The books and FILMS that made me travel

Books, films and books-made-into-films can be a compelling vehicle for travel. A well-written story (hell, sometimes even one that isn't written very well) can start an itch that can only be scratched by visiting the scene. Each time I plan a trip, I try to read at least one novel set in my destination, preferably written by a national. I've always found that there are things I see... patterns I notice, that I might well have missed had I not picked up a book. 

In this post, I'll share some of the books and films that led me to travel or enhanced the experience. 

The many, many hours spent aboard trains in India are a perfect opportunity to gain literary insight into India's history and people. 

White Tiger, novel by Aravind Adiga 

Train to Pakistan, novel by Khushwant Singh 

Shantaram, novel by Gregory David Roberts 

A Suitable Boy, novel by Vikram Seth 

Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke, and Flood of Fire (the Ibis Trilogy), novels by Amitav Ghosh  

Water, 2005 film by Deepa Mehta 

Delhi Crime, limited series by Richie Mehta 

Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India, written by William Dalrymple 

The Joy Luck Club,  novel by Amy Tan and 1993 film

The Good Earth, Sons, and A House Divided, novels by Pearl S. Buck

Wives and Concubines, novel by Su Tong and 1991 film adaptation Raise the Red Lantern

Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy, novels by Lisa See

The Little Red Guard, novel by Wenguang Huang 

Under Heaven and River of Stars, novels by Guy Gavriel Kay 

In the Shadow of the Banyan and The Music of Ghosts, novels by  Vaddey Ratner

First They Killed My Father, novel Loung Ung and 2017 film (Netflix) 

The Disappeared, novel by Kim Echlin 

My Name is Red, novel by Orhan Pamuk 

Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities, an excellent, expansive non-fiction work by Bethany Hughes

The White Castle, novel by Orhan Pamuk 

The Gigolo Murders, a novel by Mehmet Murat Somer 

Sailing to Sarantium, novel by Guy Gavriel Kay 

The In-Between World of Vikram Lall, novel by MG Vasanji 

Out of Africa, novel by Karen Blixen 

The Tree Where Man Was Born, novel by Peter Matthiessen 

The Sicilian, novel by Mario Puzo 

The Godfather, novel by Mario Puzo and films by Francis Ford Coppola 

Talking History: The Italian Unification, a podcast series by Benjamin and Adam Ashwell

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, written by Philip Gourevitch 

Shake Hands With The Devil, written by Romeo Dallaire 

God Sleeps in Rwanda, written by Joseph Sebarenzi 

The Hope That Remains, written by my friend Christine Magill based upon multiple trips to Rwanda and extensive interviews with the Rwandan diaspora in Canada. 

Angela's Ashes, novel by Frank McCourt and 1999 film 

The Milkman, novel by Anna Burns

The Commitments, novel by Roddy Doyle

The Last September, Elizabeth Bowen 

The Heart's Invisible Furies, John Boyne

The Lions of al-Rassan, novel by Guy Gavriel Kay 

Of Love and Other Demons, novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Three Junes, novel by Julia Glass

Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart 

The Garden of Evening Mists, novel by Tan Twan Eng 

Full disclosure: I have not travelled to Nigeria. But because two of my all time favourite authors are Nigerian (Adichie and Achebe), the intention is certainly there. 

Purple Hibiscus, novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Half of a Yellow Sun, novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

The Thing Around Your Neck, novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Things Fall Apart, novel by Chinua Achebe

No Longer at Ease, novel by Chinua Achebe

A Man of the People, novel by Chinua Achebe

The Education of a British-Protected Child, novel by Chinua Achebe

419, novel by Will Ferguson