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The Wilder Way: The Inspiring Travel Memoir of Adventure, Freedom and an Uncharted Life
Brought to you by Penguin.
An inspiring story of one woman adventuring the world solo, from top YouTuber and travel filmmaker Eva zu Beck.
"In a world that seems intent on locking us in gilded cages and behind screens, I want The Wilder Way to stand as an ode to freedom, a call to blaze your very own trail and a blueprint for an adventurous life."
Eva has it a high-flying job, a picture-perfect marriage, a lifestyle that many would aspire to. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that she is living someone else’s dream. After hitting rock bottom, she buys a one-way ticket to Nepal and leaves her old life behind in search of her true path in life.
Over the next few years, Eva travels solo to some of the world’s most far-flung places. A lone horse trek in Mongolia, COVID lockdown on a desert island in Yemen and overlanding across the US in an 18-year-old truck. She grows an online community and finds love where she wasn’t looking. But the shift from a rooted life to a transient one is far from straightforward and Eva grapples with the tension between her wanderlust and a longing for somewhere to call home.
This book is the world-expanding memoir of Eva journeying through the world on her own terms – and inspiring example of what awaits when you take the wilder path.
Eva zu Beck 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
An inspiring story of one woman adventuring the world solo, from top YouTuber and travel filmmaker Eva zu Beck.
"In a world that seems intent on locking us in gilded cages and behind screens, I want The Wilder Way to stand as an ode to freedom, a call to blaze your very own trail and a blueprint for an adventurous life."
Eva has it a high-flying job, a picture-perfect marriage, a lifestyle that many would aspire to. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that she is living someone else’s dream. After hitting rock bottom, she buys a one-way ticket to Nepal and leaves her old life behind in search of her true path in life.
Over the next few years, Eva travels solo to some of the world’s most far-flung places. A lone horse trek in Mongolia, COVID lockdown on a desert island in Yemen and overlanding across the US in an 18-year-old truck. She grows an online community and finds love where she wasn’t looking. But the shift from a rooted life to a transient one is far from straightforward and Eva grapples with the tension between her wanderlust and a longing for somewhere to call home.
This book is the world-expanding memoir of Eva journeying through the world on her own terms – and inspiring example of what awaits when you take the wilder path.
Eva zu Beck 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Audible Audio
Published May 7, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 25, 2026
I made it!
A couple of weeks ago, YouTube's algorithm recommended Eva zu Beck's channel to me. After watching Sarah Foss and her dog, Koa, living in a van full-time and showing us incredible places all over the US, I hoped Eva zu Beck's channel was doing something similar, only internationally. Boy, was I wrong!
Theoretically, she is traveling the globe and showing us incredible places. However, for Eva it's more about ... Eva. After 3 videos I knew she and I could never be friends. The whining is strong in this one. Don't get me wrong, I don't relish others suffering from existential dread or blowing up their lives, but I also don't make excuses for stupid people.
If you want examples of just what set me off while reading this book, please check out my numerous status updates.
Here, I'd like to point out one more thing that is typical for the author: in her maniacal need to be the victim 24/7, she's trying to convince herself and us that life is hard, especially if you simply travel, live free, and don't have a conventional life. Therefore, she often mentions a lack of funds. DON'T FALL FOR IT. It struck me as odd while watching her videos already and it really got to me while reading this book. So I checked.
Before she was hired by National Geographic, she made something between 67 and 92k per year in ad revenues on YouTube alone (more than I make and I can live on my salary). She is also on Instagram though AND then got hired by National Geographic which AT LEAST pays for her travel expenses. She has no rent to pay (she bought a large meadow and forest in the Carpathians), always bought everything in cash (incl. that land I just mentioned, and she admitted in the book that she paid premium), has no utilities bill, no or only one or two insurances (car, maybe life insurance - though for whom, I don't know), lives off the grid most of the time, ... and now she has a book deal by Penguin Randomhouse (one of the biggest publishers).
