Brilliant book- really made all the countries come to life!!

• Book: Backpack
• Location: China, South East Asia, Tibet
• Author: Emily Barr

This is a really fantastic book. Initially I hated the character of Tansy- she is a really bitter drug addict who does nothing but complain about her own life etc etc, and this made it quite hard for me to get past the first 30 pages- but I am so glad that I did! She eventually goes travelling throughout SE Asia and up into Tibet, and each different location completely comes alive with her witty and comical insights into the backpacker lifestyle! I particularly enjoyed the passage where she ranted on about all the different names backpackers have for different bags- very funny and very true!
This book (apart from in the first 30 pages) is full of very likeable characters- especially the very fanciable Max, and is brilliantly written. I definitely didn’t expect it to end the way it did-which I think is the sign of a very well written book!
I can’t wait to read another of her books, as they really bring the location to life and make me want to go back to all of them! Definitely a must read for all people going to SE Asia (although maybe not for women travelling alone!!)

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