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Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman's Travel Odyssey (Footsteps
This feisty, sexy, energetic tale of a young woman's solo journey through Fiji, Bali, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Morocco offers the best of memoir and travel narrative combined. Gough chronicles her encounters with both humor and wisdom as she covers the globe on her own. "Passionate and poetic." - San Francisco Examiner
- GenresTravelNonfictionMemoir
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
9 people are currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Gough
5 books26 followersLaurie Gough is author of the newly released Stolen Child: A Mother's Journey to Rescue Her Son From Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Kiss the Sunset Pig: An American Road Trip with Exotic Detours; and Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman’s Travel Odyssey, shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award in the U.K., and silver medal winner of ForeWord Magazine’s Travel Book of the Year in the U.S. Over twenty of her stories have been anthologized in literary travel books; she has been a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, and has written for The Guardian, Macleans magazine, the Walrus, The L.A. Times, USA Today, salon.com, The National Post, Canadian Geographic, The Daily Express, Caribbean Travel + Life, among others. She lives in Wakefield, Quebec, with her family and gives memoir and travel writing workshops internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
November 3, 2017
Originally published as Island of the Human Heart, Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman's Travel Odyssey retells parts of Gough's travels through Bali, Malaysia, New Zealand and Morocco through the "present day" lens of her time spent in paradise on the Fijian island Taveuni in 1994.
Returning to Taveuni to reconnect with her Fijian lover, Laudi, Gough cleverly weaves a collection of short travel stories into the wider narrative of a love story during her time on Taveuni. Her relationship with Laudi extends to his wider family, including his formidable aunties, and allows her to more intimately immerse herself into the culture and idyllic island lifestyle. With time, however, she soon realises that cultural differences abound and questions whether two people from such different parts of the world can ever by truly happy together.
There is no denying that Gough can write some wonderfully lyrical, almost poetical passages. Unfortunately, her constant railing against male chauvanism and different customs and religions she encounters, makes her come across as whiny, extremely opinionated and self absorbed. Too often she resorts to exaggerated and at times patronising statements that detract from the wider narrative of the book. This occurs to such an extent that I found myself physically rolling my eyes with the corniness of some of what I'd just read. Literally.
There are also parts of the book where the poetic license she allows herself becomes so wide that it makes me think Kite Strings of the Southern Cross as a sort of female version of David Harris's book, The Backpacker. In similar fashion to to that book, I'm left wondering whether the retelling is entirely factual or to what degree things might have been embellished. Maybe the emphasis is more on the "less" when she states that "all the stories... are true, more or less". And without trying to engage in a session of Fisking, there are also a number of basic inaccuracies that occur within the book, which doesn't help.
Which is all a pity, as Kite Strings of the Southern Cross does have a fair amount going for it, most especially when Gough describes other parts of the world she visits during the intervening period prior to arriving back at Taveuni. It is during these escapades when Gough seems to take herself less seriously that the book works best and also where her enjoyable humour is allowed free rein. But all too soon, we're dragged back to Taveuni and subjected to the cloying and indulgent travel philosophising that then spews out of its pages.
Whilst I'm certain I'm not the target demographic, I'm still surprised that the book was nominated as a finalist in the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. As mentioned, there are a number of good things to like about the book and maybe I just don't get it. But, in my opinion, this book is let down by its overall tone and only left me feeling cross about how good this book could have been.
Returning to Taveuni to reconnect with her Fijian lover, Laudi, Gough cleverly weaves a collection of short travel stories into the wider narrative of a love story during her time on Taveuni. Her relationship with Laudi extends to his wider family, including his formidable aunties, and allows her to more intimately immerse herself into the culture and idyllic island lifestyle. With time, however, she soon realises that cultural differences abound and questions whether two people from such different parts of the world can ever by truly happy together.
There is no denying that Gough can write some wonderfully lyrical, almost poetical passages. Unfortunately, her constant railing against male chauvanism and different customs and religions she encounters, makes her come across as whiny, extremely opinionated and self absorbed. Too often she resorts to exaggerated and at times patronising statements that detract from the wider narrative of the book. This occurs to such an extent that I found myself physically rolling my eyes with the corniness of some of what I'd just read. Literally.
There are also parts of the book where the poetic license she allows herself becomes so wide that it makes me think Kite Strings of the Southern Cross as a sort of female version of David Harris's book, The Backpacker. In similar fashion to to that book, I'm left wondering whether the retelling is entirely factual or to what degree things might have been embellished. Maybe the emphasis is more on the "less" when she states that "all the stories... are true, more or less". And without trying to engage in a session of Fisking, there are also a number of basic inaccuracies that occur within the book, which doesn't help.