In short, she barely has any cash going out and A LOT of cash going in. Currently, she is estimated to have a net worth of around $1 to $1.5 million (and yes, she's still whining)!!! So all her whining is just ANOTHER attempt at garnering attention and pity.
I really don't like people like that.
However, that is not the only thing that makes her unauthentic. There is way more.
No idea where I got the strength to actually finish this book. The writing itself isn't too bad - if you don't mind Hallmark-Greeting-Card pseudo-intellectual bullshit served as something deep and profound. *rolls eyes*
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't waste my money on the print edition and have already returned the audiobook on Audible because the credit I used was a waste. But I'm sure other "poor and broken people" (her words, not mine) will lap this up as something "inspiring".
P.S.: Oh, and the delicious irony of now having read the ending of this book after already having seen videos that were recorded after this book was written. Bwahahahahahahahahaha!
A couple of weeks ago, YouTube's algorithm recommended Eva zu Beck's channel to me. After watching Sarah Foss and her dog, Koa, living in a van full-time and showing us incredible places all over the US, I hoped Eva zu Beck's channel was doing something similar, only internationally. Boy, was I wrong!
Theoretically, she is traveling the globe and showing us incredible places. However, for Eva it's more about ... Eva. After 3 videos I knew she and I could never be friends. The whining is strong in this one. Don't get me wrong, I don't relish others suffering from existential dread or blowing up their lives, but I also don't make excuses for stupid people.
If you want examples of just what set me off while reading this book, please check out my numerous status updates.
Here, I'd like to point out one more thing that is typical for the author: in her maniacal need to be the victim 24/7, she's trying to convince herself and us that life is hard, especially if you simply travel, live free, and don't have a conventional life. Therefore, she often mentions a lack of funds. DON'T FALL FOR IT. It struck me as odd while watching her videos already and it really got to me while reading this book. So I checked.
Before she was hired by National Geographic, she made something between 67 and 92k per year in ad revenues on YouTube alone (more than I make and I can live on my salary). She is also on Instagram though AND then got hired by National Geographic which AT LEAST pays for her travel expenses. She has no rent to pay (she bought a large meadow and forest in the Carpathians), always bought everything in cash (incl. that land I just mentioned, and she admitted in the book that she paid premium), has no utilities bill, no or only one or two insurances (car, maybe life insurance - though for whom, I don't know), lives off the grid most of the time, ... and now she has a book deal by Penguin Randomhouse (one of the biggest publishers).
In short, she barely has any cash going out and A LOT of cash going in. Currently, she is estimated to have a net worth of around $1 to $1.5 million (and yes, she's still whining)!!! So all her whining is just ANOTHER attempt at garnering attention and pity.
I really don't like people like that.
However, that is not the only thing that makes her unauthentic. There is way more.
No idea where I got the strength to actually finish this book. The writing itself isn't too bad - if you don't mind Hallmark-Greeting-Card pseudo-intellectual bullshit served as something deep and profound. *rolls eyes*
Anyway, I'm glad I didn't waste my money on the print edition and have already returned the audiobook on Audible because the credit I used was a waste. But I'm sure other "poor and broken people" (her words, not mine) will lap this up as something "inspiring".
P.S.: Oh, and the delicious irony of now having read the ending of this book after already having seen videos that were recorded after this book was written. Bwahahahahahahahahaha!
January 29, 2026
Eva zu Beck is one of a new generation of independent women travellers who have made their name through YouTube by showing what it means to be a traveller in the twenty-first century. In this book, she narrates her adventures, among others, in Nepal, Mongolia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Iraq, which are not countries typically visited by a young, lone female content creator. She is unique in writing about these less-visited destinations.
Zu Beck leaves behind her gilded cage life in London – a high-flying job, a marriage, friends who conventionally get engaged, married, and have children - to follow her “uncontainable desire for freedom”. She writes, “I knew that if I continued my life in London, I would arrive at a point of complete self-annihilation.” She wants to challenge herself and be alone, despite feeling afraid.
