Sola: One Woman's Journey Alone Across South America

by Amy Field

—Winner of the 2020 Best Book Award for Narrative Non-Fiction, American Book Fest—
SOLA chronicles the true story of a young woman's plunge from her pleasant narrow life into a rich foreign continent brimming with Panpipe-playing Zen masters, nighttime motorboat rides redlining through the jungle, hikes to Inca ruins and Patagonian glaciers, witches, mummies, goddesses, Brazilian bikinis, and a snow-covered volcano to climb -- accidentally. At the center of it all stands a quirky slightly-unstable surf guru who bends her mind with insightful wacky tidbits of wisdom and ultimately prompts the question: Can you ever go home again?

Winner of three Solas Literary Awards for Travel Writing, SOLA is pure heart. Venturing out for the first time, learning to be alone, befriending local women, and experimenting with love, the author weaves tales of the quirky, the insane and the absurd during her 2 1/2 year journey through South America. From Costa Rica to Argentina, Amazon to Andes, moon deities to miners, surfing to solitude, her wanderings catapult her into a world forged of unexpected adventures, unforeseeable triumphs and beauty in the kindness of strangers.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Adventure, Biography Memoir

341 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2018

About the author

Amy Field lives on the central coast of California when she isn’t backpacking through Asia, camping and surfing in Baja or road-tripping through Central America. She funds her continuing travels by working as a nuclear mechanic, teaching scuba diving and farming organic produce on her ranch. This is her first book.

Reviews

[marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I found the beginning a bit rough, it did get somewhat better and I found Sola to be entertaining enough. I wouldn't call this a masterpiece of travel literature - it reads a lot like a going to a hostel and having backpackers share their best travel stories.

More introspective than informative, she sometimes goes into too much details regarding irrelevant segments, and other times, doesn't go into enough depth on bits that I would be interested in hearing more about.

Also, the choice to skip back and forth in the timeline was unnecessary and made absolutely no sense to me. I don't understand why it didn't just read in a linear timeline, it made it quite confusing.

That being said, there were some quotable, insightful and entertaining moments. I did feel the travel stoke. Like when she visits a Bolivian prison or hikes through the Andes. And it was nice to include pictures of her travels and to put a face to some of the characters.

So many places to see!

[Kree Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy hooked me with her airport arrival and host family welcome to a new and foreign land. I experienced those same feelings back in 1991 when I traveled to Latin America for the first time. Amy shares her life changing “SOLA” adventure with us in a pure and magical way. This book is sensitive, introspective, funny, and inspiring. Amy has a gift for putting all of the little details of an experience into words and making the power of that moment come alive. I highly recommend SOLA for travelers, adventurers, explorers, and dreamers. You won’t be disappointed! I can’t wait to read more of Amy Field’s work!

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mind numbing...Field opens her book with the kind of writing you see from someone hoping to be a great writer but who is simply not. It's just not pretty. The tale, however full of adjectives meant to set scenes, is bland and contains only a few interesting bits. There are a few traveling companions along the way with some depth, but not many. I went with two stars because Field tried to chronicle what must have been incredible, even though she fell short of her mark, and...well...she actually did these amazing things. But I don't recommend bothering with the book.

[Pete Dematteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

i experienced deadening boredom as well as excitement, simultaneously, in this strange book. i realize that at 25 years of age, all too many middle classed kids are mad at the world, but it seems as if ms. field's doesn't like many of her counterparts for more than a few days or weeks. as with all too many 25 year old hikers, being a jaded former hippie, i got the heebie jeebies throughout her somewhat manic travelogue. thankfully though, she is group-minded enough to spare us from lengthy and draining character assassinations, to her credit, though. she challenges herself physically almost to the point of menacing physical and psychological exhaustion. i'm surprised she didn't end up in either a conventional, third world hospital or even a psych ward, as she just couldn't get focused on anything other than punishing herself in one way or another, even if it was a growing experience on her account. is she trying to prove to herself and others how physically resilient she is compared to the rest of us out there,especially misogynist, or is she conveying herself as a borderline braggart. is this a spiritual journey, or a tad of both? this is usually what the case is with expatriots, either temporary or long-term folk. being a former expatriot myself who resided in relatively modernized mexico, i found it frustrating that she didn't devote more time and effort to acquiring Spanish and hanging out with the locales, despite her being unsettled by the men's machismo, rightfully so. in mexico, i refused to speak any english whatsoever, so it became obvious that the physical challenges of mountain travel and island adventures were her priority, at least as far as this book was concerned. finally, since her story-telling occurred way back around the turn of the the 21st century, i'd be curious as to how she would react if she took the same route today. a challenging, woodstock-like book to get through but definately worth it even with its imperfections.

[Dennis Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read hundreds of books over the past half century. Amy Field's book is one of the best.

She is a very clear writer. Her vocabulary is rich. Her writing is poetic. The descriptions of people, places and things are so alive. And she is wonderfully philosophical about life, events in one's life and in dealing with difficult situations.

It is an adventure story that kept me turning pages. She was in life-threating situations during some of her hikes and once while surfing in the ocean. Her bus rides to different places in her journey were described such that I thought I was on the bus, or the truck, trying to survive. She met so many interesting people who became so real to the reader. One example is Louis who ran a small hotel in Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Louis was one of Costa Rica's first ecotourism activists; he is clearly a very wise person. Amy wrote about many of their discussions together.

