Hi, all:
I bring you today a non-fiction book that I am sure many of you will enjoy and find amusing. The author has a lot of experience writing, although he hasn’t published many books, yet.
Escape to California: Misadventures in America’s Golden State by Chris Atkin
Escape to California: Misadventures in America’s Golden State by Chris Atkins
“Utterly compelling”
“I really can’t recommend this book enough”
“A must read for anyone considering a trip to California”
“Laugh out loud”
“The gold standard for travel stories”
He wasn’t trying to break America. But would America break him?
Rocked by political turmoil, climate change and a global pandemic, the US was calling out for a hero. Unfortunately, it was travel writer Chris Atkin who turned up.
Over the course of nearly two years living in the Golden State, Chris explores the history and incredible landscapes of western America.
He learns about the unsolved murder of the co-founder of Stanford University and the pioneer family reduced to cannibalism. He also finds the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of California, which, for all of Silicon Valley’s success stories, is equally central to the tale of how hippies came to benefit when nearly three tonnes of marijuana fell from the skies above Yosemite.
When not living next door to Donkey from Shrek, Chris dodges bears, mountain lions, rattlesnakes and Covid-deniers, and discovers there’s more than one way to live the American Dream.
About the author:
Since spending five years working in the television studios at Sky News and BT Sport in London, Chris has worked as an author and freelance writer.
He has written for numerous publications, including The Times, The Huffington Post and Time Out. When he’s not writing books and articles, Chris works as a copywriter and digital marketer.
In his free time, you’ll likely find him discovering somewhere new, or in his garden in Cambridge, tending his vegetable patch while listening out for any noise emanating from the crowd at his beloved Cambridge United.
Keep up to date with his latest news:
Twitter: @chrisjat
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisjat/
Website: https://chrisatkinonline.com/
My review:
I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.
This book’s description is pretty close to perfect. It piques readers’ curiosities without sharing too many details of the content; it introduces a hero only to bring him down to size; it is witty and humorous; and it illustrates the writing style contained in the book. Anybody who objects to the tone and the (‘in’) jokes (and others), or who doesn’t like how the description is written, is unlikely to enjoy the book.
This memoir/travel/guidebook (and a few more accolades would also be possible), written in the first-person by the author, Chris Atkin, shares his adventures in California, where he stayed —with his brand-new wife, Sarah— for a couple of years. She got an offer to study at Stanford, and despite the difficulties (this was in the summer of 2020, and their wedding had to be delayed several times due to the pandemic), it was an opportunity too good to miss. Travelling and moving at such a time was even more complicated than usual, and the fact that the area is one of the most expensive in the USA didn’t help matters either.
The couple makes the best out of their stay, despite other problems (they enjoy exploring the area, especially trekking in natural resorts, the more unspoilt and less travelled, the better), like wildfires, strange weather conditions, incredibly basic accommodation, floods, wild animals, puzzling instructions, and their share of ‘interesting’ (sometimes even ‘scary’) characters. There are plenty of amusing moments, a few scary ones, some episodes where ‘the kindness of strangers’ saved them from peril, and, in sum, a memorable adventure that is diverting, interesting, and informative to read.
This is not a book where the author digs deep into his own life, thoughts, or feelings. This is not a confessional memoir, and although he is happy to share his opinion at times, he does not over-elaborate the point, and he isn’t trying to proselytise or convince anybody of his point of view.
The author, a Brit abroad, shares his puzzlement and his amazement and wonderment at some of the things and events he experiences, and some of the places he visits. Like all of us when we travel, especially when we travel to a place that feels familiar (because many of us have grown up with American movies and TV series), we want to do certain things, and we have expectations as to what that might feel like. He (and his wife, although we don’t hear from her directly) are rarely disappointed, and on many occasions, they discover facts, objects, traditions, habits, and places they knew little or nothing about. The book will probably be an eye-opener to many, especially to readers from the UK or used to living there, as he often compares experiences, places, food, weather… to those back home.