Which is all a pity, as Kite Strings of the Southern Cross does have a fair amount going for it, most especially when Gough describes other parts of the world she visits during the intervening period prior to arriving back at Taveuni. It is during these escapades when Gough seems to take herself less seriously that the book works best and also where her enjoyable humour is allowed free rein. But all too soon, we're dragged back to Taveuni and subjected to the cloying and indulgent travel philosophising that then spews out of its pages.
Whilst I'm certain I'm not the target demographic, I'm still surprised that the book was nominated as a finalist in the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. As mentioned, there are a number of good things to like about the book and maybe I just don't get it. But, in my opinion, this book is let down by its overall tone and only left me feeling cross about how good this book could have been.
May 10, 2012
Laurie Gough is the feminist Jack Kerouac. She weaves a lyrical narrative as intricate as the Moroccan carpets she was once drugged into buying. I picked up her book Kite Strings of the Southern Cross with no intention of surrendering my machismo virtue to gooey Goughy prose. Yet, Laurie seduced and ravaged me against my will, and I must say, "I liked it!"
Laurie is a redhaired beauty with freckles on her creamy shoulders that call out to be included among the known constellations. Connecting the dots of heavenly stars and Pacific islands, her book also connects the dots on why travelers wander. Humans have migratory instincts.
Before a political line was drawn across this continent branding folks Americans or Canadians, indigenous people migrated with changing seasons. Now, folks are told to settle down and act respectable. Yet, Laurie failed to get the message. Good for her. Perhaps, feral memories from Laurie's primitive American birthplace summoned her out of her civilized Canadian home like Buck in Call of the Wild was lured into the moonlit forest by savage dogs. Whatever the case, her book rocks.
I fondly remember meeting Laurie. I was sitting at a hotel in Mexico, when she deliberately positioned herself about ten feet away and proceeded to make Gough-Gough eyes in my direction for nearly an hour. Finally, I walked up and thrust my manly junk into her warm porcelain hand. That's right. I gave her a copy of my book after her workshop at the San Miguel Writers' Convention. I can only hope my stuff satisfied her like her stuff satisfied me. Honestly, she was one of the best pieces of literature I've ever had. Er ... done? Uh ... read. Oh, oh, oh Canada! Sorry Laurie, aint easy makin' a livin' on American guy lit, 'cause as you seem to grasp, American men can hardly read.
Laurie is a redhaired beauty with freckles on her creamy shoulders that call out to be included among the known constellations. Connecting the dots of heavenly stars and Pacific islands, her book also connects the dots on why travelers wander. Humans have migratory instincts.
Before a political line was drawn across this continent branding folks Americans or Canadians, indigenous people migrated with changing seasons. Now, folks are told to settle down and act respectable. Yet, Laurie failed to get the message. Good for her. Perhaps, feral memories from Laurie's primitive American birthplace summoned her out of her civilized Canadian home like Buck in Call of the Wild was lured into the moonlit forest by savage dogs. Whatever the case, her book rocks.
I fondly remember meeting Laurie. I was sitting at a hotel in Mexico, when she deliberately positioned herself about ten feet away and proceeded to make Gough-Gough eyes in my direction for nearly an hour. Finally, I walked up and thrust my manly junk into her warm porcelain hand. That's right. I gave her a copy of my book after her workshop at the San Miguel Writers' Convention. I can only hope my stuff satisfied her like her stuff satisfied me. Honestly, she was one of the best pieces of literature I've ever had. Er ... done? Uh ... read. Oh, oh, oh Canada! Sorry Laurie, aint easy makin' a livin' on American guy lit, 'cause as you seem to grasp, American men can hardly read.
April 29, 2008
In the words of Crash Davis: "Self indulgent, over-rated crap." I even read this while traveling to the places she describes in the book. I just couldn't get into it.
I could go on...but why?
I could go on...but why?
October 15, 2025
I never wanted this book to end.
I love the voice of the narrator: young, spunky, feisty, sexy. “My mother would be appalled if she saw me now,” she writes, while she's regularly getting herself into and out of trouble in exotic countries.
The cast of characters is unforgettable. "Jurgen the eccentric Romanian", for example, who resolves with great solemnity to watch no more sunsets. And the mountainous "Giant Aunts", AKA the enormous and lovable women of Fiji. The very attractive young man with whom she romantically skips down tropical beaches, using seaweed tubes as skipping rope.
Laurie Gough's use of language is often vivid and poetic- as in when riding on the back of a motorcycle, “the wind wrapped itself in a rage around me and raided my hair.” In contrast, she also often has one laughing out loud with surprise. Describing the beautiful women of a tropical paradise: “Bali is a country of sweet swaying bodies on buses, and exquisite women who spit.”
Of course there are also very suspenseful chapters and dark surprises. "Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman's Travel Odyssey" is a wonderful read, from beginning to end. Highly recommended!
