Lead Review

• Book: TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY IN THE CEVENNES
• Location: Cévennes (Cevennes)
• Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Review Author: Tina Hartas

The Cévennes was relatively unknown when RLS set off on his journey, spanning just a couple of weeks in the Autumn of 1878, having acquired a donkey – Modestine – to carry the burden of all his gear. She takes some getting used to and he can appreciate her handsome features but he really does struggle to warm to her. His gear heads eathwards more often than not.

This is a gentle story full of observation and detail of his journeys. He meets innumerable people along the way and describes the food he encounters. It is full of wry observations, frustrations and, yes, a little humour

It is firmly and vividly set in its era, you will learn what the word athwart means (from side to side) and a whang (of bread, which I rather like as a term!).

This is a particularly nice read if you are heading for the area and want to get a sense of footsteps past and a flavour of life as it was at the end of the 19th Century.

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