One of the things that comes across quite clearly when one reads the book is Chris’s curiosity, and it isn’t limited to only specific topics. He introduces nuggets of information as he writes about the couple’s experience, and that can be anything: a bit of background history, demographic data, geography notes, botanical facts, observations of social customs, reflections on people or animal behaviour, sports statistics, and, every-so-often, something a bit more personal. He might laugh (or at least smile) at some of the things he sees or hears, but, first-of-all, he laughs at himself and his own shortcomings. He is happy to acknowledge that his wife is the stronger of the two in almost all spheres (she is not too keen on surfing, but other than that, she does better than Chris in everything else they try: climbing and tolerating heights, coping with cold weather conditions, driving in the snow, eating spicy food, not being easily put off or scared by animals or other dangers… She participates in a study about tolerance to pain, and she manages to surprise the researchers, so it isn’t an exaggeration), and he never takes himself too seriously. A self-deprecating attitude and the ability to see the funny side of things will quickly endear him to most readers.
The writing is pretty dynamic, the chapters are short, and this book will particularly delight people who enjoy nature and love trekking. Even if readers aren’t planning a trip to the USA (some states near California also make an appearance in the book), this is perfect for those who enjoy vicarious adventures in the wild (mostly National Parks, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t, or can’t turn, wild). The author describes beautifully, making full use of his senses, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and more importantly, the thoughts that cross his mind, and what he feels as the couple explores locations and natural features. Those who have visited any of the places will enjoy reliving their experiences, or revisiting them from a different perspective, and those who haven’t might end up with a long list of places to add to their future travel itinerary.
I only missed having access to pictures of the places featured as I was reading (yes, we can check online, but that depends on where we are at the time, and it might take us away from the reading) but at the end of the book, the author suggests signing up to his newsletter, and that comes with a list of their 15 favourite walks in California, a list which includes the kit to take on those trekking adventures, also access to a selection of photographs (aha!) and a link to an article showing their living arrangements. So, I guess that signing to the author’s newsletter, apart from other advantages, might be a way to enhance the reading experience, so readers might want to do that sooner rather than later. Oh, there is a map of the state as well, at the beginning of the journey.
This is a great book to take along if you’re planning a trip to the area, along with a more conventional guidebook (which is likely to include up-to-date and practical information), and also if you just enjoy reading about travelling and moving abroad while comfortably sitting at home. Especially recommended to those who enjoy a British sense of humour and who prefer their heroes flawed, human-sized, and not afraid to recognise their shortcomings and laugh at themselves.
Some random samples of the writing:
At the peak, it looked like we could walk straight off the narrow, dusty path and onto an impenetrable quilt of white clouds.
Away from the shelter of the trees, I channelled my inner Shackleton as tiny snowflakes whipped across our faces like a burning sea mist.
Talking about Sarah’s encounter with poison oak (that they had been pretty oblivious to until then):
We’re still not sure how it happened, but for a few days, she looked like the kind of middle-aged woman who shares a house with nine cats and a dismembered ex-husband in the freezer. In hindsight, I should have kept this observation to myself. It was just as well we only had a small freezer.
Having climbed Half Dome once, I’ve no wish to do so again. I’d learned I was not someone who enjoys climbing, but rather someone who enjoys having climbed.
There is a wonderful exchange with a group of people who are just coming back from a location they intend to trek to, which had unexpectedly turned increasingly difficult, and as they meet them, they start asking them about their equipment, with the tone of the questions getting more and more worrying:
“The pass is doable though?”
“Yeah, just about. You’ve got ice picks right?”
“No.” It hadn’t even crossed our minds to get some. We were going for a nice walk, not trying to kill Trotsky.
Thanks to Rosie and the whole team for their support, thanks to the author for this wonderful book, and, especially, thanks to all of you for reading, sharing, commenting, and checking out. Keep smiling and enjoying life as much as you can!
Just Olga 