I really like reading travel memoirs, and this one about a woman’s solo motorcycle journey seemed like a perfect book to pack to read on my trip.

Noraly Schoenmaker is a vlogger with a popular YouTube channel documenting her travels across the world. While I was fretting over my luggage being delayed, she had many hair raising tales about motorcycle break downs in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan (it seemed to happen in every ‘Stan’, and harrowing rides in challenging conditions (pot holes, weather, intimidating border crossings). It quickly put things in perspective! But while it was an interesting read, I have a few hot takes 😬:

- I recognize this is an arc copy, but a map would have been helpful for an idea of the geography and route she took.
- Often memoirs have a photo section in the middle, and I hope the finished copy comes with some snapshots, because again I was left wanting. I wanted to see some of these beautiful valleys and vistas!
- Maybe this isn’t fair because it’s non fiction, but there was no real clear arc of how this was a “motorcycle journey that changed my life.” It just felt more like a collection of stories from the trip, with some flashbacks sprinkled throughout.
- My interest in the author was definitely piqued, so I looked up her YouTube and would love to watch more videos. She seems like a dynamic person, and goodness that does not translate to this underwhelming cover that barely shows her, or a particularly inspiring scene considering the breathtaking wonders she describes.

So, my honest take is that this was a bit of a slog, but I’d love to watch her YouTube videos. Thank you @simonschusterca for my copy. This publishes June 3.

Curiosity had me choosing this transcontinental bike ride story. I'd never heard of her nor her YouTube fame but I needed to know what would drive someone to do this. I was pleasantly surprised; Noraly’s was a journey of self-discovery and redefining her purpose. We may never experience the stories she shares, but her encouragement, determination, and survival skills are something we could all do with developing. I was tantalized by the descriptive food and was in awe of Noraly’s fearlessness. The most memorable part for me would be the happiness and sigh that I experienced reading about her meeting the old couple after her bike broke down. It doesn’t matter where in the world we go ~ there are always good people willing to help a stranded soul.

My interest was piqued enough to investigate Noraly’s previous story!

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.