Zu Beck’s style is refreshingly vivid and expressive. She books a one-way ticket to Nepal, settles in Pakistan for months, goes on a horse-riding trek with two horses in Mongolia, lives with a family on a Yemeni desert island in lockdown – all by herself. She buys a puppy, whom she calls Vilk (wolf), and an old Land Rover, named, appropriately, Odyssey, for a road trip in the USA. A burnout means she has to cut this adventure short. And then she challenges herself to a 320-mile footrace in the depths of a Swedish winter.
In The Wilder Way, zu Beck honestly explores both her outer and inner world. Her intriguing stories about travelling are interlaced with her agonizing about being a well-known single female content creator. As a famous YouTuber with nearly 2 million followers in 2026, she is aware of the (white) privileges she enjoys in holding a European passport. She also reflects on the downsides of being an influencer, and the attention she receives as a result of her online fame.
On the practical side, however, she needs her YouTube income for further adventures. At the same time, she encounters real dangers from men, such as a Yemeni driver who tries to rape her and a stalker who tracks her down at her remote mountain hut base, convinced she should marry him.
One of the book’s most unsettling conclusions is that men are her greatest danger. As a single female traveller, she reflects on her relationships, which are initially passionate but break up mostly because of her strong desire for independence. She writes fervently about deciding on a childfree life and the fear that she also often experiences: “It’s a common misconception that people who are brave are fearless”, she writes. She is an example of a woman who confronts her fears and is aware of her limited time on earth, time she wants to use fully, in pursuit of her dreams. And her introspection is well-balanced with her travel tales: she isn’t self-absorbed.
Zu Beck was inspired in part by stories written by her Polish grandfather, writing in his journal, “To be a true traveler requires strength of character”. This, she definitely has. She kept me reading from start to finish, wondering what her next adventure would be and whether she would find her own answers to life’s questions. She hasn’t found the answers, yet, imagining that at the end of her life, people will say “she continued to seek, forever after.” Her story is about the seeking, and occasionally catching glimpses of answers.
As an older reader in my sixties, I was entranced by the book, perhaps because I have also travelled the world as a lone female. However, its audience will probably be younger than I am. I haven’t yet watched zu Beck’s videos, so I can’t reveal how much this book repeats their content, but the book has definitely motivated me to check her out online. One more follower!
Highly recommended for anyone, but particularly for lone women travelling the world, searching for meaning. I am sure there is more to come.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
Zu Beck leaves behind her gilded cage life in London – a high-flying job, a marriage, friends who conventionally get engaged, married, and have children - to follow her “uncontainable desire for freedom”. She writes, “I knew that if I continued my life in London, I would arrive at a point of complete self-annihilation.” She wants to challenge herself and be alone, despite feeling afraid.
Zu Beck’s style is refreshingly vivid and expressive. She books a one-way ticket to Nepal, settles in Pakistan for months, goes on a horse-riding trek with two horses in Mongolia, lives with a family on a Yemeni desert island in lockdown – all by herself. She buys a puppy, whom she calls Vilk (wolf), and an old Land Rover, named, appropriately, Odyssey, for a road trip in the USA. A burnout means she has to cut this adventure short. And then she challenges herself to a 320-mile footrace in the depths of a Swedish winter.
In The Wilder Way, zu Beck honestly explores both her outer and inner world. Her intriguing stories about travelling are interlaced with her agonizing about being a well-known single female content creator. As a famous YouTuber with nearly 2 million followers in 2026, she is aware of the (white) privileges she enjoys in holding a European passport. She also reflects on the downsides of being an influencer, and the attention she receives as a result of her online fame.
On the practical side, however, she needs her YouTube income for further adventures. At the same time, she encounters real dangers from men, such as a Yemeni driver who tries to rape her and a stalker who tracks her down at her remote mountain hut base, convinced she should marry him.
One of the book’s most unsettling conclusions is that men are her greatest danger. As a single female traveller, she reflects on her relationships, which are initially passionate but break up mostly because of her strong desire for independence. She writes fervently about deciding on a childfree life and the fear that she also often experiences: “It’s a common misconception that people who are brave are fearless”, she writes. She is an example of a woman who confronts her fears and is aware of her limited time on earth, time she wants to use fully, in pursuit of her dreams. And her introspection is well-balanced with her travel tales: she isn’t self-absorbed.
