Lands of Lost Borders

Posted on 04 July 2018 by Kate Harris

NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE RBC TAYLOR PRIZE Every day on a bike trip is like the one before but it is also completely different, or perhaps you are different, woken up in new ways by the mile As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and philosopher had gone extinct From her small town home in Ontario, it seemed as if Marco Polo, Magellan and their like had long ago mapped the whole earth So she vowed to become a scientist and go to Mars To pass the time before she could launch into outer space, Kate set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, then settled down to study at Oxford and MIT Eventually the truth dawned on her an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines And Harris had soared most fully out of bounds right here on Earth, travelling a bygone trading route on her bicycle So she quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Mel, this time determined to bike it from the beginning to end Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer before her, Kate Harris offers a travel narrative at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of a world that, like the self and like the stars, can never be fully mapped. Best Read Lands of Lost Borders Author Kate Harris For Kindle ePUB or eBook – kino-fada.fr The end of the road was always just out of sight Cracked asphalt deepened into night beyond the reach of our headlamps, the thin beams swallowed by the blackness that receded before us no matter how fast we biked Light was a kind of pavement thrown down in front of our wheels, and the road went on and on If you ever reach the end, I remember thinking, I ll fly off the rim of the world I pedaled harder Some lights shine brighter The sky is full of stars, all with their distinct glow, col The end of the road was always just out of sight Cracked asphalt deepened into night beyond the reach of our headlamps, the thin beams swallowed by the blackness that receded before us no matter how fast we biked Light was a kind of pavement thrown down in front of our wheels, and the road went on and on If you ever reach the end, I remember thinking, I ll fly off the rim of the world I pedaled harder Some lights shine brighter The sky is full of stars, all with their distinct glow, color, and twinkle But there can be no denying that, as breathtaking as are all the lights we can see after s... Beyond avenging my childhood ideals of explorers, and figuring out how to be one myself, I wanted to bike the Silk Road as a practical extension of my thesis at Oxford to study how borders make and break what is wild in the world, from mountain ranges to people s minds, and how science, orspecifically wilderness conservation, might bridge those divides So there I was, rich in unemployable university degrees, poor in cash, with few possessions to my name beyond a tent, a bicycle, and som Beyond avenging my childhood ideals of explorers, and figuring out how to be one myself, I wanted to bike the Silk Road as a practical extension of my thesis at Oxford to study how borders make and break what is wild in the world, from mountain ranges to people s minds, and how science, orspecifically wilderness conservation, might bridge those divides So there I was, rich in unemployable university degrees, poor in cash, with few possessions to my name beyond a tent, a bicycle, and some books I felt great about my life decisions, until I felt terrified. Always an o...I received an advance reader s copy fro a Goodreads giveaway You can t hep but admire the determination of Ms Harris and her companion Mel to complete the bicycle journey along the Silk Road This journey took over a year in conditions varying from freezing to scorching temperatures, and very little in the way of creature comforts along the way I really enjoyed her descriptions of the terrain, and the many of the historical references to the locations she travelled through, especially in the I received an advance reader s copy fro a Goodreads giveaway You can t hep but admire the determination of Ms Harris and her companion Mel to complete the bicycle journey along the Silk Road This journey took over a year in conditions varying from freezing to scorching temperatures, and very little in the way of creature comforts along the way I really enjoyed her descriptions of the terrain, and the many of the historical references to the locations she travelled through, especia...I had been craving a good travel memoir for some time now Kate Harris Lands of Lost Borders not only hit the spot, it completely exceeded my expectations Packed with historical, geographic and scientific facts, literary references and philosophical wisdom, this book is an impressive debut and well deserving the recognition Harris passion, curiosity, and love for mountainous landscapes and vast spaces are contagious Though I ve never felt particularly drawn to Central Asia as a travel de I had been craving a good travel memoir for some time now Kate Harris Lands of Lost Borders not only hit the spot, it completely exceeded my expectations Packed with historical, geographic and scientific facts, literary references and philosophical wisdom, this book is an impressive debut and well deserving the recognition Harris passion, curiosity, and love for mountainous landscapes and vast spaces are contagious Though I ve never felt particularly drawn to Central Asia as a travel destination, nor compelled to hop on an almost yearlong bike trip, her courage and determination certainly are envious As is her ability...What a disappointing book Kate came across as incredibly privileged I wouldn t have minded reading a book about a woman who biked across Asia and read about her journey from start to finish I would have loved reading about a woman who travels off the beaten path and makes deep meaningful relationships with people and their cultures Reading her boast for pages and pages about how she s an explorer and destined for greatness, chronicling her Oxford and MIT experiences didn t wow me Was it sup What a disappointing book Kate came across as incredibly privileged I wouldn t have minded reading a book about a woman who biked across Asia and read about her journey from start to finish I would have loved reading about a woman who travels off the beaten path and makes deep meaningful relationships with peop...Disclaimer I did not receive a free copy of Land of Lost Borders A Journey on the Silk Road I paid full price for it at the bookstore and I am so glad that I did Kate Harris really is a wonderful writer and eventhan that she is a wonderful thinker Her ability to make connections between her lived and inner experiences and the wider, wilder, world are what make this book fulfilling There are so many books out there about journeys alone the Silk Road that it would seem as though one mo Disclaimer I did not receive a free copy of Land of Lost Borders A Journey on the Silk Road I paid full price for it at the bookstore and I am so glad that I did Kate Harris really is a wonderful writer and eventhan that she is a wonderful thinker Her ability to make connections between her lived and inner experiences and the wider, wilder, world are what make this book fulfilling There are so ma...I won an advanced copy of Lands of Lost Borders from the publisher and it arrived just as I got sick with the first bad cold of the winter I was so excited to delve right in to this delicious read and escape my misery This book is part memoir, part adventure travel guide, part history lesson and part science fiction at least for me Harris had always dreamed of traveling to Mars but found herself instead cycling from Istanbul, Turkey to Leh, India. roughly 10,000 km in 1o months For me, he I won an advanced copy of Lands of Lost Borders from the publisher and it arrived just as I got sick with the first bad cold of the winter I was so excited to delve right in to this delicious read and escape my misery This book is part memoir, part adventure travel guide, part history lesson and part science fiction at least for me Harris had always dreamed of traveling to Mars but found herself instead cycling from Istanbul, Turkey to Leh, India. roughly 10,000 km in 1o months For me, her story might as well have taken place on Mars It seemed as r...From small town Ontario, Kate Harris went on to study at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and earned science degrees from UNC and MIT The passion driving her was space exploration but once she ended up in a lab she took off to explore the Silk Road by bicycle and reinvented herself as a nature and travel writer Her writing style, powers of observation and academic background, along with her thirst for exploration, are such that this memoir deserves to sit with authors like Rory Stewart, Pico Iyor a From small town Ontario, Kate Harris went on to study at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and earned science degrees from UNC and MIT The passion driving her was space exploration but once she ended up in a lab she took off to explore the Silk Road by bicycle and reinvented herself as a nature and travel writer Her writing style, powers of observation an... Lands of Lost Borders A Journey on the Silk Road is a delightful memoir by author Kate Harris Inspired as a child when she found an illustrated and abridged book, belonging to her mother, and highlighting Marco Polo s travels on the Silk Road Combine that with an adventurous spirit and the dream of one day, pursuing science and perhaps going to Mars, Harris talks a childhood friend, Mel, in accompanying her cycling the fabled and historic Silk Road What follows is an exciting adventure and a Lands of Lost Borders A Journey on the Silk Road is a delightful memoir by author Kate Harris Inspired as a child when she found an illustrated and abridged book, belonging to her mother, and highlighting Marco Polo s travels on the Silk Road Combine that with an adventurous spirit and the dream of one day, pursuing science and perhaps going to Mars, Harris talks a childhood friend, Mel, in accompanying her cycling the fabled and historic Silk Road What follows is an exciting adventure and a testament to these women and the friendships along the way as they crossed and successfully navigated many political borders As a former long distance cyclist although not to that extreme , I loved this bookTraveling by bicycle is a life of simple things taken seriously hunger, th...This book was phenomenal Filled with imagery that transports you across continents and historical knowledge that flings you through time, Harris delightful if saddle sore journey through Asia s ancient Silk Road will make you swear to take your own trip And swear off it on the next page Freezing weather, rain, snow, terrifying traffic, washboard roads when there were roads at all , an eternity of living on instant noodles, instant coffee, and instant oatmeal Harris manages to communica This book was phenomenal Filled with imagery that transports you across continents and historical knowledge that flings you through time, Harris delightful if saddle sore journey through Asia s ancient Silk Road will make you swear to take your own trip And swear off it on the next page Freezing weather, rain, snow, terrifying traffic, washboard roads when there were roads at all , an eternity of living on instant noodles, instant coffee, and instant oatmeal Harris manages to communicate her deep joy and gratitude for this experience, for every bleak vista she cycles by, while not holding back her about exhaustion, aching muscles, illnesses, and fear of detention trave...After reading the 4 page prologue I wanted to cancel all of my plans and just keep on reading After reading 10pages I wanted Kate Harris to be my new best friend Kate and her friend Mel Melissa spent almost a year cycling along Marco Polo s Silk Road from Istanbul to the Himalayas They didn t know anyone, didn t know the languages, and had barely useful maps They were up for adventure, and adventure is what they got They snuck past border guards rode through searing heat, snow, and After reading the 4 page prologue I wanted to cancel all of my plans and just keep on reading After reading 10pages I wanted Kate Harris to be my new best friend Kate and her friend Mel Melissa spent almost a year cycling along Marco Polo s Silk Road from Istanbul to the Himalayas They didn t know anyone, didn t know the languages, and had barely useful maps They...I ve traveled a few times along the Silk Road Ok, I did it from the comfort and safety of my favorite reading chair, but I ve tagged along vicariously This trip perhaps wasn t my favorite, although I did enjoy a lot of it, and I think Harris is a good writer A little too much memoir for my taste, and maybe I would have liked a littlevisual description, but she wrote it the way she wanted to I certainly couldn t have achieved this tip, by bicycle or any other means of transportation, I I ve traveled a few times along the Silk Road Ok, I did it from the comfort and safety of my favorite reading chair, but I ve tagged along vicariously This trip perhaps wasn t my favorite, although I did enjoy a lot of it, and I think Harris is a good writer A little too much memoir for my taste, and maybe I would have liked a littlevisual description, but she wrote it the way she wanted to I certainly couldn t have achieved this tip, by bicycle or any other means of transportat...

04 July 2018

Kate Harris