Overview

"The writer's voice of Katharine Salter Mahmood invites you to escape from today's era of group emails and text messages, and slip back in time to listen to your imagination recreate the firm, deliberate rapping of Kate Salter's fingers pounding through seven carbons and onionskins on her trusted typewriter. In an emotionally torn and fragile state due to the ravages of post-war Germany, Kate's strength of spirit drives her to depart Europe and sail from Rotterdam to the Philippines with a determination and excitement that we learn is characteristic of her vibrant personality. Now free of the consequences of war, Kate soaks up the sunshine and attention given her as an American woman on her own. Her infectious enthusiasm grows as the badly needed rest and warmth of the sun revitalize her. On her voyage, Kate finds herself coming to the aid of her new friend Gay, on board with her six-year-old daughter Sheila, when they learn the crushing news of Gay's husband's death, and are confronted with insensitive behavior. Kate is filled with empathy and a new kind of strength emerges, even as she struggles to recover from her own very recent loss. In Dream Trip to the Orient, Kate journals her excitement, and her sometimes daring exploits aboard the Danish freighter with room for a dozen passengers. Written in letter form with sparkling language to family and friends with her flair for ebullient expression, these paper letters were indeed mailed at the end of her trip. This fascinating story of the confidence Kate built on her ""trip of a lifetime"" is an enchanting testament to the tenacity of the human soul, and the soul of Katharine Salter Mahmood in particular."

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9781942168515

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Reviews

Kate Salter was a great sister. She was the oldest of three daughters, and was always the one who had adventure in mind. Because our parents moved often, we frequently changed schools. Even with that, Kate won school awards for perfect scores in Regents Mathematics competitions. When she was twenty-one, Kate led the trio of Salter girls (21, 20, and 19) to Los Angeles, California to seek jobs at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. They worked in MGM's mail room for one summer and ever after peppered their two younger brothers with stories from Hollywood. After finishing school at Mills College, Kate took a job in the Pentagon, after which she accepted an assignment with Stars & Stripes as a writer and photographer in post-war Germany. That work and a personal tragedy prompted her to book a trip on the Danish freighter, MS Mongolia in 1949 and set off alone to live in Cabin G for nearly two months on a voyage halfway around the world. It was her avant garde spirit on her adventure from Rotterdam to Manila that she shared with us in this buoyant journal. How glad we all are that Kate wrote real letters! -Kit Salter This heartwarming story of confidence built on her trip of a lifetime is a wonderful testament to the tenacity of the human soul, and the soul of Kate Salter Mahmood in particular. This traveler's tale, presented as a continuous letter to her family and friends, is rich in texture and prose. The pages reveal the complexity of living in Germany post WWII, her personal heartache but also her travel elation at experiencing such unexpected adventures with the group of European passengers on her voyage. Her enthusiasm and candor, mixed with humor and introspection vividly portray this exotic adventure of a young traveler. From Rotterdam to Manila, from missionary to delicate travel with a foreign princess, from awe to tragedy, her journal paints a vibrant and chaotic illustration of life at the turn of the decade on board the MS Mongolia. The novelty of being an independent, beautiful young American woman, traveling alone with virtually all of her life possessions on her honeymoon for one is an unforgettably moving story. -Kashya Scheherazade Mahmood Hildebrand

Author Information

Katharine [Kate] Shepard Salter Mahmood was born in the summer of 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the eldest child of three daughters and two sons born of two very academic parents. Her experiences as a chronic traveler began early in life. As a result of her father's frequent wide-ranging role as a Visiting Professor at many different universities-from Stanford to Manila-she moved eighteen times in eighteen years, thus establishing the tone for many adventures to follow. After graduating from Mills College in 1943, she initially worked in the Pentagon in Washington. After the war she was eager to travel and recognized there would be an opportunity for working in Germany. She managed to get a job working at the Rhein Main Air Force Base in 1946 right after the Allied occupation. The fact that she also worked for the American wartime periodical Stars and Stripes as a photographer and journalist in Germany and in the States, gave her the daring to book a freighter from Germany to the Philippines. Her father was teaching at the University of the Philippines, so Manila became her destination. A person who lived her life to the fullest, she faced adversity with an open heart and an open mind. She believed all was possible. She did not dream her dreams, she boldly lived them.

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