Too Wussy to go to Afghanistan?

Leave it to Rory Stewart. A 20-something Scotsman, Stewart does what I would certainly do if I had several weeks of vacation to kill: he crosses Afghanistan on foot in the dead of winter. And then he writes an excellent book about it.

Less a historian than a brave, erudite guy with an abiding love for remote places, Stewart dodges land mines, trudges through shoulder-deep snow, and shakes off occasional hostile villagers and packs of wild dogs as he makes his way across the war-torn country in January 2002, just months after 9-11. The book is structured around his daylong hikes and his nights with the Afghan villagers who give him lodging. (Since I'm a sucker for books with pictures, I love that he includes frequent perceptive line drawings of the people he meets.)

The most exciting passages describe Stewart's encounters with hostile villagers, when his survival rests on his courage and verbal dexterity (yep, he speaks the language). There's a riveting scene toward the end of the book when armed Taliban fighters stop him with questions, and he manages to concoct a story convincing enough to save his life.

Last weekend Justin and I went to Jersey to visit friends and spent a few hours splashing around at the beach before settling in to discuss Stewart's book. (It was a real live book club!) We ate fish tacos and sipped peach Sangria, and the conversation was just as good. Jer pointed out that the author's trip falls into the tradition of the privileged British traveler setting out to see the world. Updated for modern times, that archetypical traveler is still a stoic observer with a keen eye, but he no longer plays up the exoticism of alien landscapes for the benefit of those on the homefront. Stewart's reserve translates into a near ban on emotions, excess self-reflection and analysis. All the focus is on what he sees and hears. If this sort of emotional reticence seems off-putting, well, imagine the alternative: having to read about his hurt feelings whenever someone calls him an infidel or serves him stale bread for supper. There are definitely times when I craved more details about his inner life, but, in the end, I have more respect for a book that leaves me a bit hungry.

Oh! And if you're made of the same sentimental mush as me, you should know that a big, loyal dog figures prominently in the story.

Stewart interviewed on Fresh Air.