Zu Beck was inspired in part by stories written by her Polish grandfather, writing in his journal, “To be a true traveler requires strength of character”. This, she definitely has. She kept me reading from start to finish, wondering what her next adventure would be and whether she would find her own answers to life’s questions. She hasn’t found the answers, yet, imagining that at the end of her life, people will say “she continued to seek, forever after.” Her story is about the seeking, and occasionally catching glimpses of answers.
As an older reader in my sixties, I was entranced by the book, perhaps because I have also travelled the world as a lone female. However, its audience will probably be younger than I am. I haven’t yet watched zu Beck’s videos, so I can’t reveal how much this book repeats their content, but the book has definitely motivated me to check her out online. One more follower!
Highly recommended for anyone, but particularly for lone women travelling the world, searching for meaning. I am sure there is more to come.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy of this book.
April 8, 2026
The Wilder Way is an inspiring and escapist read. We get to experience Eva’s travels in another format following her YouTube and filmmaking career. I hadn’t heard of her before but appreciated the personal insights and experiences that were shared. A good travel book is able to transport the reader and I felt this read achieved it well. Feminist issues are well documented with the risks involved in solo travelling but there are also positive and uplifting moments to balance this out. I think this is great for anyone exploring the meaning of life, questioning where they want to be and also for those who want to explore. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
May 17, 2026
5 Stars
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Eva for her Bristol Waterstones' book launch, and oh boy what a person, what a book.
This book is an incredibly well written journey of several lifetimes through a single individual's 20s and 30s. It is both a memoir and a travel book, but leaning heavier on the memoir side, and the introspection of a solo, contemporary female traveller. She does not shy from any aspect of her journey, from the early mistakes made and the personal reasons behind them, to the encounters where her life was threatened by weather, wilderness or other wanderers. She is acute in her sense of decision making and the repercussions on herself and others around her, and how she learned and adapted because of those decisions.
This is a book that discusses freedom, the cost of freedom, mental health, safety, fear, and ethereal joy. It is, as described by Eva herself, a book about finding freedom and what it might mean to any one person. However I think its also a book about Choice. Its got a running theme of radical optimism, and when given a choice how do you respond? The choice infused with radical optimism, is to look towards a future that your brain may be worried about, or plotting a negative imagined twist and choosing to say, what if the next decision is going to be extraordinary? What if the next moment goes towards a small improvement, answering a question I have had about this little world of ours, taking a step into a larger, stranger, more extraordinary future?
After all, there is no blueprint for finding yourself, or finding freedom, There is only you, and the trust that you have in yourself.
A genuinely epic retelling of Eva's life so far (I am told no.2 is already in the works). If I were to compare it to a male travel writer (which seems a little on the nose considering the subject matter), I would compare it her style with Levison Wood. But a far better comparison would be to Isabella Bird, Freya Stark, or Dervla Murphy, all incredible, accomplished travellers in their own right and set what women's solo travel can really be, their hunger for freedom and to choose to experience the world in their own dramatic ways with an insatiable curiosity.
Thanks to Eva for an incredible chat in front of a truly curious crowd, and thanks to Waterstones and Century books for an advanced copy.
To finish, it would only be right to end on how we ended the talk, and how she ends the book, with a passage (more like a mantra/lintany for the modern traveller) written by her grandfather (to whom the book was dedicated), that would be perfection to open her biopic if one ever got made; 'I don’t get anxious about the slow, snail like pace. I simply get into my vehicle and I drive so far and for so long, in absolute peace, until I finally reach the destination that I have set for myself. I also don’t let the discomforts bother me, be it a hard seat, heat, dust, or the lack of water. All of this, in its own way, is beautiful and wonderful.'
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Eva for her Bristol Waterstones' book launch, and oh boy what a person, what a book.
