'Lands of Lost Borders' by Kate Harris: A spoiler-free book review

I have always been fascinated about the role of the legendary (and what sounds like mythical) Silk Road in history and during present time. My mind wanders on what it would have looked back in the days (and we're talking WAY back...from 130 B.C., the Silk Road until A.D. 1453).

It's not possible to have an exact idea of what it looked like back in the days. So the next best thing is to follow the same path by someone who has done that journey on two wheels. And that's what the book, 'Land of Lost Borders' by Kate Harris, is all about.

Official synopsis

As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and philosopher--had gone extinct. From her small-town home in Ontario, it seemed as if Marco Polo, Magellan and their like had long ago mapped the whole earth. So she vowed to become a scientist and go to Mars.

To pass the time before she could launch into outer space, Kate set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, then settled down to study at Oxford and MIT. Eventually the truth dawned on her: an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. And Harris had soared most fully out of bounds right here on Earth, travelling a bygone trading route on her bicycle. So she quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Mel, this time determined to bike it from the beginning to end.

Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer before her, Kate Harris offers a travel narrative at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous. Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of a world that, like the self and like the stars, can never be fully mapped.

Weaving adventure and philosophy with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders celebrates our connection as humans to the natural world, and ultimately to each other—a belonging that transcends any fences or stories that may divide us.

About the author

"I’m a writer with a knack for getting lost. My first book, Lands of Lost Borders, about biking the Silk Road instead of going to Mars, was a national bestseller that won several awards for literary nonfiction. It has been translated into multiple languages.When not wandering the world on ill-advised expeditions (exhibit A, B, C, D), or as part of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin team, I live off-grid in a cabin on Taku River Tlingit territory in Atlin, British Columbia. I also spend a few months each year in Toronto for my wife’s job, where we delight in the temporary perks of hot showers, indoor plumbing, and vast libraries. These days I’m working on a second book and learning how to fly a small plane: guess which is harder."

My review of 'Lands of Lost Borders'

The first cycling/travelling memoir I've read recently, Riding Out, was focused more on cycling round the entirety of the UK. That is an impressive for anyone and as someone who has lived here most of his life, it's not an easy thing to achieve.

But there is no doubt that cycling across the world is a whole new level of feat.

Unlike Kate Harris, I wouldn't call myself an explorer. Sure I'm curious about the world and would love to cover as much land as possible. But I'm not sure if I will ever have the balls to do what Kate and her childhood friend, Mel Yule, did, which is to become like Marco Polo on a bicycle.

According to History.com:

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., the Silk Road routes remained in use until A.D. 1453, when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with China and closed them. Although it’s been nearly 600 years since the Silk Road has been used for international trade, the routes had a lasting impact on commerce, culture and history that resonates even today.

When I hear stories and historical facts about Silk Road, it almost sounds mythical and in a fantasy world. The fact that it's real gives it a magical appeal to it. And as someone who enjoys reading fantasy books, my mind wanders on what it must like to be there during the height of the trades.

It may not be accurate but I picture colourful clothes, lots of smells and spices, the hustle and bustle of the open market with traders shouting out, some mysterious figures walking around with wild animals.

Even though Harris had always dreamed of travelling to Mars, instead she found herself instead cycling from Istanbul, Turkey to Leh, India.. roughly 10,000 km in 10 months.

Damn! I know she's not the only person who has done that but I can't fathom in my head how do people do that.

On their journey, I felt like I was there. There were times where I felt like it dragged on for too long and it was difficult to imagine myself being there. But in general, I felt like I was cycling along with them, both through the good and the bad moments (of which there were plenty). For all the fascinating stories about the people they met along the way, it's difficult to imagine living on instant noodles and attempting to sneak across border controls.

Some brave and gutsy moments were required to overcome challenges and I guess you have to have that if you are going to cycle so frickin' much! Anyone who does this kind of journey must be naturally gutsy and I imagine it will come in handy when challenging border control.

And as expected, you will also learn about Harris' other parts of her personality, her exploratory traits, her academic journeys in MIT and Oxford, and facing the ridicule when an academic university staff said anyone can be an explorer thanks to the internet.

Hmm, I'm not sure if that's the same thing. If it is, nobody would travel. I mean, the video below is the official highlight reel of their journey...but it doesn't mean I'm like them!

One thing that I think is so bizarre is coming across the negative reviews on the book. You can't please everyone, I'm sure all authors know that. But a few of them are ridiculing Harris for being obsessed about being an explorer. Others have complained that it reeks of self-absorbed and privileged behaviour, and it's all about her.

While it's true that it's a privilege to be able to do what they did, I don't feel that they should be punished for that. Also, why would you pick up a travel memoir if you don't like the idea of someone being an explorer and is talking about THEIR journey.

It's a bizarre complaint to make when you factor in the topic of the book.

Verdict and rating

Despite being a travel memoir, this book is packed with historical, geographic and scientific facts about various sections of the Silk Road, with literary references and philosophical wisdom to boot. I liked how it combined creative descriptions of locations and the drama that unfolded along the way while learning a little bit more about the journey.

Even though it seems so out there and out of reach for someone like me, it did arouse my curiosity about certain part of the world and nudge me to become a more of a daring and inquisitive traveller. I thought I'm quite adventurous but this is another level.

That's what I want when reading a cycling travelling memoir. I want it to push me a little when I go on a cycling journey. Because It's one thing to have the drive to venture a little bit further out of my city. But you can't compare with the drive to go on many lands of the unknown without so much of a safety net.

The one criticism I have of the book is I wish Harris delved deeper into the local people, culture and their ways of life. I can't imagine them going through all of that without being part of the local customs. It's also quite a slow-ish read because you try to take in the information and description about each places, which is difficult particularly without a map (which is also lacking).

That said, I envy anyone who has the courage and determination to undergo such a monumental, exciting yet risky journey. Who knows what will happen. But for now, the only way I can get a grasp of the Silk Road is by following Kate and Mel.

And for nudging me to be more daring. 😈

4/5 stars - ★★★★☆