Published: September 18, 2017
Publisher: Westland
Genre: Travel
Series: Stand alone
Pages: 140 (Kindle)
My Rating: 4.5/5.0
A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
The Green Unknown is about walking, without a map or a plan, across the Khasi Hills in the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya—a place of jungle canyons and thousand-foot waterfalls, where it rains more than any other inhabited place in the world, where each village has its own dialect or even its own language, and where the people grow living bridges from the roots of trees. The book is an attempt to express what it’s like trying to explore, mile by mile, village by village, valley by valley, a place that’s beautiful, complex, and fascinating, but most of all, unique.
So obviously this isn’t what I usually review here on Powder & Page, but sometimes an opportunity comes along and you just have to take it. I was contacted by Patrick Rogers about reviewing his latest book, The Green Unknown. This is a travelogue style book recounting the author’s travels in the north-eastern Indian province of Meghalaya, which is one of the wettest places in the world. I honestly knew nothing of this place when I went into it aside from a few basics acquired from a quick Google.
This was incredibly interesting and educational and I thought the author’s writing was engaging – so much so that I actually read this book in a single lazy Sunday afternoon. The Green Unknown doesn’t go into overwhelming detail about any of the topics within, but rather gives an engaging overview of many aspects of life in Meghalaya. The whole book is basically the author relaying his experiences – good, bad, and even a bit scary – while weaving in information. For me, this makes it easier to remember the facts because I have a story to associate with them. I enjoy this type of non-fiction and this book has made me realize that I should make an effort to read books like this more often.
If you’re interested in learning about new places or are fond of travelogues, I’d definitely recommend this book! If nothing else, at least check out the living root bridges the region is famous for – I could easily see these being used in a fantasy novel and it would be fantastic (and quite an undertaking) to see them in person.
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