When I was the same age as when she took this ~2 year trip alone (Sola) to South America, it would not have occurred to me to undertake such travel. I would not have had the courage or the fortitude to undertake such an amazing trip. Many thanks to Amy for writing this beautiful book so that her readers can share her spirit of adventure.

[Maria S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Amy did so much in her twenties that I could not even accomplish in my whole life. I could never go off and venture on my own “sola” as she did. I have to commend her for her decision to leave it all behind and follow a dream? An inkling? It took her to so many places and to so many wonderful people she otherwise would have never met. To me, it takes tremendous courage to do something like that, especially being female as it’s mostly been viewed as the weaker sex; however, she proved it wrong. Trekking through a complete unknown, having to find ways of making money along the way, and focusing on keeping herself safe between it all, taking cue and advice sometimes from fellow travelers who became friends and lovers, that she met along the way. It was really fascinating to me following her 2 years away from her US home and how rather fearless it appeared she was. Her descriptions of her encounters with nature made me desire to one day visit these places myself but I know that I probably never will. Her having kept a daily journal of her travels, made for this excellent book.

[Sloleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy’s writing somehow transports you to wherever she happens to be, whether it’s the beach in Costa Rica, the cities of South America, the mountains of Patagonia, etc. You feel as though you are right there beside her experiencing everything with her. My lungs ached and my thighs burned as she treked mountains in South America and I felt the wind in my hair on the crazy truck ride down the windy narrow mountain road.
Read this amazing book and you will be itching to dig your backpack out of the closet and hit the road, Solo or Sola!

[Ashley Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight. I love women travel memoirs and this one is just *chefs kiss*. Field's writing is expansive and soothing. She highlights her adventures in ways that felt exciting, humorous, and thought-provoking. She did a great job balancing her thoughts and feelings with the day-to-day activities. She was able to highlight the things that were obscure and uncomfortable without passing judgement. I'd so love to go back in time and follow her around the world.

Definitely a great read!

[Marlane Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the very first page! SOLA is a true-life adventure story that fluidly chronicles the author's incredible experiences while traveling through South America. It is a well-written "visual" read that vividly delivers her impressions of the people and places she encountered on her journey. A highly entertaining and engaging book, SOLA is well worth your time; I suspect you will end up recommending it to your friends and family, just as I have!

[Ciera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite finished yet, but I wish I were. The storyline jumps haphazardly in time between chapters with no real rhyme or reason. While it may be titled “one woman’s journey alone across South America” the author spends little time without a pack of people surrounding her. This is Much less the inspiring book about adventuring alone through South America that it is marketed as, and much more travel blog.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knew this was a 5 ⭐️ book within the first 70 pages… She writes eloquently yet humorously - got an audible LOL from me at the Amazon hammock scene. Cheers to Amy for having the courage to forge this path sola, inspiring others (women especially!!) to start or keep going on their journey to self discovery and strength.

Picked this up at a coffee shop in Morro Bay at the start of my own journey… Stay tuned!

[Tess Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous journey! I enjoyed reading about the wonderful places in Central and South America. This story is packed full of adventure and dusted with a bit of romance! It’s well worth reading, not to mention the courageous depths shared from a young woman…Bravo I say!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

A captivating and inspiring story well written. I enjoyed reading about her experiences travelling in South America, the things she learned, and the loves she found and lost.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I savored this book little by little, while traveling and at home. I admire Amy Field for writing and sharing all these amazing travel memories. Her descriptions of Bolivia, Peru, and Tierra del Fuego were especially fascinating. I look forward to re-reading Sola and hope Amy writes more books!

[Aaron Jellesma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time to go to South America

[Sogol · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! What adventures! What a beautiful way of telling stories! Kudos to Amy. Highly recommended.

[vicalicalic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotdang it. So vividly, lovingly written. So glad I picked this one up.

[Danielle Hannemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometime hard to follow the time line otherwise, great book. Did you ever make it to guatamala?

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the sets of people who take really cool trips and people who can write well barely overlap. This book is a case in point

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking and poignant, Sola allows the reader to witness a modern-day initiation journey: the highs and lows, the challenges and triumphs. The narrative descriptions are beautifully vivid and the poetry lyrical. Written with humor, awe, and reverence, Sola is a celebration of the human spirit. A truly inspirational read!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are an adventurous traveler or seeking an escape from corporate life, Amy Field's wonderful journey will not disappoint! From the humidity of the rainforest to the piercing cold of the glaciers, the kind souls to the heartbreaks, the new foods to more new foods, I loved vicariously living through her adventures. Having never been to South America, I ended the book feeling a connection to the countries and people so beautifully captured in every chapter. The characters, the environment, the challenges, they all leave you rooting for Amy on her travels, and as she takes you through her own self-discovery, you can't help but discover a bit of yourself, even if doing it from the comfort of your own front porch. Holiday gifts of Sola are going to many of the women in my life so they, too, can laugh, cry, gasp, identify with and be inspired by a remarkable journey!!

[Ricardo Ribeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice reading with some annoying touches.