In My Mind's Eye

October 15, 2018
The nonagenarian historian and travel writer invites us into her private world with a mixed but amiable daily diary of her thoughts, observations, and reflections.Morris (Battleship Yamato, 2018, etc.) does not dwell overmuch on the indignities and tribulations of old age; rather, she celebrates the fact that she is still alive and (mostly) kicking, taking pleasure in the grand and mundane in like measure. She does not mention being a pioneering transsexual, nor--since her traveling days are now few--her fame as one of our most accomplished travel writers and historians. Many of the entries are lighter than air, others nostalgic or wistful, chipper or gloomy, lilting and poetic, naïve or mildly cynical. Some deploy philosophical insights on the human condition and sharp assessments of current world events. The book moves from humor to veiled melancholy to sharply delineated sense of place, with some of the author's own sprightly verse for grace notes. While her chief subject is her home of 70 years, Wales, Morris definitely has some bees in her bonnet. Whatever pops into her head gets equal time, from Brexit and agnosticism to the abomination of zoos, the malleability of memory, the better angels of Britain's imperial era, the U.K.'s current malaise, her special affection for the United States, the intimate presence of the books in her personal library, the horrors of the daily news, the spellbinding mysteries of birds, and the seductive traps of ego. There's also an ode to Montaigne, asides on her longtime companion Elizabeth, a dissection of monarchical absurdities, an appreciation of technological advancements, an accounting of the marvelous menagerie of keepsakes in her home, and an elegy for the changing nature of the English character.Though some pieces begin jauntily but fade into irrelevance, Morris generally keeps readers engaged, as she has done successfully for decades.

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November 1, 2018

Acclaimed Welsh author Morris (Pax Britannica trilogy) provides a collection of reflections that begins in the early part of her career, when she gained renown as a correspondent covering the first British ascent of Mount Everest. Now in her 90s, Morris, herself a trans woman, wrote one of the first autobiographies addressing gender transition, Conundrum, in 1974. Here she covers topics ranging from her love of the Welsh countryside to her frustration with religion. She also expresses her overall dismay with the state of global politics. Morris often muses on the cruelty meted out by society, especially against animals and throughout appeals to all people to "be kind." VERDICT Candid, and often humorous, this take on the human experience will appeal to the author's many fans, as well as those interested in the wisdom of one who has traveled a remarkable path.--Mary Jennings, Camano Island Lib., WA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2018
From large-scale issues? It is not that the United Kingdom . . . has disgraced itself. It has simply, it seems to me, lost the gift of greatness"?to smaller, more personal concerns? Then it occurred to me how amazing it is that there are still enough unused groupings of musical notes for people to write yet more piano concertos. Won't they ever run out? ?esteemed Welsh travel writer and historian Morris (Ciao Carpaccio!, 2014) lets her wondrous mind, supported by a writing style both effervescent and substantial, land here and there. Now in her nineties, Morris decided to reflect on the many varied subjects that catch her attention in a year-spanning "thought diary." But readers shouldn't imagine that these brief pieces are in any way incidental scribblings airing toss-away musings. Quite the contrary; for this consummate observer and chronicler, brevity belies depth. At one point, Morris refers to both the gentle beauty of England's countryside and the grandness of its history. One can describe Morris' prose the same way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)