Evelyn Kaye

Travelling in the footsteps of a celebrated historical person is not a futile exercise. Isabella Bird was a Victorian explorer, who travelled widely through the United States, notably the Rocky Mountains and Hawaii, the Far east, visiting, China (twice), Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, and later, South Asia, travelling to India, Iran, Kurdistan and Turkey. She also visited Australia and Morocco. In 1878, she travelled through Japan, described in her book Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, published in 1880).

Somewhat forgotten, interest in Isabella Bird started picking up since the 1980s, and in 1998, the American travel writer Evelyn Kaye decided to travel to Japan following in the foorsteps of Isabella Bird to see what remains of the sights the Victorian traveller observed. Following Bird's detailed descriptions, Kaye was able to plan an itinerary taking her fairly precisely along the route followed by Isabella Bird more than 100 years earlier.

Japan was neither much visited by foreigners then, as it attracts but small numbers of foreign travellers now, most of whom follow a quite different trail from Isabella's path. Adventures in Japan. A literary journey in the footsteps of a Victorian lady, therefore, reads like a modern update on Bird's journey. Much to the author's surprise, the Japanese have preserved the legacy of Isabella Bird's visit to Japan much better than the way it is remembered in the West. In various places, Kaye stumbled upon memorials commemorating Isabella Bird's visit to Japan.

Adventures in Japan. A literary journey in the footsteps of a Victorian lady is written in a very personal style, forefronting the author's personal enjoyment and journey of discovery, while documenting the legacy of Isabella Bird. The book is published with a preface by Jan Morris.… (meer)

A fascinating biography of the 19th (and very early 20th) century English woman traveler, indefatigable and energetic. Kaye's biography shows what Isabella really thought of the religious beliefs she encountered that were different from her own, but her own works faithfully described them without much personal judgement. She endured much hardship on her travels, but while reading the book, I kept thinking that the animals -- horse, mule, etc. -- often endured as much or more than she did! I also wish that Kaye had included maps that traced her travels: one from her own time, and one modern map since some of the political geography has of course changed. But on the whole, this book is well worth the read.… (meer)