Memory Road Trip

Krista Marson invites us on a touching and witty soul-searching, two-plus decades long journey of the heart, through travels across this country and the world. If, like her, you are a seasoned traveler, she takes you back to those places you may have visited and prompts a different view, just by her candor. If you are an armchair traveler, she ignites your mind and spirit, where you will pack your bag and go on the virtual road with her.

When she is faced with challenges, both in traveling and in life, when she cannot find a way (she does get lost quite a bit!), she makes a way. She shared notable and important events that have made an impact on our country and world's history and our own personal lives.

She opens her heart up as big as the skies she travels under throughout the world. She notes invaluable historical facts while adding her own personal journey and intertwines them seamlessly.

The author’s inspiration to write this book was her niece’s curiosity about her travels and wanting to hear her stories and what better reason to begin writing than to share with another generation?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read such a great and truly enjoyable book. I give this book 5 stars.

This was not exactly what I expected but I enjoyed reading it.

Content: I am expecting this to be the first in a series of books as this volume only covers the author’s travels from when she began exploring the American South-West (where she was based) in the early 1990s up to her solo travels just after 9/11.

The areas she travels to/describes in the book are based exclusively in North America (United States, Mexico) and Western Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany). I would not describe the travels entirely off the beaten path, but the author visited a few destinations I had never heard of before and she usually travels on a budget.

The book was not entirely what I expected based on the description and first impression. The narrative is made up of three components:

1) The actual descriptions of the sites Marson went to see, artifacts she observed in museums etc.
2) Some anecdotes of events that happened while travelling. However, I found that interaction mostly seems to have take place with whoever she was travelling with – and therefore we get an insight into her relationships with people, including a toxic relationship with a partner that she was in throughout the 90s. There is, however, very little interaction with the locals and this might just be reflective of her travel style and that is OK, but it was not quite what I expected.
3) Philosophical and semi-political musings that are inspired by the travel experiences but far succeed them. I was OK with them, but they might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Due to the latter two points, I feel the book should come with some trigger warning, specifically: loss, grief, contemplation of death and dying, emotionally toxic relationships. These are not something I would have expected in the book, so I feel these must be mentioned when discussing this book with potential readers.

Personal opinion: Overall, I liked it. It was an easy and quick read and I never got bored. However, I’m also quite aware that I’m easy to please when it comes to travel books. I am an avid traveller myself and I can relate to many of the things that Marson loves about travel myself. This was certainly an interesting read to me as I was born the year that Marson began travelling and I did not experience travel prior to 9/11 – which is what this book focuses on – and therefore this showcased quite a different travel experience to me that I enjoyed learning about. At the same time, this sort of change feels very relevant as I sit here 20 years later in a world that is very slowly and very cautiously opening to the idea of post-pandemic travels and is grappling with the effects of climate change at the same time. I am, of course, wondering if we are again at the cusp of entering a new period of travel. I certainly think so (and so does the author of the book).
A large chunk of the book is dedicated to Marson’s visits of ancient North American ruins - and this was something I thoroughly enjoyed. With a few exceptions, these are not destinations that are particularly well known in Western Europe, where I grew up. Marson takes an interest in art and archaeological artefacts and as a result there are lengthy descriptions of her visits to museums. You do need to be the type for these to enjoy those parts of the book. Another good chunk of her time is spent in France, her favourite destination.

I enjoyed these accounts very much and the book also stirred a desire in me to visit more ancient North American sites myself once that is a possibility again. What took me by surprise, though, are the lengthy contemplations of death and mortality in this book. There is a reason for this, and the author is clearly working through trauma of her own (this is explained very early on in the book), but it certainly came unexpected given the sort of book I thought I was picking up. Personally, I was OK with it for the most part, but I think readers should know that this is what they are letting themselves in for. My only criticism of the book is connected to this circumstance: It often seems unclear what exactly the author is trying to achieve with this book. She explains that the book is for her niece who has asked for travel stories. However, when the narrative starts that niece is still a child and some of the heavier topics centred around grief, considerations of our mortality and details of the somewhat toxic relationship the author had with her ex are not age appropriate. Moreover, many of the details are very personal, sometimes philosophical, or political, making this a much more intimate and personal memoir than one might expect from a travel memoir. At times, I would have preferred more focus on the destinations, the vibes and perhaps also the locals.

Nonetheless, I look forward to reading the next instalment in this series, which will hopefully include more travels with the author’s husband, with whom she (hopefully) has a more agreeable relationship.

this was a great start to a series, I really enjoyed going on this journey with the author and enjoyed the stories that they shared in the book. It was a fun read and I felt like I was on the journey too.

I have the wanderlust disease and have traveled to many of the places the author mentions in her book. I found her tales interesting to read and I liked to compare my observations with hers. Traveling is such a gift and I enjoy reading people’s travelogues.