Mississippi Solo
A John Murray Journey
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- 3,99 €
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- 3,99 €
Publisher Description
INTRODUCED BY ADAM WEYMOUTH, award-winning author of The Kings of Yukon
'A wonderful book -- and a highly original contribution to the literature of travel' PAUL THEROUX
'The Mississippi. Mighty, muddy, dangerous, rebellious and yet a strong, fathering kind of river. The river captured my imagination when I was young and has never let go.'
Mississippi Solo tells the story of one man's voyage by canoe down the Mississippi River from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico - a longtime dream, and a journey of over 2,000 miles through the heart of America.
Paddling into the Southern states - going from 'where there ain't no black folks to where they still don't like us much' - Eddy is confronted by the legacy of slavery and modern racism, including an incident with a pair of shotgun-toting bigots. There are also the dangers of passing barges, wild dogs roaming the wooded shore, and navigating a waterway that grows vaster, and more hazardous, every day.
But Eddy also encounters immense human kindness, friendship and hospitality, as well as coming to know the majestic power - and the awesome dangers - of the river itself. Mississippi Solo is an unforgettable American adventure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Growing up in St. Louis, Harris felt drawn to the Mississippi River and wanted to be part of it. At the age of 30 he decided it was time to challenge the riverand himselfby canoeing its length, Lake Itaska to New Orleans. With very little preparation or conditioning, he set out in the fall in a borrowed canoe. In addition to expected hazards of weather, traffic and navigation, the voyage held another one: Harris, who is black, encountered gun-toting rednecks downstream (he carried a revolver). But most people were friendly and encouraging; Harris learned how to handle the canoe in the wake of tugs and successfully tested himself to the limits of physical and mental endurance. Readers who enjoyed Jonathan Raban's Old Glory will want to read this exuberant account of a geographically similiar solo voyage. Harris is a talented writer; may he continue his adventures.
