BOOKS THAT TAKE YOU PLACES

ED n Karl w giant redwood copy

A heather-scented wind, salty-sea air, the ding-ding of cable cars, the hushed morning atop a mountain with snow unsullied by footprints, the sighing of wind through the redwood trees, the odd slant of the sun.

These are a few deeply etched memories of good times spent traveling. Many places still remain on my wish list. But I must say, I thoroughly enjoy armchair travel too. When an author crafts a setting that comes alive, that book skyrockets in my estimation. BOOKS that take us awayPictured are a few that come alive in locations beyond the standard foreign fare of England or Paris.

I’ve visited a slice of Scotland. But Liz Curtis Higgs, in her masterpiece of Scotland-love, My Heart’s in the Lowlands, takes us on a detailed tour along roads bordered by dry-stone dykes or hedgerows. We stop at her favorite inns and tearooms, moss-covered castle and abbey ruins, shops, and, of course, bookstores. It’s an insider’s tour of delights gathered over years of research visits to the Scottish Lowlands.

Laura Frantz continues the Scotland-love, introducing us to a rugged Scottish island in the fabulous A Bound Heart. I still want to visit those islands, but at least I’ve had a wee visit to one wild spot.

Tracy Higley’s Petra: City in Stone took me to an arid location I’d likely not choose and had assumed would be boringly repetitious. But she brought it alive. She and Nancy Rue in Healing Sands [not pictured] made the sandy/rocky setting anything but monotonous, and made me rethink my belief that deserts were boring. Michelle Ule joins them for making WW I Egypt come alive in A Poppy in Remembrance.

As I mentioned in my review of Kate Breslin’s Far Side of the Sea, many stories are set during the World Wars in the customary settings of England, France, Germany and such. But Breslin brings us to colorful, bustling war-time Barcelona. Davis Bunn in Florian’s Gate immerses us not only in post-war London, but poverty-stricken Poland with miles of decaying, gray farmhouses smothered with colorful flowers. His is a gripping mystery and romance in a come-to-life setting—well worth reading along with the others in The Priceless Collection set. Kristy Cambron in The Lost Castle spins a WW II tale of mystery and romance set in The Loire Valley of France. Perhaps this isn’t as unusual a location as the others I’ve included here, but it is outside the usual Paris-London-German-Italy quartet. Cambron brings her setting alive, and I’m eager to read her latest, Castle on the Rise, which is set in Ireland.

How alive some settings become surprised me. As I read one of Liz Curtis Higgs Scottish historicals, I could feel the different sensations on my tongue of the wooden spoons the poor used versus the silver utensils of the well-off, and it astonished me. If I cannot journey to a location, I look forward to traveling there via an excellent writer’s story.

So, as my friend Wendy Macdonald says, “I’m nosy to know:” What about you?

What places call to you?

Are you interested in locations outside the foreign settings that usually appear in U.S. published books? Perhaps Iceland? Albania? The Philippines? South Africa? 

 

4 thoughts on “BOOKS THAT TAKE YOU PLACES

  1. So nice to see you here, Alice. I’m guessing you’re as much of an armchair traveler as I am. Thanks for asking about my writing. I’ll include below a few links to short pieces available online~though sadly the publisher has changed the actual photos and artwork. And Guideposts’ upcoming MIRACLES DO HAPPEN will include “Miracle in the High Sierras” about an experience our family had last summer. The “Books” page here on my website lists anthologies that include stories I’ve written. (I’m searching for an agent and publisher for novels.) Thank you for visiting the blog! Hope your birthday was delightful.

    Morning Mail ~ A Christmas blessing story (This story & artwork are pinned to top of my FB author page. You might have seen it there.)
    http://refreshedmag.com/morning-mail/#.XKOWhphKg2w

    Christmas Through the Fog
    http://refreshedmag.com/christmas-through-the-fog/#.XKOSLphKg2w

    Haven on a Shoestring
    http://refreshedmag.com/haven-on-a-shoestring-after-school-program-seeks-to-instill-character-and-life-skills-to-children/#.XKOSZJhKg2w

  2. Such a refreshing post that dovetails well with spring break and cabin fever and travel plans:) I enjoy books with settings outside the US because I usually learn quite a bit. Like you said, if the setting comes alive you really feel you’re there. Liz is so good at that, yes. Adding some of these novels to my list. Happy spring, Mary Kay!

  3. Happy spring, Laura! So glad to meet you here and celebrate good books. What a delight to “visit” new places in books. Liz does it well ~ as do you! Your tale of Lark on her Scottish isle helps alleviate the aching to be back in Alba. Even Ed now feels he’s has a wee journey. Any location you’re eager to visit between pages? Or are you too busy penning your own? Happy spring and happy reading, my friend.

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