead father recognizes him and brings him to England for an education with the Lama’s blessing. Kim returns to India as young man engaged in espionage against the Russians between the second and third Afghan wars during British Colonialism. What follows is the story of a man torn between friends, loyalties, and seeking his own identity. When I was a child, Kipling took me to the “great, gray-green, greasy Limpopo river all set about with fever trees” in Just So Stories, I have been in love with how he brings a setting to life ever since.
7. Sheba: Through the Desert in Search of the Legendary Queen by Nicholas Clapp
The Place: Ethiopia, Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Yemen
The Story: Nicholas Clapp is on a mission. He is an amateur archaeologist and professional documentary film-maker looking for clues about the storied Queen of Sheba. This book reads like a travel guide for historical detectives. The small glimpses we get of the legendary queen are inspiring and intriguing. The reader experiences a dual journey between the present and historical lands of Northern Africa and the middle-east. The fact that he is a professional film-maker comes through in his writing. He is a very visual writer and his words paint very clear pictures in your mind.
8. Anything by James A. Michener
The Place: Usually the book’s title (Poland, Alaska, Texas, Caribbean, Iberia etc.)
The Story: He starts at the beginning. Usually with how the geological features of the land formed and how they effected the course of history in the region. Then he moves on in the form of epic historical fiction. He hits all important historical points and brings up up to some political or environmental controversy of the present day. You get to experience the culture of the place through the eyes of characters you can relate to and care about. Always, he treats complex issues and differing points of view with a thorough exploration and respect for human dignity. You will cheer for the good guys, understand the bad guys, and develop respect for the forces shaping them all. He’s just that good.
9. Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
The Place: New York, NY and Limerick, Ireland
The Story: Frank’s childhood and coming of age as an achingly impoverished boy in the slums of Ireland. This book not only gives you the sense of being there, but shares the experience through the eyes of a hopeful, sensitive boy. McCourt resists the urge to project his adult interpretation over his childhood and instead, tells the story as his boy-self lived it. The result is a witty playfulness, innocence, and acceptance of heartbreaking poverty and desperate times. Not to shabby for a man who got his literary start writing threatening collections letters.
The Place: Anywhere
The Story: Literature lovers can find great pleasure lost on their own unwritten roads. Explore your unmapped imagination by harnessing those long snowbound days to your own pen and see what comes of it. I’ll spare you any more inspiring platitudes, but for those who want to “go there” but would feel more comfortable with a guide, there are many to choose from. I’m a fan of not taking yourself too seriously as a writer during the novel drafting process. So Ready, Set, Novel!: A Workbook by Lindsey Grant, Tavia Stewart-Streit, and Chris Baty is a fun way to lay foundations for your castles in the air. Happy writing!
(If you missed part 1, click HERE to find it.)