Thursday, October 26, 2017

The world, two wheels, and a sketchbook, by Sophie Binder



The author, who lives in the area, spoke recently at The Green Center about the adventures detailed in this beautiful self-published book.  Binder is a graphic artist and writer.  Born in France, she moved to the United States in the 1990s.  An adventurous soul, she wanted to take a solo around-the-world trip on a bicycle, sketching and painting as she went.  By 2001, when she received her green card and knew she wouldn’t have trouble returning to this country, she decided to make this dream a reality.  Her travels on bike take her from St. Louis east to the coast, where she and her trusty stead flew to her native France.  Her travels took her through France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Turkey, and other parts of the Mideast.  She happened to be in Syria on 9/11.  India proved to be a difficult destination both because of the immense poverty and the crush of the population, and the very dangerous traffic.  She also biked through Laos, Vietnam, Nepal (those hills…..) and New Zealand before flying back to Los Angeles and biking up to the Bay Area and across the country back home.   Her sensitive descriptions of the geography,, history, and the people she met paired with her stunning watercolor sketches make this oversized book a joy to read and look at.  Highly recommended, and I hope the Friends may sponsor an author visit from her soon.  283 pp.

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