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March 15, 2010
British journalist Morris has traveled for decades, writing her way around the world. Now best known as a travel writer, she here collects vignettes of encounters with and observations of people from her numerous adventures and assignments. Varying from a few sentences to a few paragraphs, each vignette paints a picture or tells a story that brings a personal touch to the narrative of Morris's life and travels. They range from the humorous to the enchanting and tell us as much about Morris as she tells us of people around the world. This is not a typical travelog that one reads essay by essay but something to pick up and put down as time allows. Readers will appreciate the diversity of the people, from the famous to the relatively unremarkable, from six continents. VERDICT Essential for Morris fans, this is also a great travel companion for the road.Sheila Kasperek, Millersville Univ. Lib., PA

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2010
Recognized as a major contemporary travel writer, Morris, in the course of her profession/avocation, has explored all four corners of the globeno exaggeration. Her latest book is a collection of short takes, each one running only one to three paragraphs in length. In introductory comments, the author, from Wales, observes that in a lifetime of travel and literature, I have written relatively little about people. Her new book, then, makes amends, offering glimpses of people encountered across half a century and forty-odd books. The emphasis on individuals rather than destinations results in a delightfully idiosyncratic kaleidoscope: small portraits rendered in colorful and not always adulatory prose. Visiting the current occupant of Longwood, a distinctive octagon-shaped mansion in Natchez, Louisiana, she is treated to a feast of southern fried chicken. Attending a Paris fashion show, however, was not so positive. She sat among the condescending New York buyers and unbelievably ugly princesses of American fashion journalism. Ouch!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)