This book is an incredibly well written journey of several lifetimes through a single individual's 20s and 30s. It is both a memoir and a travel book, but leaning heavier on the memoir side, and the introspection of a solo, contemporary female traveller. She does not shy from any aspect of her journey, from the early mistakes made and the personal reasons behind them, to the encounters where her life was threatened by weather, wilderness or other wanderers. She is acute in her sense of decision making and the repercussions on herself and others around her, and how she learned and adapted because of those decisions.
This is a book that discusses freedom, the cost of freedom, mental health, safety, fear, and ethereal joy. It is, as described by Eva herself, a book about finding freedom and what it might mean to any one person. However I think its also a book about Choice. Its got a running theme of radical optimism, and when given a choice how do you respond? The choice infused with radical optimism, is to look towards a future that your brain may be worried about, or plotting a negative imagined twist and choosing to say, what if the next decision is going to be extraordinary? What if the next moment goes towards a small improvement, answering a question I have had about this little world of ours, taking a step into a larger, stranger, more extraordinary future?
After all, there is no blueprint for finding yourself, or finding freedom, There is only you, and the trust that you have in yourself.
A genuinely epic retelling of Eva's life so far (I am told no.2 is already in the works). If I were to compare it to a male travel writer (which seems a little on the nose considering the subject matter), I would compare it her style with Levison Wood. But a far better comparison would be to Isabella Bird, Freya Stark, or Dervla Murphy, all incredible, accomplished travellers in their own right and set what women's solo travel can really be, their hunger for freedom and to choose to experience the world in their own dramatic ways with an insatiable curiosity.
Thanks to Eva for an incredible chat in front of a truly curious crowd, and thanks to Waterstones and Century books for an advanced copy.
To finish, it would only be right to end on how we ended the talk, and how she ends the book, with a passage (more like a mantra/lintany for the modern traveller) written by her grandfather (to whom the book was dedicated), that would be perfection to open her biopic if one ever got made; 'I don’t get anxious about the slow, snail like pace. I simply get into my vehicle and I drive so far and for so long, in absolute peace, until I finally reach the destination that I have set for myself. I also don’t let the discomforts bother me, be it a hard seat, heat, dust, or the lack of water. All of this, in its own way, is beautiful and wonderful.'
May 19, 2026
beautiful read. i've followed Eva on YouTube for some time and i've watched most of her catalogue. she truly is an inspiration to so many people, especially young women out there. she is a refreshing voice of reason for those who do not want to live the patriarchally-aligned dream.
the worlds she outlines are so vivid, and what a treat that so many of the adventures she's spoken about have accompanying footage on her YouTube channel. i really appreciate the pacing of this book, too; there's a lot of content to cover, yet each chapter was the perfect length.
i also think Eva did a decent job at adding feminist undertones when describing some of the places she visited, as well as exploring uncomfortable topics like her white privilege. she paints a generally favourable view of many individuals she's met during her travels, making a welcome distinction between people and their governments. this is tremendously important given the way the west depicts other nations.
however, at times, i found myself wondering how much of the warmth she experienced might be shaped by benevolent patriarchy and her identity as a white woman, and how those same interactions might differ for solo female travellers who are women of colour. it's hard to believe that many of the men she had positive experiences with would treat their wives, daughters or non-white women who visited in as high esteem, which is why i think i felt a little dismayed reading this memoir as a woman of colour.
however, i understand that Eva is just recounting her own experiences, and they were enjoyable to read nonetheless, even if my heart breaks at the lack of basic freedoms many women have in these countries (which Eva also implicitly addressed), and also reading about how often Eva was harassed by men too. just to make it clear, i think most men globally are patriarchs, and not just men in any one particular country.
overall, i think the memoir left a really strong and positive impression on me, even if i feel like some of her advice and radical positivity cannot be as easily applicable to Black and brown women. however, the memoir left me feeling refreshed and inspired to solo travel to places i deem safe enough. while whiteness perhaps played a role in facilitating some of Eva's travel experiences, it feels incredible to read the memoir of an unapologetic and raw woman, paving out her own blueprint for the first generation of women who have the autonomy to do so. for that, i'm grateful.
