A review by lisa_ye
Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road by Kate Harris

3.0

I wasn't sure whether to give this 2 or 3 stars. (Whether it was okay or I liked it.) I think 2.5 stars. First, Kate Harris is an amazing bicyclist. What an endeavor to bike the Silk Road. Same for her friend Mel. Both are amazing woman for biking that distance! I thought Kate Harris was a good writer in that she provided great description of her journey and the physical aspects of the trip and what they saw. However, she really didn't have too much in the book about all of the people they met. No true descriptions of the people who provided them shelter, food, company. We get very little about the friends who join them on portions of their trip. We receive lots of historical facts that are interesting, as well as facts about historical figures who were also adventurers, which again is interesting, but I wanted to hear about the people they met in more detail. Also, I thought that some of the description she provided about the cities that they were in truly showed how privileged and first world she was. Describing things as dirty, polluted, on the verge of falling apart, etc. felt like she was focusing on the negative. I also didn't like the fact that she didn't follow the rules/guidelines/laws/regulations of each of the countries. It reminds me of when tourists visit my homelands and don't get the required permits, and break the laws and create issues for everyone, when they should have just followed the darn laws in the first place. I really admire her and her friend for the physical strength that it took to bike the Silk Road, for their perseverance, and the amazing adventure that they did together. But I wanted more from a travel book, a focus on the humans that they were meeting and a focus on more positive about each of the countries, whether there is smog/pollution or not, there is beauty in cultures and the people.