Rated of 5
by Barbara L. (Glendale, CA) A Bicycle Ride That Comes Full Circle
A quite interesting premise in "A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar" made it for me an enjoyable, engaging read. The birth of a child in far off Kashgar provides a rather unobtrusive underlying event that also manages to be a mysterious but unifying element tying together two separate but somehow related stories. All of the main characters in these two intertwined stories are off pursuing their unique interests and the "loves" of their individual lives. While I certainly was caught up in those lives, most of these individuals seemed not to be exactly who they "appeared" to be, and so I kept wanting and was left with a wish that there could have been much more "fleshing out" of those characters! Will look forward to other efforts by this author.
Rated of 5
by Robin (Corpus Christi, TX) A Lady Cyclists Guide to Kasgar
The descriptive imagery in this novel is almost lyrical. The eccentricities of the female characters and their individual motivations for rejecting traditional lives are finely drawn. The two distinct and separate tales in this novel ultimately connect in a surprising and unexpected way.
Rated of 5
by Hilary H. (Tucson, AZ) Lady Cyclist's Guide
Overall, I enjoyed this book though I would not put it into the same category as Major Pettigrew's Last Stand which I loved. Suzanne Joinson has created two interestingly interconnected stories stretching from 1923 in Kashgar to present day London. Both tales were engaging though I liked the present day one better. I think Joinson could have developed the Kashgar tale more fully - I did not engage with all of the characters. I also would have liked to have the map which was not in the ARC edition.
Rated of 5
by Sue Z. (Mooresville, NC) A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
I found this book to be complex and quite fascinating. The characters evolve in the most interesting ways especially the main character, the lady cyclist. She grows from being quite naive, to having the will to carry on despite sometimes overwhelming odds, while still keeping a touching and sometimes irritating vulnerability. I think the author has perfectly captured the essence of British short-sighted attitude of the the Twenties, when the feeling was that Britain and all things British were superior to anything else to be found anywhere
Rated of 5
by Lisa B. (Denton, TX) Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
I thoroughly enjoyed reading a Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar and trying to figure out how the two separate story lines were going to converge. Suzanne Joinson's research was amazing and she did a great job of evoking the sounds, smell, and feel of Kashgar. I thought the modern sections were also well done, but found myself wanting to know more about the life of Evangeline and Irene Guy when they returned to England and why she had the owl as a pet.
Rated of 5
by Liz C. (Kalamazoo, MI) A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
Intriguing, original, and exotic are words I would use to describe A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar. The opening chapter, in which three English women encounter a young woman giving birth alone alongside a road outside Kashgar, is captivating. I was immediately engaged in the story of Evangeline (Eva), her sister Lizzie, and their chaperone, Millicent, as narrated by Eva. I found the dual narrative involving Yemeni immigrant, Tayeb, and Frieda, an English woman and their story set in contemporary London less interesting. The stories seemed related only by a thread, especially at the beginning of the book, and I never felt a real connection with either Tayeb or Frieda. I am not a reader who necessarily needs every loose end tied up, but I found myself wondering, “What does this mean? Why is this significant?” For that reason, I think A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar might be a good choice for book groups.
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