Monsoon Postcards: Indian Ocean Journeys

by David H. Mould

In Monsoon Postcards, journalist David H. Mould, notebook in hand, traverses the Indian Ocean—from Madagascar through India and Bangladesh to Indonesia. It’s an unpredictable journey on battered buses, bush taxis, auto-rickshaws, and crowded ferries. Mould travels from the traffic snarls of Delhi, Dhaka, and Jakarta to the rice paddies and ancestral tombs of Madagascar’s Central Highlands; from the ancient kingdom of Hyderabad to India’s so-called chicken neck—the ethnically diverse and underdeveloped northeast; and from the textile factories and rivers of Bangladesh to the beaches of Bali and the province of Aceh—ground zero for the 2004 tsunami. Along the way, in markets, shops, roadside cafes, and classrooms, he meets journalists, professors, students, aid workers, cab drivers, and other everyday residents to learn how they view their past and future. Much like its predecessor, Mould’s Postcards from Stanland, Monsoon Postcards offers witty and insightful glimpses into countries linked by history, trade, migration, religion, and a colonial legacy. It explores how they confront the challenges of climate change, urban growth, economic development, land, water and natural resources, and national and ethnic identity.

312 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2019

Reviews

[Michael McCue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard the author of Monsoon Postcards interviewed on NPR and put the book on my To-read list. I thought it was more of a travel book but it is much more than that. The author, David Mould was a professor of journalism at Ohio University and has worked with UNICEF to help academics and others improve mass communication skills around the world. His work in Madagascar, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia led to this book about these countries and the Indian Ocean that sits between them. He writes about traveling in the Indian Ocean area and the people he meets but also covers history, economics and and culture. Most readers probably have only a superficial knowledge of India and the other countries he writes about. Monsoon Postcards could be the cure for that ignorance. This book is well written and very interesting but not an easy read. I know much more about all four of these countries. I will be looking for his other writings now.

[Cynthia Weckbacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an easy read, but added to my sparse knowledge of the area. The final chapter is a point well taken. Sadly, the knowledge of geography, culture etc in the U.S. has fallen drastically at a time when we need it most.

[big mean jerk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine look at four countries from the viewpoint of an experienced traveller. I would have liked more personal anecdotes, actually. The history lessons for each country aren't boring or badly paced, just lacking in relevance to the author's journey. It could have been a bit less academic, basically.