I love the voice of the narrator: young, spunky, feisty, sexy. “My mother would be appalled if she saw me now,” she writes, while she's regularly getting herself into and out of trouble in exotic countries.
The cast of characters is unforgettable. "Jurgen the eccentric Romanian", for example, who resolves with great solemnity to watch no more sunsets. And the mountainous "Giant Aunts", AKA the enormous and lovable women of Fiji. The very attractive young man with whom she romantically skips down tropical beaches, using seaweed tubes as skipping rope.
Laurie Gough's use of language is often vivid and poetic- as in when riding on the back of a motorcycle, “the wind wrapped itself in a rage around me and raided my hair.” In contrast, she also often has one laughing out loud with surprise. Describing the beautiful women of a tropical paradise: “Bali is a country of sweet swaying bodies on buses, and exquisite women who spit.”
Of course there are also very suspenseful chapters and dark surprises. "Kite Strings of the Southern Cross: A Woman's Travel Odyssey" is a wonderful read, from beginning to end. Highly recommended!
February 22, 2023
I really liked this book.
August 19, 2014
I enjoyed the beginning part of this book very much - Gough writes beautifully, and many passages in this book resonated with me. I was particularly struck, for example, by her vivid descriptions of snorkeling and of sunsets. She has a somewhat grittier philosophy of travel than I do, but I share her interest not just in seeing the pretty monuments and standard tourist sites that everyone sees, but in experiencing "real" life in a foreign land. Her writing brought alive for me the culture and the experience of Fiji. About 2/3 of the way through the book, however, the tone became a bit more negative, a bit more complaining, a bit more self-centered, and a bit too "Eat Pray Love" (not in the good ways) for my taste. Her love affair with Fiji (and with her love interest) seemed to be waning, the romance of it all wore off, and this bled through into her writing. While I don't expect unicorns and rainbows throughout the course of a book (indeed that would be dull), when adversity strikes I would hope that the quality of the writing would remain as high as when all was going swimmingly, and that was not my sense here. I enjoyed the book overall but felt that it fell short a bit toward the end.
April 23, 2011
"Kite Strings of the Southern Cross" is indeed "a woman's travel odyssey," a story of wandering in search of paradise, finding it, losing it, and learning to move on.
The book is built around two extended trips to Fiji, but the narrative cuts between those experiences and some of her other travels. This narrative structure has the effect of breaking up the relentless, "first this happened, then that happened" march of time that some travel narratives follow slavishly. It felt much more like how we experience real life, as a combination of what we're experiencing now and what we remember from the past.
Gough does many things well in this book. Her descriptions of a traveler's life and the emotions and impulses that drive it are masterful. The cross-cultural dissonances she felt between her Canadian background and the culture of the Tahitian island where she fell in love and tried to make a life are thoroughly explored. Gough is also on a personal journey, which the reader experiences along with her.
I've read dozens of travel memoirs by women, and this is among the best: personal, creative, and honest.
The book is built around two extended trips to Fiji, but the narrative cuts between those experiences and some of her other travels. This narrative structure has the effect of breaking up the relentless, "first this happened, then that happened" march of time that some travel narratives follow slavishly. It felt much more like how we experience real life, as a combination of what we're experiencing now and what we remember from the past.
Gough does many things well in this book. Her descriptions of a traveler's life and the emotions and impulses that drive it are masterful. The cross-cultural dissonances she felt between her Canadian background and the culture of the Tahitian island where she fell in love and tried to make a life are thoroughly explored. Gough is also on a personal journey, which the reader experiences along with her.
I've read dozens of travel memoirs by women, and this is among the best: personal, creative, and honest.
May 27, 2010
Laurie Gough is a young, fresh voice with a well worn soul in this, her first travel collection. Her willingness to go where a sane person would fear to tread re-enforces the fact that we are all lucky to have survived our youth. Buts, she goes with eyes wide open, sucking in life and giving back tender, insightful reflections upon her haps and mishaps during her wander year at age twenty three. There is not one bruised sunset, instead crimson slashes across the heavens. Her descriptions are intense, her language poetic, her insights sound, and her conclusion after her quest for paradise that “paradise rests in the island of the human heart” satisfying. I strongly recommend anything Laurie Gough writes. She stands out in the list of most talented travel writers of our time.
Linda Ballou
Adventure travel writer and
Author of Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales
Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii
Linda Ballou
Adventure travel writer and
Author of Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales
Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii
January 25, 2016
Rereading this after 12 years!
Still a great read. A travel memoir told from Fiji's lushious shoreline. Exciting tales of intrepid female travels across the globe and an intriguing meditation of the Fijian people.
We are so advanced as a species with all our abilities to build and grow and understand but also there is a base instinct that can't easily be changed. We are still monkeys. At the mercy of these monkey instincts.
