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| Aberglasney Gardens, © Leigh Verrill-Rhys |
Some of us are born with wanderlust firmly lodged in our
DNA. While we might be rooted in a village or a crowded city, our instincts are
hungry for other places: faraway places or simply places we have never been.
For those of us who don’t have the opportunity to travel,
there are books: history, travel guides, coffee table photography collections.
And for those of us who want more from our "armchair" wanderlust, there are novels. Charles Dickens will take us to Victorian England.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez brings us to the countries of South America, as does
Isabel Allende and, with Miguel Asturias, we explore Central America. If we
chose, we can visit Japan in the company of Kobo Abe or Africa with Chinua
Achebe. Frank Waters takes his readers to the American Southwest of Native Americans and we learn about the experiences of settlers and
frontiers men in the early west from Zane Grey.
Jane Austen is our authentic source of what life was like
for young women of the early 19th Century and George Eliot gave us
the women of the English country and town in the middle of the same century. Edith
Wharton took us to the fashionable, constricted society of New York at the end
of this century.
Novels in all genres provide the same pleasurable excursions
to the exotic, the sublime and the strange. A sense of place is one of the
essential elements of fiction. Without that, we flounder in the ether. Despite
our desire for adventure, we want to be sure of our place in this fictional world.
For those of we wanderers who write, this allows us the
exceptional opportunity to satisfy our inborn curiosity about our world under
the guise of research.
Where do you like to spend your time exploring the fictional
world?
We can start right here with the authors contributing to
Classic & Cozy. For instance, Loretta
C. Rogers writes historical fiction about the American West, including some
places and events we wouldn’t consider ‘western’ at all. Sandy Cody writes mysteries, one of which takes place along the Mississippi River. Sierra Donovan writes sweet,
contemporary romances set in the atmosphere of ‘small town’ America. For
those who like sweet historical romances, set in the Adirondack Mountain region
of New York State, Tracey Lyons is your
lady.
I have selected these colleagues solely at random and if you
click on any of the names to the right of this post, you’ll find some of the
best in the genres of classic and cozy romance, western, fantasy and mystery
novels.
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| Pentre Ifan Cromlech, Penfro, Cymru |
If you are keen on the mysterious beaches of paradise,
have a peak at Marty Ambrose’s list
of books. We also have Kathye Quick’s
multi-genre efforts for historical romance, urban fantasy and contemporary romance.
Speaking of contemporary romance, I’ve
been known to contribute a few novels to this sub-genre, as well as historical romances set in
medieval Wales under my pen name, Lily Dewaruile.
Happy traveling!
Now I've been bitten by the travel bug! Thanks for the post. Hmmm. Guess I'll have to pick up a C&C novel to sate my travel bug's hunger. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always bitten, Sofie. This year, I'm hopping on planes to the four corners of the US and taking my camera with me. I depended on postcards once - never again!
DeleteI love to travel. Iceland is my favorite destination to date. It's no wonder that Game of Thrones is shooting there. The scenery is amazing. I've been there 3 times and still haven't seen the Northern Lights - always rainy and cloudy when I visit. I intend to go until I do see them!
ReplyDeleteAnd I adore the American Southwest. So many beautiful vistas and formations that bode well for settings.
But have to admit that I cheat a little too. I took a lot of pictures at Epcot beacuse I'd probably never get to Morocco! LOL
Thanks BTW for mentioning me in your post.
The people of Iceland are fiercely independent and courageous. We can all learn from them. A friend of mine visits Lapland every summer to see the Northern Lights. But, I have to admit that I've taken photos at the Norwegian Festival in May, a close as I'm likely to get to Scandinavia any time soon.
DeleteLovely post, Leigh, and so true. Traveling to different places, either in person or via the magic of a book, takes us outside our own lives and helps us understand cultural differences.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy. Living in San Francisco, I don't have to go far to be in another culture - that has always fascinated me and made me proud of my American heritage.
DeleteThis is what my good friend, Teresa, had to say about this post on my FB page:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your piece on travel through books, Leigh. So many of the fiction books I pick up are chosen for the setting ... I have travelled extensively throughout Asia, living in yurts with Mongolian nomads and in the rarefied atmosphere of colonial India. I've seen Newfoundland in the 17th century, and been taken through many towns of East Coast America with Annie Proulx's Accordion Crimes. Journeying abroad is itself an exciting adventure, but reading about other places makes time travel possible too.
So many books .... so little time!
I'm one of those people who likes being at home. However, when at home, I am always reading a book and that's enough traveling for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people who likes being at home. However, when at home, I am always reading a book and that's enough traveling for me.
ReplyDeleteKay, I've had the opportunity to travel to some far off places and have loved every moment, but I'm always elated (and relieved) to get home. Finding adventure in reading is great and makes writing about travel all the more worthwhile. I purposely made Wait a Lonely Lifetime something of a guidebook because there was so much about the city I wanted to share.
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