the worlds she outlines are so vivid, and what a treat that so many of the adventures she's spoken about have accompanying footage on her YouTube channel. i really appreciate the pacing of this book, too; there's a lot of content to cover, yet each chapter was the perfect length.
i also think Eva did a decent job at adding feminist undertones when describing some of the places she visited, as well as exploring uncomfortable topics like her white privilege. she paints a generally favourable view of many individuals she's met during her travels, making a welcome distinction between people and their governments. this is tremendously important given the way the west depicts other nations.
however, at times, i found myself wondering how much of the warmth she experienced might be shaped by benevolent patriarchy and her identity as a white woman, and how those same interactions might differ for solo female travellers who are women of colour. it's hard to believe that many of the men she had positive experiences with would treat their wives, daughters or non-white women who visited in as high esteem, which is why i think i felt a little dismayed reading this memoir as a woman of colour.
however, i understand that Eva is just recounting her own experiences, and they were enjoyable to read nonetheless, even if my heart breaks at the lack of basic freedoms many women have in these countries (which Eva also implicitly addressed), and also reading about how often Eva was harassed by men too. just to make it clear, i think most men globally are patriarchs, and not just men in any one particular country.
overall, i think the memoir left a really strong and positive impression on me, even if i feel like some of her advice and radical positivity cannot be as easily applicable to Black and brown women. however, the memoir left me feeling refreshed and inspired to solo travel to places i deem safe enough. while whiteness perhaps played a role in facilitating some of Eva's travel experiences, it feels incredible to read the memoir of an unapologetic and raw woman, paving out her own blueprint for the first generation of women who have the autonomy to do so. for that, i'm grateful.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Eva zu Beck seemed to have it all: great job, picture-perfect marriage, etc but it didn't feel right & the pull to travel was so strong that she bought a one-way ticket to Nepal & hasn't really stopped since. From working with horses in Mongolia, to a very long-distance drive through the US, the book follows zu Beck on her travels & urges everyone to find their own path in life - even if it isn't a conventional one.
I had not heard of this author or her YouTube channel before reading this book, & I requested it based on the cover & synopsis. I rather enjoyed this, it was honest & soul-searching about living an unconventional life & I can empathise with certain aspects of the author's journey of self-discovery, however, solo travelling would not be for me. Although zu Beck acknowledges that women face particular challenges & safety worries & it's fair enough wanting to view the world through the lens that most people are kind & helpful, for me you only need to meet one that isn't & that's the end of the road. In more ways than one. Maybe I've read too many true crime cases.
I would have liked a bit more about the preparation for some of these trips as that's part of the journey too. For example, one moment zu Beck is contemplating quitting on one continent & the next she is partway through a trek in the Arctic - what? When was this decided? When the reader comes in partway through, it’s quite jarring. Also we go from her living on savings to now earning enough from travel vlogs & sponsors - like when did this all happen? Overall I enjoyed reading this (& absolutely loved Vilk, her German Shepherd dog, who seems such a good boy) but I'm most definitely a homebody & like my comforts too much. 3.75 stars (rounded up)
SUMMARY:
Research: Not Applicable.
Writing Style: Good - Honest & soul-searching about living an unconventional life.
Enjoyment Level: Moderately High - I would have liked a bit more about the preparation for some of these trips. When the reader comes in partway through, it’s quite jarring at times.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Cornerstone/Century, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I had not heard of this author or her YouTube channel before reading this book, & I requested it based on the cover & synopsis. I rather enjoyed this, it was honest & soul-searching about living an unconventional life & I can empathise with certain aspects of the author's journey of self-discovery, however, solo travelling would not be for me. Although zu Beck acknowledges that women face particular challenges & safety worries & it's fair enough wanting to view the world through the lens that most people are kind & helpful, for me you only need to meet one that isn't & that's the end of the road. In more ways than one. Maybe I've read too many true crime cases.