Life is full of colour, happiness, generosity and sights of all varieties across the globe. Generally people are good and want to help. But there is always a need to be watchful for the devil himself.
Gough's prose is contemplative and spiritual, beautifully presented in places with wonderful descriptions of weather, water, island life, rituals and the characters of all she meets.
A real travel chic book. Read it and dream of making your own escape asap....
Still a great read. A travel memoir told from Fiji's lushious shoreline. Exciting tales of intrepid female travels across the globe and an intriguing meditation of the Fijian people.
We are so advanced as a species with all our abilities to build and grow and understand but also there is a base instinct that can't easily be changed. We are still monkeys. At the mercy of these monkey instincts.
Life is full of colour, happiness, generosity and sights of all varieties across the globe. Generally people are good and want to help. But there is always a need to be watchful for the devil himself.
Gough's prose is contemplative and spiritual, beautifully presented in places with wonderful descriptions of weather, water, island life, rituals and the characters of all she meets.
A real travel chic book. Read it and dream of making your own escape asap....
January 18, 2016
An exceptional book by a courageous woman whose love of travelling and adventure is complimented by a gift of storytelling which kept me engrossed until the end. On a scale of 1-5 will I recommend this book to other readers? 5 - hell yes.
"One man used up her whole life. I find this extreme but understand what she means. He invaded all her hopeful spaces, her vacancies that dream of how things should be rather than how they are. She says she can no longer think a clear thought without a vision of him. He follows her mind wherever she goes. I say to her: How is it that some people keep living inside us even when they're no longer welcome guests? She says love kills in the end."
"One man used up her whole life. I find this extreme but understand what she means. He invaded all her hopeful spaces, her vacancies that dream of how things should be rather than how they are. She says she can no longer think a clear thought without a vision of him. He follows her mind wherever she goes. I say to her: How is it that some people keep living inside us even when they're no longer welcome guests? She says love kills in the end."
November 14, 2011
I had so much fun travelling tbe globe with Laurie Gough. I travel as often as I can, searching for new experiences, but I would never have the kismet to survive the way Laurie Gough experimented with her mode of relating to strangers in foreign lands. She threw caution to the wind and caught a swell of foolhardy adventures, but she knows herself well, and with little money, discovers a tale. I loved reading her stories for the sheer fun of it, and she influenced my new found love of women travel writers.
August 10, 2007
I was a bit disappointed in this book because I liked it less than Kiss the Sunset Pig. But I still liked it, still enjoyed reading about all the author's travel adventures around the world. Her descriptions are luscious, and her courage makes me want to travel more on my own. (In theory, anyway.)
July 31, 2014
While I enjoyed this book, I can't say I really related to the author. She did some really stupid things (hey - let's dress slutty and go to a brothel! What fun!). But, in Fiji she really did immerse herself in the culture (mostly because of a "hot" guy) and gives the reader a look at what it would be like to live there, if even for a short period of time.
August 2, 2015
I started out reading this book WAY too fast. I slowed it down and read only a little bit at a time -- getting to know the place much like the author did as she traveled. Beautifully written and insight-full.
I really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed it.
August 6, 2013
An enjoyable travelogue with perceptive observations, much more than a "what I saw and did" more of an account of how places impacted on the author. Being familiar with some of the places Laurie visited added an extra dimension for me.
March 25, 2014
This is a lovely memoir that combines vivid descriptions and entertaining stories of the places she's been with a touch of deeper thinking that illuminates how travel can change you. At moments laugh out loud funny and poignant in others; I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
December 1, 2014
One of the most inspirational travel books I have ever read. A near perfect 5, which I have never encountered. I have recommended and gifted this book to many friends. It is the reminder to us to take that leap into adventure.
April 4, 2007
Manda loaned this to me - great travel memoir - which took me to Fiji and many other amazing places. Armchair traveling at its best!
July 12, 2007
Wonderful travel journal that made me wish I was brave enough to explore fiji on my own.
November 14, 2007
Not exactly the most well written book I've read...but because I *love* travel writing...I loved it. Inspiring...
October 24, 2010
Once again, didn't finish it. Left the last 50 pages to mystery...
April 14, 2013
Brilliant! Absolutely loved every second of this book. I'm inspired as a writer and a traveller!!! Thank you Laurie.
May 15, 2015
Great read, I could imagine myself travelling the globe and chilling out in fiji
May 1, 2017
Having been lucky enough to live on a Pacific Island for a year when I was 19 yrs old I can relate to Laurie's experience. It changed my life, thank goodness. I felt that I had come home and my heart is still there 46 years later. Culture shock happens when we travel to a place and when we return to our homeland and that is good. I believe that everybody should experience being in the minority and not understanding the language.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews