Overview

Full Product Details

9781860498114

Table of Contents

Reviews

'A compelling narrative ... It is a measure of the success of this book that the reader is very nearly as reluctant to turn the last page' INDEPENDENT 'Impressive and pacy' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A thrilling story' SCOTSMAN 'Inspirational and exciting ... brilliantly told' MARIE CLARE 'In December 1996 Rosie Thomas received a cryptic message. You know you want to do it. Just say yes. P. The note was from Phil Bowen, a mountaineer and photographer Thomas had met on a trek to the Everest base camp several months before. Bowen wanted her to drive half way round the world with him in an antique Volvo Amazon, in a recreation of the first ever international motor rally, the 1907 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. Thomas, mother of two and best selling novelist pushing fifty, didn't exactly fit the young, male rally driver stereotype but decided to do it anyway. As a young woman she hadn't travelled: Travel was dangerous, and demanded a sense of inner strength and adjustment that I didn't possess. Now she felt more confident. I held all the threads of my life in my own hands now, and if I wasn't going to travel while I was at the peak of my abilities and still had some physical capacity left, then I probably never would. Border Crossing is packed with antique cars, millionaire drivers, and, of course, breakdowns--but at its core this is less a book about rallying than about personal challenges. When Thomas's health breaks down she gets little support from the mostly male crew and doctors. She craves emotional support that Phil can't always give. This travelogue takes a refreshingly frank look at the relations between women, men and cars.' - Kathleen Keefe, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

"'A compelling narrative ... It is a measure of the success of this book that the reader is very nearly as reluctant to turn the last page' INDEPENDENT 'Impressive and pacy' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A thrilling story' SCOTSMAN 'Inspirational and exciting ... brilliantly told' MARIE CLARE 'In December 1996 Rosie Thomas received a cryptic message. You know you want to do it. Just say yes. P. The note was from Phil Bowen, a mountaineer and photographer Thomas had met on a trek to the Everest base camp several months before. Bowen wanted her to drive half way round the world with him in an antique Volvo Amazon, in a recreation of the first ever international motor rally, the 1907 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge. Thomas, mother of two and best selling novelist pushing fifty, didn't exactly fit the young, male rally driver stereotype but decided to do it anyway. As a young woman she hadn't travelled: ""Travel was dangerous, and demanded a sense of inner strength and adjustment that I didn't possess."" Now she felt more confident. ""I held all the threads of my life in my own hands now, and if I wasn't going to travel while I was at the peak of my abilities and still had some physical capacity left, then I probably never would."" Border Crossing is packed with antique cars, millionaire drivers, and, of course, breakdowns--but at its core this is less a book about rallying than about personal challe"

Thomas - bestselling fifty-something novelist - competed in the 90th-anniversary car rally of the original Peking to Paris run, driving not only her car but very nearly her health and sanity into the ground. But this is an account marked by its good humour, perseverance under tough circumstances and, above all, its insight into the human condition. All this is bound into a compulsive narrative, told by an honest, often irritated, but endearing woman who here proves that her writing skills stretch beyond the commercial blockbuster. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Rosie Thomas was born and grew up in North Wales. She read English at Oxford and worked in publishing. Since the birth of her first child she has written ten novels. She lives in north London.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available