Glowing Still
A Woman's Life on the Road - 'Funny, furious writing from the queen of intrepid travel' Daily Telegraph
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Little, Brown Book Group
Published:16th Mar '23
Should be back in stock very soon
Sara Wheeler's Glowing Still chronicles her adventurous life, exploring the world from Antarctica to Zanzibar with humor and insight.
In Glowing Still, Sara Wheeler, Britain's foremost woman travel writer, shares her remarkable adventures across the globe, from the icy landscapes of Antarctica to the vibrant shores of Zanzibar. This memoir reflects on her life as a traveler in a field often dominated by men, showcasing her unique perspective and experiences that are both humorous and enlightening. Growing up in a conservative environment in Bristol, Wheeler felt a strong urge to explore the world beyond her familiar surroundings, embarking on a journey that would take her from Pole to Pole and beyond.
Wheeler recounts vivid memories of her travels, including amusing encounters on India's Puri Express and the unexpected moments that define her adventures. Her stories range from the whimsical, such as a seal popping up in an Antarctic lavatory, to the more profound, as she navigates the complexities of motherhood while exploring the Arctic. The author’s sharp wit and keen observations shine through as she reflects on the joys and challenges of travel, all while paying homage to the trailblazing women who inspired her.
As Wheeler sails through the stages of her life, she discovers a sense of peace and connection with the world around her. In Glowing Still, she emphasizes the irreplaceable value of travel and the freedom it brings, ultimately celebrating the journey that has shaped her identity as a writer and an adventurer.
Funny, furious writing from the queen of intrepid travel * Daily Telegraph *
[Wheeler is] an absolute hoot. But also deadly serious, fabulously well-read, thoughtful, self-deprecating - everything you'd want while slowly crossing some vast continent by bus or by train. Glowing Still is the next best thing to hopping on board with her... An ingenious piece of work... dozens of intriguing insights and remarks about the life of the travel writer * Daily Telegraph *
Part travelogue, part memoir, Glowing Still smoulders with anger about [...] the historically contested place of women travel writers... It's also a funny and revealing account of her own journey as a writer... colourful, deceptively capacious... Wheeler excels at uncovering illuminating details about the people she meets * Times Literary Supplement *
Magnificent and unusual... Glowing Still is a thoughtful and entertaining meditation on identity, geography and the position of the self in the world... [Wheeler writes] with humour, pathos and genuine curiosity about herself and her work, revealing the backstory to her many award-winning books -- Viv Groskop * Spectator *
Martha Gellhorn is one of Sara Wheeler's heroines, and something of [Gellhorn's] feisty and defiant sentiments runs through her memoir, which is both enjoyable and impressive... Wheeler is remarkable for the sheer amount of travelling she has done over the last forty years * Literary Review *
Intrepid and sparky, full of canny quips and lightly poetic observations... throughout her entertaining and thoughtful voyage through notebooks amassed over decades, any wistfulness is amply balanced by a sense of freedom * Mail on Sunday *
[A] sprightly memoir of her life on the road... Wheeler clothes her experiences with humour and imagination * The Times *
A great read, full of acute observation, strongly held beliefs, good stories, and telling detail, all leavened with wry humour * Sherborne Times *
[An] excellent memoir, funny, fierce and challenging... Intensely curious and observant, [Wheeler] researches in depth and keeps detailed notebooks... If there is a certain melancholy in this book, there is also exhilaration, and hope -- Anne Chisholm * Tablet *
One of the pleasures of this engrossing book is Wheeler's knack for bringing a country alive through small details * Daily Mail *
[A] brilliant new memoir... Wheeler unearths the notebooks in which she has recorded her far-flung trips over the years -- Laura Antonia Jordan * Elle *
Her feminist perspective is thoughtful and incisive, but she also has an eye for the details of everyday life, which can reveal more about a place than a thousand statistics or any macho account of derring-do... Disarmingly modest and dazzlingly eloquent, one could listen to her recollections all day * The Lady *
ISBN: 9781408716731
Dimensions: 234mm x 158mm x 36mm
Weight: 600g
368 pages