Riding with Ghosts

October 15, 2000
Since Maka's book is based not only on her travels through the American West but also on its rich history, the author had a wealth of material at her disposal and could have provided a solid travel adventure. It is unfortunate that with such excellent resources her story still does not excite or engage. Maka's "solo journey" is misleading inasmuch as her friend Jill shares her first month of travels, and frequent hitchhiking detours dominate a considerable portion of the text. At times, the author is full of praise for what she sees, but at other times her viewpoints are derogatory and condescending. While the historical coverage is good, this reviewer struggled through the book and came to look forward to the end of what is better described as a documentation of a year's ramblings than as adventure literature. A mediocre addition to literary travel genre. Jo-Anne Mary Benson, Osgoode, Ont.

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