This Way More Better: Stories and Photos from Asia's Back Roads

by Karen J Coates, Jerry Redfern (Photographer)

Karen Coates carries the skill of a trained journalist and the language of a poet when she travels. The people she sees are people whose stories she learns and tells with a precision and sensitivity that makes them fully-fleshed individuals, illuminating their landscapes with their presence. >From an American doctor working beyond his limits in East Timor, to a group of Burmese journalists in exile using their slender resources to make a newspaper, to an Australian woman baking cakes in a Thai jungle, the voices are clear and the stories unforgettable as men and women open their lives to a gifted stranger. Whether you’ve been to the places Karen Coates takes you to in This Way More Better, or whether you only dream of going there, you will see these countries in a way that few visitors do, through the lives and stories of those who live in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and beyond. “Books often offer a vacation from life. I hope, instead, this book takes you traveling,” Karen says in her introduction. Not only does this book take us traveling; it gives us stories told by people who become our friends, in countries that become our no longer distant neighbors. Illustrated by the photographs of Jerry Redfern, Karen’s travel companion and husband, This Way More Better provides a unique view of “Asia’s back roads.”

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2013

Reviews

[Azabu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not writing a book of happy places. I’m writing an account of life"
Karen Coates , southeast Asia correspondent and food blogger, weaves a series of vignettes into an album of unsung
heroes. With husband, award-winning photographer Jerry Redfern,
she chronicles their travels in the 2000s from the office of Dr. Dan
in East Timor to Mother Teresa’s Home in Kolkata with
stops in Cambodia and Thailand. Thanks to Hmong guides Shu, a
schoolgirl, and 22 year old Duc, they trek into the remote
villages and forests of Vietnam to research the lumber trade,
which surpassed rice as the main industry for the Hmong people [22].
Duc inspired the book’s title with his frequent use of the
phrase 'more better'. Another intrepid guide in Laos leads the way to the Plain
of Jars, stone vessels that rival Stonehenge and now stand in a
minefield due to millions of tons of bombs dropped by the US during
the Vietnam War. In Phnomh Penh Coates meets Cambodia’s top
marathoner who runs in track shoes with holes but continues to
train alone . Witness to the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami where
275,000 died on the coast of Thailand , she describes the scene
as “Waikiki snuffed of life” . After 11 years she reunites with
young Shu, now a mother with a Facebook account and a tourist
business . Redfern’s lush four-color photographs inject a
sense of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape. Let's not hear any complaints from any of you spoiled Goodreaders!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Asia and long to return. Well, that day recently arrived and quite unexpectedly. I've been traveling with Karen - through her stories - every evening for the past two weeks. She became my eyes, my sense of smell, my hearing on a unique tour to faraway places with friendly people. Jerry's photos, at the end of each story, come as a welcome bonus. You sort of know what to expect, but they still surprise, every time. He has a great 'eye'.

If you fantasize about exotic travels on unbeaten paths, but don't have the courage, the money or the time, just read this book. If you love Asian food but haven't tasted it in a while, you'll enjoy the delicious flavors the author shares in flawless detail. If you've never had the time to read and understand Cambodia's recent history, dip into "This Way More Better." I love this book and am intrigued by a part Asia that I did not know, until now. Wherever Karen and Jerry travel next... I hope to travel there too, through their words and photos.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a haunting collection of essays set around SE Asia, South Asia, and Tibet. Talk about off the beaten path! My favorite stories are those that revealed a hidden life in a far away village: old KMT officers who now grow tea in northern Thailand; an Australian woman who runs a Thai home stay near the Myanmar border; an American physician who treats 600+ patients a day in East Timor. Most of the stories show the aftermath of war, whether it's from the Khmer Rouge years in Cambodia or the Chinese civil war half a century ago. The writing is beautiful and the photographs a perfect companion to these stunning essays.

[Kristianne]

Coates account of the authentic experiences she and her husband, photographer Jerry Redfern, sought in Asia between the late 1990's and the present. She is very conscious of depicting places in detail and assembling a colorful cast of characters. Good book to pair with your Lonely Planet guidebook to South East Asia.