When Wanderers Cease To Roam: A Traveler's Journal Of Staying Put (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Vivian Swift, what a fantastic name. This book was pleasant, but I don’t want a book to be just pleasant. I hoped to gain something useful as a young traveler, hopeful of joining the Peace Corps in Africa (as the author did), before eventually settling down in one place; while there were a few exciting passages regarding jewel smuggling and abduction in Africa, I learned more about the author’s cats and teacup collection than finding inner peace in staying put. Don’t get me wrong; I am a HUGE fan of both cats and tea alike, but that’s not why I picked up this book.Each section was presented according to a month of the year, and I found this calendar format a bit cliché as well. The illustrations were nothing aw-inspiring, but added a great deal to the text. I especially enjoyed the drawings of outfits the author would wear on different occasions. There is actually a great section on France (though I’m biased about this sort of thing). I do have to give the author props for living such an amazing life. This book covers 20 years of her world travels, but reads more as a personal scrapbook/journal than anything else (think Amelia’s Notebook with less laughs). This is one of those books that looks handwritten. It's full of quotes and sayings and drawings. There are tons of watercolors: my favorite is parallel lines of browns to show different types of mud. The book is organized by month. Swift traveled globally for her former job at Christie's, and used the book to document her first hear staying in one place (the Long Island Sound). It oozes inspiration - she's talented beyond measure. You can open the book, look at one line or memory or painting, and put it down, and feel as bursting and inspired as if you'd just emerged from your favorite museum. It's a treasure.
What do You think about When Wanderers Cease To Roam: A Traveler's Journal Of Staying Put (2008)?
The kind of book I'm taking in small doses in order to appreciate its beauty.
—worzel
