Beyond Euphrates: Autobiography 1928-33 by Freya StarkMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
"Life is so infinitely rich, that whatever happens we can always find in it enough to keep our spirit busy."
My first Freya Stark book, which I came across randomly, isn't really a "proper" travel book but more of a collection of letters written to friends, with a short introduction at the start of each chapter to describe the circumstances of her life at the time. This was more of an introduction to this fascinating woman, and I'll be sure to look out for her other travel narratives in future.
The letters are an uneven mix of the mundane and the mysterious. One comes away with such respect for a European lady who "hovered between respectability and the charms of independence" by traipsing around the Middle East in the 1920's and 30's, ALL ALONE. *gasp*
It was interesting to read of how she travelled to locations found on no map at the time, placing herself at the mercy of the hospitality of Bedouin tribes. It takes such trust in humanity, and courage bordering on recklessness, to seek out situations where one has very little control. It's enough to leave this modern reader with a feeling of horror mixed with admiration. Freya Stark would very often get sick ("One never knows whose cup one is drinking out of and must be grateful for catching only colds.") and injured, sometimes to the point of near death! But always, she would press on, seeking jobs when money would run out, living amongst the natives and learning to speak several languages along the way.
What a character! What a life she lived!
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