Looking for 2024 travel inspiration that goes beyond sun, sea and sand? From the elusive search for ‘paradise’ in a conflict-ridden world to tales that reflect modern Africa beyond stereotypes and safaris, these five books offer a fresh look into worlds beyond our own...
1. The Half-Known Life: In Search of Paradise (2023) by Pico Iyer – Celebrated travel author Pico Iyer’s latest collection of essays centres on the elusive search for a place free of burden and struggle. In today’s divided world, such a search feels even more timely. From his travels in Iran and North Korea to following the Dalai Lama in the Himalayas, Iyer’s soulful ruminations focus on finding meaning and peace in fractious times – and seeing humanity behind the headlines.
2. A Hard Place To Leave: Stories From A Restless Life (2022) by Marcia DeSanctis – From her days as a TV news producer reporting from Cold War Moscow to traveling solo in the world’s most romantic country (France) with her kids and husband home in New England, author and journalist Marcia DeSanctis delves into the lure of elsewhere. Recounting a chance encounter with a head of state in Prague to an equally memorable close call with quicksand, DeSanctis makes a hard case for leaving (and returning to) home.
3. Roman Stories (2023) by Jhumpa Lahiri – If anyone knows what it means to find a home in Rome, it’s Jhumpa Lahiri, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Indian-American author known for her short stories about her adopted country of Italy. These nine short stories reflect a changing Eternal City with its recent waves of immigration, and what it means to be an outsider. Through Lahiri’s characters you’ll see Rome in a new way and be reminded that home is something you can recreate anywhere.
4. Oh My Mother!: A Memoir In Nine Adventures (2023) by Connie Wang – US journalist Connie Wang’s memoir explores her complicated relationship with her Chinese mother as they share humorous and endearing adventures all over the world. From dabbling in edibles in Amsterdam and Magic Mike exploits in Vegas to visiting family in China, Wong explores growing up as first-generation Chinese American and her mom’s experience as an immigrant with equal understanding and heart.
5. (2022) by Dipo Faloyin – This book should be a must-read before any visit to this vast continent of 54 countries, more than 2,000 languages, and almost 1.5 billion people. Africa is often flattened into a monolith, but Nigerian author Dipo Faloyin takes an insightful look at its rich complexities, including its colonial heritage and urban powerhouses, such as ‘loud and plagued by joy’ Lagos. While busting stereotypes, Faloyin tackles topics such as which West African country makes the best jollof rice and the youth-led movements that are shaping Africa’s future.
Kathleen Rellihan is a NYC-based writer and editor who covers travel and culture for AFAR, National Geographic and more. Find her @k_rellihan