I would have liked a bit more about the preparation for some of these trips as that's part of the journey too. For example, one moment zu Beck is contemplating quitting on one continent & the next she is partway through a trek in the Arctic - what? When was this decided? When the reader comes in partway through, it’s quite jarring. Also we go from her living on savings to now earning enough from travel vlogs & sponsors - like when did this all happen? Overall I enjoyed reading this (& absolutely loved Vilk, her German Shepherd dog, who seems such a good boy) but I'm most definitely a homebody & like my comforts too much. 3.75 stars (rounded up)
SUMMARY:
Research: Not Applicable.
Writing Style: Good - Honest & soul-searching about living an unconventional life.
Enjoyment Level: Moderately High - I would have liked a bit more about the preparation for some of these trips. When the reader comes in partway through, it’s quite jarring at times.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Cornerstone/Century, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’ll start by saying I really admire her courage and I enjoy her writing but that having gotten to 65% I just can’t read any further. This is the kind of genre I love, and so I thought how awesome a girl off on her adventures. The intro is strong, Eva blows up her life realising she isn’t happy which I think is incredibly relatable getting to that part of your twenties/thirties and there’s a crystalising of what you want in life that’s leads to some big soul searching. However, it just not a rewarding read, each chapter feels like a YouTube video where we drop into her adventures with no context, she’s hiking to the Everest base camp with no intro as to any training or fitness she’s done, then we’re with her in Pakistan going to areas that are very dangerous, then we drop into her horseback riding alone in Mongolia with no background of her having ridden horses?! And then we’re off to a remote island off Yemen where she just low key runs a marathon? And then she gets stuck there with Covid lock downs and then never mentions running again?
On YouTube this would work because when things are spoken and chatty and contained in a video you can drop in, but for a book? It doesn’t work, it’s missing the journey, and the will she, wont she, oh by golly she did hooray! And it’s that triumph that makes it feel rewarding to read.
I really tried to like it, and maybe it is accidental misogyny and I would judge a man by the same process but for me the format just didn’t work for me.
On YouTube this would work because when things are spoken and chatty and contained in a video you can drop in, but for a book? It doesn’t work, it’s missing the journey, and the will she, wont she, oh by golly she did hooray! And it’s that triumph that makes it feel rewarding to read.
I really tried to like it, and maybe it is accidental misogyny and I would judge a man by the same process but for me the format just didn’t work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Gallery Books for the gifted physical ARC!
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but it was a little tough to read. I think she was incredibly brave to write and admit to some of the things she did in her past, a lot of people wouldnt be so honest about things that don't necessarily show them in the best light. But, it also made me think she was a bit immature and unprepared for a lot of the things she did.
Maybe that's the appeal, giving off the feel that maybe anyone can do what she's going off to do. And I love that mindset, but she does some intensely physical adventuring, country hopping, and so many different kinds of adventures that I think it would be beneficial to know how she got to the point of doing it all. But we didn't get any of the prep for any of it, so it just kind of felt like being dropped in the middle of a chapter without any context behind it.
But if you like to read about the adventures of an epic traveler and outdoor adventurer, and you don't require any peeks into the prep or buildup to it, you will probably enjoy this memoir.
*This ARC was given by Gallery Books, all opinions are my own.*
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but it was a little tough to read. I think she was incredibly brave to write and admit to some of the things she did in her past, a lot of people wouldnt be so honest about things that don't necessarily show them in the best light. But, it also made me think she was a bit immature and unprepared for a lot of the things she did.
Maybe that's the appeal, giving off the feel that maybe anyone can do what she's going off to do. And I love that mindset, but she does some intensely physical adventuring, country hopping, and so many different kinds of adventures that I think it would be beneficial to know how she got to the point of doing it all. But we didn't get any of the prep for any of it, so it just kind of felt like being dropped in the middle of a chapter without any context behind it.
But if you like to read about the adventures of an epic traveler and outdoor adventurer, and you don't require any peeks into the prep or buildup to it, you will probably enjoy this memoir.
