weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
Do you like adventure travel?
In 1995 Ann Jones and her traveling partner, Kevin Muggleton, set off on an expedition through the African continent. Driving from Tangier to Cape Town, Jones is in search of the mystical Rain Queen of Lovedu, a matriarchal tribe in southern Africa. Jones is equally interested in whether the Lovedu tribe continues to exist and how their feminist values of cooperation, compromise, tolerance, mutual helpfulness and forgiveness coincide with the paternalistic and masculine doctrines she has witnessed throughout Africa.
Along the way Jones is confronted with horrific and dangerous traffic conditions, especially at the beginning of their journey. After conquering the Sahara Desert they drive through land that often didn't have suitable roads, if there were any! They also had to cross rivers without bridges and were forced to make their own rafts. Not only was the physical terrain a challenge but they also had to deal with constant bureaucracy while obtaining visas and paying bribes. Jones had no idea of what would occur at the next bend of the road.
With all that said, LOOKING FOR LOVEDU is an excellent travel narrative that allows the reader to vividly imagine what it must be like to go on an African expedition of their own. Jones does a superb job of intertwining the history of Africa along with her own travel experiences. The effects of colonialism, globalization, tourism, and environmentalism are all explored in an attempt to understand how Africa is sustaining in the current social world. LOOKING FOR LOVEDU is a good book to read if you're interested in both travel and feminism. You may just be enlightened as I was when I finished reading it.
Paul Weiss
In 1995 Ann Jones and her traveling partner, Kevin Muggleton, set off on an expedition through the African continent. Driving from Tangier to Cape Town, Jones is in search of the mystical Rain Queen of Lovedu, a matriarchal tribe in southern Africa. Jones is equally interested in whether the Lovedu tribe continues to exist and how their feminist values of cooperation, compromise, tolerance, mutual helpfulness and forgiveness coincide with the paternalistic and masculine doctrines she has witnessed throughout Africa.
Along the way Jones is confronted with horrific and dangerous traffic conditions, especially at the beginning of their journey. After conquering the Sahara Desert they drive through land that often didn't have suitable roads, if there were any! They also had to cross rivers without bridges and were forced to make their own rafts. Not only was the physical terrain a challenge but they also had to deal with constant bureaucracy while obtaining visas and paying bribes. Jones had no idea of what would occur at the next bend of the road.
With all that said, LOOKING FOR LOVEDU is an excellent travel narrative that allows the reader to vividly imagine what it must be like to go on an African expedition of their own. Jones does a superb job of intertwining the history of Africa along with her own travel experiences. The effects of colonialism, globalization, tourism, and environmentalism are all explored in an attempt to understand how Africa is sustaining in the current social world. LOOKING FOR LOVEDU is a good book to read if you're interested in both travel and feminism. You may just be enlightened as I was when I finished reading it.
Paul Weiss
martialia's review against another edition
5.0
I am conflicted over rating this book....does it deserve 5 stars for honesty, great writing and beautiful imagery? Or does it deserve 2 stars for whining rants and feminism overboard? I'll go with the 5 because I'm an optimist and more often than not I felt so touched by the author's observances, and her desire to slow down and *see* what was around her...places, people, relationships, history, challenges, triumphs, depth. "There are those who are living, I thought, and those who are rushing on." What she shows us of each country she travels through is just a peek, a tease and yet can be so moving: "Why do you cut down all the trees?" I asked a woodsman we met along the road. "We have too many trees," he said. "In New York is no trees. New York is modern. When trees is gone, Malawi is also modern." Think on that.
maevejreilly's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining read about a trip across Africa. Found the narrator a tad annoying.
le13anna's review
3.0
What could be better?
The story of a modern day female explorer going through AFRICA to discover the Queen of a matriarchal tribe and discussing history and adventure along the way?
I swear! If I have to read about one more VISA palaver I will swear off travel forever!
The story of a modern day female explorer going through AFRICA to discover the Queen of a matriarchal tribe and discussing history and adventure along the way?
I swear! If I have to read about one more VISA palaver I will swear off travel forever!
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review
4.0
Ann Jones sets off across Africa in search of Lovedu.
And what is this Lovedu that so intrigues this seasoned journalist?
Lovedu is an old African civilization in which the chief is a woman. Unlike most of Africa. Unlike most of the rest of the world.
So Ann Jones sets out in search of this mythic place, traveling across Africa with a reckless and impulsive young male driver to accompany her and complement her more sedate, less knowledgeable-about-Africa older self. Along the way, they bog down in muddy roads, are accosted by greedy border guards, desperately seek edible food and replacement car parts, and, generally speaking, have lots of exciting and dangerous adventures.
Ann Jones finds Lovedu. I don’t think I am giving anything away in telling you this. But I’ll let you see for yourself what the Lovedu she finds is like.
And what is this Lovedu that so intrigues this seasoned journalist?
Lovedu is an old African civilization in which the chief is a woman. Unlike most of Africa. Unlike most of the rest of the world.
So Ann Jones sets out in search of this mythic place, traveling across Africa with a reckless and impulsive young male driver to accompany her and complement her more sedate, less knowledgeable-about-Africa older self. Along the way, they bog down in muddy roads, are accosted by greedy border guards, desperately seek edible food and replacement car parts, and, generally speaking, have lots of exciting and dangerous adventures.
Ann Jones finds Lovedu. I don’t think I am giving anything away in telling you this. But I’ll let you see for yourself what the Lovedu she finds is like.
michaelnlibrarian's review
4.0
I have been browsing the books available from OverDrive through my local library - if I limit the selection to those books available immediately, often the choices are . . . limited, but not necessarily bad. If I give them a chance.
I have been reading books about Africa more recently - I happened upon this by searching OverDrive for "Africa" as a keyword. The author traveled from England through France to Morocco and down the west side of Africa through Senegal, then across Mali and more or less east to Uganda and Tanzania, then south from there. The trip took up most of 1996 (I think - it's not always easy to tell with travel books like this). The first half of the trip she traveled with a younger man in a 15 year old Land Rover, then the two of them had a falling out and she traveled with several woman for the second third of the trip in a rental Land Cruiser.
The author is a good writer and intersperses some but not too much history and background with her first hand descriptions of what she experienced. The only downside of reading this today is that 1996 is almost twenty years ago, so while her observations are interesting they are hardly current.
I have been reading books about Africa more recently - I happened upon this by searching OverDrive for "Africa" as a keyword. The author traveled from England through France to Morocco and down the west side of Africa through Senegal, then across Mali and more or less east to Uganda and Tanzania, then south from there. The trip took up most of 1996 (I think - it's not always easy to tell with travel books like this). The first half of the trip she traveled with a younger man in a 15 year old Land Rover, then the two of them had a falling out and she traveled with several woman for the second third of the trip in a rental Land Cruiser.
The author is a good writer and intersperses some but not too much history and background with her first hand descriptions of what she experienced. The only downside of reading this today is that 1996 is almost twenty years ago, so while her observations are interesting they are hardly current.
purlewe's review
4.0
I heard her read this on NPR. I was interested and I enjoyed reading this, but it was long ago.
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