The Green Unknown: Travels in the Khasi Hills - Patrick Rogers

5 Stars!

ABOUT THE BOOK -

The Green Unknown is about walking, without a map or a plan, across the rugged, seldom-traveled valleys of the Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya. Known as the Khasi Hills, this vast, obscure, region is a place of jungle canyons and thousand-foot waterfalls, where it rains more than any other inhabited spot on the globe, 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, startlingly unique.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Patrick Rogers grew up in, of all places, the U.S. State of Delaware. After travelling to India for the first time all the way back in 2009, he has spent as much time as he could in Northeast India, a place that he finds more interesting with each subsequent visit. One day in the Khasi Hills, he got up and decided to wander through the jungle to a village he had never been to before. He got terribly lost, accidentally stumbled on a previously undocumented living root bridge, and that’s basically where this book came from. Between bouts of travel he lives in Newark, Delaware.

MY THOUGHTS -
I love travel memoirs. I used to read quite a few but haven't read one in a long time. It was such a delight to get to read this one.

This book was absolutely captivating from beginning to end. I had always thought that I wasn't interested in India, but this was about a part of India that I knew nothing about. It was so interesting. Patrick's detailed descriptions of this beautiful land really made me feel like I was transported to another place. The people, the landscapes, the homes, the food, and the "living root bridges" (never heard of these before). I learned a lot reading this book and feel like I at least know a little more about I place I never even knew existed. Those are the best books!

I have to give Patrick props for being such a brave soul (either that or he's crazy, maybe a little of both? LOL) to go to someplace so different and - to me, scary but beautiful!

An added bonus that I did not expect - gorgeous pictures! Oh my, seriously I kept looking at them over and over. It really made me want to go there. Patrick if you ever need a travel companion...

This book was written with such abandon and honesty (and with a touch of humor). It was refreshing, entertaining, intriguing, and beautiful. I hope Patrick continues to travel and writes to tell us all about it. I would love to read more about his travels.

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from the author -  Thank You!!

 

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