*This ARC was given by Gallery Books, all opinions are my own.*
May 26, 2026
Oh man, they say don’t meet your heroes. I’ll say don’t read the books of your heroes. I followed her for years on instagram and YouTube and always admired her courage but once I got insight into the way she traveled, the way she had access to places etc while always claiming to be “solo.” She would travel in Pakistan with her rockstar boyfriend who was probably very well connected. This wasn’t someone starting from “scratch.” I found her writing to be too ostentatious - almost trying too hard to sound smart and use fluffy language. I had a hard time finishing the book. After reading her book, I find that she is quite exploitative and took advantage of kind people who put foreigners on pedestals. Unsubscribe.
May 29, 2026
Erg mooi boek wat makkelijk 2x zo dik had mogen zijn. Ze schrijft erg mooi en als je houdt van haar vertelstijl in haar videos, het is precies even poëtisch. Eva heeft een mooie gecomprimeerde schrijfstijl waardoor ze veel vertelt zonder alles uit te kauwen. Toch had ik graag soms nog meer achtergrondinformatie willen hebben. Hoe traint ze voor al haar fysieke uitdagingen? Na het lezen vraag ik me soms af wat die drang naar -being feral- vandaan komt. Door al haar persoonlijke informatie, met name aan het begin, voelt het soms minder vrijblijvend allemaal. Het geeft hierdoor een interessant inkijkje in wat haar allemaal beweegt. Zou het zeker aanraden om te lezen, met name als je haar kent van yt
May 11, 2026
Inspiring, inspirational read
I have followed Eva’s YouTube channel for some years, loving her cheerful, adventurous free spirit, and often wondered why such a beautiful girl had not been snatched up by a handsome man.
This book fills in the gaps and explains her single status, and confirms the reasons for her beautiful free spirit. It’s a great read and highly recommended. It is a good companion to Noraly Schoenmaker’s book from a similarly gorgeous, spirited woman, both of whom should be proud to stand as role models for women the world over to defy tradition and live their best lives independently.
I have followed Eva’s YouTube channel for some years, loving her cheerful, adventurous free spirit, and often wondered why such a beautiful girl had not been snatched up by a handsome man.
This book fills in the gaps and explains her single status, and confirms the reasons for her beautiful free spirit. It’s a great read and highly recommended. It is a good companion to Noraly Schoenmaker’s book from a similarly gorgeous, spirited woman, both of whom should be proud to stand as role models for women the world over to defy tradition and live their best lives independently.
May 23, 2026
In this book Eva gives a real insight in what it is like to be a solo female traveler. It contains wonderful hearthwarming experiences; People all around the world welcome Eva with open arms. As well as dangerous experiences, from encounters with the human version of dangerous bears and wolves.
The book has been nicely written and chapters of her adventerous life follow smoothly upon the decisions she makes throughout her journey.
At the end of the book she writes that she didn't find herself on her travels.
What she did find, was what she loved about each place she traveled to, and to not take that for granted.
The book has been nicely written and chapters of her adventerous life follow smoothly upon the decisions she makes throughout her journey.
At the end of the book she writes that she didn't find herself on her travels.
What she did find, was what she loved about each place she traveled to, and to not take that for granted.
May 21, 2026
I would give Eva 5 stars because the book is very honest and it takes a lot of courage to write it. It takes courage to live the way she lives off the well known path and that is inspiring as well! I enjoyed reading the book and thanks Eva for letting us so close to you!
May 8, 2026
A thoroughly engrossing read.
What a brave, adventurous woman.
What a brave, adventurous woman.
May 11, 2026
Loved it. Loved the stories, the adventure, the background of Ewa’s life and her thoughts during these tough travels, especially Mongolia. Would love to read more.
May 24, 2026
Eva is an incredible storyteller. I bought this book because I have been following her adventures on YT for years now. You inspire so many of us, Eva.
May 29, 2026
inspirujące zapiski o odwadze do życia po swojemu, wysłuchałam z przyjemnością
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