Bike Riding in Kabul is the story of Jamie Bowman, a woman who works as foreign aid in several post-war countries. The author’s story is a unique take on the travel memoir genre. We don’t just read countless stories of an individual eating world-class dishes and laying on the beach; we watch someone help entire countries find their own peace. Through it all, we learn about the invaluable pieces of wisdom she learned along the way. From learning how to truly help people and understanding how many of these countries found themselves in their situations, there is so much wisdom to devour.

Conversational and thorough is one of the best ways to describe Bowman’s writing style. As she walks readers through her time in each country, she shares descriptions of the surrounding buildings and scenery. Without being long and drawn out, you gain a sense of the exotic locations as if you were there.

I enjoyed reading about Bowman’s adventures navigating the different cities she was in and how she made the best out of some of the most gloomy situations. It was easy to gather how passionate she was about the work she was doing. Even when the air quality in her broom closet-style office was so bad that she had to work on a staircase and stay in some not-so-great dwellings.

One of my favorite parts of this invigorating book is its unique twist on the classic travel memoir. Unlike many travel memoirs, there is a heavy focus on helping others through the author’s travels instead of personal enlightenment. Of course, there were enlightening moments for Bowman as she learns about the world outside of the United States, but that wasn’t the focal point. It was a nice change and made me feel like I wasn’t reading the same stories from memoirs past.

Bike Riding in Kabul by Jamie Bowman was a delightful read with much wisdom amongst its pages. This was a quick and engaging book that I highly recommend. If you’re looking for a unique travel memoir or just a profound story, then this is a book you must pick up.

Pages: 375 | ISBN : 978-1-6337-634-2

Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/08/17/bike-riding-in-kabul/