What do you think?
Rate this book
Rootless and Restless
What happens when you leave behind the familiar and follow your curiosity to far corners of the world?
In Rootless and Restless, Shivya Nath trades comfort for adventure and sets off on a deeply personal journey to some of our planet’s most remote places. From a tiny island deep in the Arctic to off-grid Indigenous communities in Myanmar and the stark mountain deserts of Uzbekistan, she travels in search of stories, traditions and ways of life that are rarely written about.
Along the way, Shivya finds herself tangled in a morality police raid in Iran, discovering centuries-old traditions in Japan and coming face-to-face with the last living member of an entire species in the Pacific Ocean.
In a world shaped by social media, cultural divides and climate change, Rootless and Restless is a reminder that travel can be more than ticking destinations off a list. It can open doors to remarkable people, unexpected lessons and perhaps even transform the traveller herself.
In Rootless and Restless, Shivya Nath trades comfort for adventure and sets off on a deeply personal journey to some of our planet’s most remote places. From a tiny island deep in the Arctic to off-grid Indigenous communities in Myanmar and the stark mountain deserts of Uzbekistan, she travels in search of stories, traditions and ways of life that are rarely written about.
Along the way, Shivya finds herself tangled in a morality police raid in Iran, discovering centuries-old traditions in Japan and coming face-to-face with the last living member of an entire species in the Pacific Ocean.
In a world shaped by social media, cultural divides and climate change, Rootless and Restless is a reminder that travel can be more than ticking destinations off a list. It can open doors to remarkable people, unexpected lessons and perhaps even transform the traveller herself.
352 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2026
About the author
Shivya Nath
2 books99 followersShivya Nath is a travel writer. She grew up in the Indian Himalayas and quit her corporate job at twenty-three with a dream of travelling the world. She pursued a nomadic life for nearly seven years, living out of two bags, spending time with local and Indigenous communities. Her work focuses on the intersection of meaningful travel, climate action and social impact.
In her first book, The Shooting Star: A Girl, Her Backpack and the World (Penguin, 2018), Shivya documents her journey from the cubicle to a nomadic life, and from small-town India to remote corners of the globe. The book has sold over 20,000 copies to date.
Her blog is read by nearly half a million people annually, and her words have appeared in leading publications, including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, Washington Post, Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveller. Shivya has been featured by Washington Post among travellers changing the way we think about the world, by National Geographic Traveller among travellers of colour smashing stereotypes and in the BBC film, The Audacious, on living your best (sustainable) life. She is a recipient of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards.
Shivya is the founder of Climate Conscious Travel, where she works on climate research and storytelling through the lens of travel. She also runs The Shooting Star Academy, where she offers impact storytelling courses and workshops for both urban and rural audiences.
She has delivered talks on sustainable travel and climate action in tourism at national and international forums, including COP30, the ASEAN–India Forum, UN Tourism regional conferences and the World Community Tourism Summit. She holds a master’s in sustainability from Harvard University (DCE).
Blog
Newsletter
Courses and workshops
Instagram
In her first book, The Shooting Star: A Girl, Her Backpack and the World (Penguin, 2018), Shivya documents her journey from the cubicle to a nomadic life, and from small-town India to remote corners of the globe. The book has sold over 20,000 copies to date.
Her blog is read by nearly half a million people annually, and her words have appeared in leading publications, including BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Traveller, Washington Post, Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveller. Shivya has been featured by Washington Post among travellers changing the way we think about the world, by National Geographic Traveller among travellers of colour smashing stereotypes and in the BBC film, The Audacious, on living your best (sustainable) life. She is a recipient of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards.
Shivya is the founder of Climate Conscious Travel, where she works on climate research and storytelling through the lens of travel. She also runs The Shooting Star Academy, where she offers impact storytelling courses and workshops for both urban and rural audiences.
She has delivered talks on sustainable travel and climate action in tourism at national and international forums, including COP30, the ASEAN–India Forum, UN Tourism regional conferences and the World Community Tourism Summit. She holds a master’s in sustainability from Harvard University (DCE).
Blog
Newsletter
Courses and workshops
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 5, 2026
Similar to Shivya’s first book, reading Rootless and Restless feels like sipping a cup of warm tea on a cold day. It is also honest and grounding - making every page, an invitation to slow down, reflect and be a better traveller.
May 20, 2026
The Robinson Crusoe chapter: The Last Tree Not a page turner but I kept going back to the top of every page and reading it out loud to my husband, letting it sink in deeper. I will never be able to travel the way Shivya does, but so grateful to experience the beauty of our planet and the ache of knowing how much we're loosing, through her words. I'd love another book from Shivya that's an anthology of all her blogs. It'd be soo much nicer to read on paper than on a screen! Just like all her blogs, the stories in this one really helped me slow down and understand the nuances of each region she writes about.
May 20, 2026
One of the best travel books to read after shooting star. Made me feel I was a part of her journey in every story I read.
A good book to pick up for travellers to enjoy the whole travelling experience.
A good book to pick up for travellers to enjoy the whole travelling experience.
May 24, 2026
This book is not your regular travelogue, it is a reflective journey that makes readers question modern lifestyles and the impact of human actions on nature. What I liked most was that it wasn’t a typical travel book focused only on places, but one that encouraged self-reflection, mindful living, and environmental awareness
May 21, 2026
It’s such a soothing read. It makes me remember a lot of my travel experiences and how travel shapes you and makes you humble and keeps you grounded. It’s so much more than visiting places to just absorbing few in. I loved the book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews