Four new books to reactive your sense of adventure over the holidays – The West Australian

From a roadtrip through the Australian desert, to traversing treacherous terrain in New Zealand, here are a collection of new books that explore the highs and lows of travel whilst celebrating extraordinary journeys.

By Chance the Future is Amy Rudders debut novel that tells a story of stepping out into the world and trusting youll know what to do when you get there.

Blending travel writing, philosophical treatise, self-deprecating comedy with a dose of political criticism, the book takes you on a journey back in time to the year 2001.

The author highlights both our very human hypocrisy and genuine attempts to connect, and the singularity and the sameness of our youthful adventures as we attempt to individuate from our families and countries of origin.

While the story is focused on life at the turn of the century, it makes you reflect on where we were 20 years ago in comparison to where we are today at a distance and with hindsight.

Uprising by Nic Low is a riveting blend of nature writing, indigenous storytelling and great adventure through New Zealands Southern Alps.

Best described as a part-guide and part-memoir, the book follows Low on a journey of discover as he retraces the paths and stories of his ancestors.

Having grown up hearing stories from the mountains on his fathers European side, the author sets out to understand how his Maori ancestors on his mothers side knew that same terrain before Europeans arrived in New Zealand.

Throughout the gripping adventure, the author meets with tribal leaders to try and understand how his forebears saw and traversed the land. He then sets out on an expedition across treacherous terrains using only the traditional oral maps of his ancestors as his guide.

Inspired in part by a bundle of wartime love letters from the authors English-born father to her mother, the 300-page memoir dissects what it means to be a Chutney Mary and the complexities and nuances of having mixed blood.

Throughout the book, the Melbourne-based author and social researcher shares some fascinating moments from her own life, having worked for over two decades in India. It also provides a wealth of observation, knowledge and insight; from horrendous accounts of the 1947 partition, to a dowry murder, to chronic corruption.

Engaging and beautifully written, A Touch of India leaves readers with a richer understanding of middle-class India, whilst providing a touch of history, travel and textiles along the way.

Road Tripping with Pearl Nash is Poppy Nwosus third romantic novel for young adults. It follows protagonist Pearl Nash on a road trip during the summer holidays before her final year of school, exploring friendship, love, grief and the courage to move forward in life.

While the whirlwind road trip through South Australias coastal desert region was supposed to save Pearls slowly disintegrating friendship with her best friend, nothing seems to go to plan and the protagonist ends up in the middle of nowhere beside a boy with an endlessly irritating attitude but a great smile.

Full of adventure, humour and heart, Road Tripping with Pearl Nash is a story about home and family, about breaking apart and fusing together, and, of course, about love.

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Four new books to reactive your sense of adventure over the holidays - The West Australian