"Wild Spirit" by Helen Lloyd Book Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Media

This book’s title lets you know exactly what to expect when you start turning pages. Helen Lloyd is the embodiment of an adventure rider, a solo traveler who loves the challenges of extreme journeys. She first popped on the scene with Desert Snow, a book about bicycling the length of Western Africa. Next came her gritty book A Siberian Winter’s Tale, again about extreme bicycling, but this time across Siberia in the middle of winter! This was followed by Iceland Serow Saga, another great read—but in this book, she migrated to motorcycling. One of the things I liked about this book is that although she’s riding a 223cc Yamaha Serow, her mentality is still very much that of a lightweight bicyclist. This mindset allows her to tackle problems from a refreshing viewpoint, considering possibilities that experienced motorcyclists might reject, especially on a larger bike.

And now to this review. Her latest book, Wild Spirit, covers yet another incredible journey, this time through South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. An extremely honest story that kept me so riveted I read it in one sitting.

Wild Spirit begins delightfully with such descriptive quality that within a few lines, I was there with her. From then on, she had me hurtling along dirt tracks, battling through soft sands, running out of water, and laughing with the locals like I was standing next to her in awe, experiencing what she did.

While Helen is a canny planner who studies the known data and possibilities before jumping in, she fully understands the value of serendipity. Throughout this read, she shares the decision-making process with an interesting and light touch but doesn’t belabor her points. She masterfully weaves history into her storytelling, combining it with the amazing tales of the people she meets along the way. There’s a respectful appreciation of life’s possibilities and the kindnesses of the road. At the same time, she had me grinning at nutty moments, such as the battles with vervet monkeys.

Wild Spirit is quite different from her first three books. This time, Helen is riding with her partner Kieran. He’s a more experienced motorcyclist but has never overlanded in the hardcore manner that’s Helen’s norm. On the flip side, Helen is a new motorcyclist with virtually zero dirt road experience and is unaccustomed to long-term traveling with others. A key thread is the journey their relationship takes. Helen’s experiences have taught her what makes her feel happy in life. Yet, there’s an inner conflict. She is dedicated to experiencing life’s options. It’s interesting to see just how far the duo was prepared to go in the spirit of learning how to make their relationship work in the midst of the challenges, and minute-by-minute demands of traveling off the beaten track. Couples aiming to overland together should read this book. Writing with such brave honesty could easily have backfired. But it didn’t.

Every now and then, the author challenges the reader with eyebrow-raising statements that, at first, may not sit well; certainly giving me pause at times. But a few pages later, these comments fell into place and made sense. She’s outspoken at times, yet at others, she has the diplomatic skills of a well-tuned, highly successful professional.

Helen Lloyd possesses a feisty and freedom-loving personality, and she doesn’t hide it. These aspects ring strong throughout the book, making the storytelling brashly honest, even refreshing at times. I was fascinated by her drive to explore, her curiosity, powers of observation, and well-honed intuition. That undying desire to explore the world off the beaten track with the confidence that, no matter what, she’ll make things work out, sets a fine example many should follow.

Within Wild Spirit Helen shows the reader why the unknown isn’t to be feared but to be respected, explored, and relished. It could have been a much bigger book. It left me wanting more.

Publisher: Take On Creative

Price: $15.99

ISBN: 978-0-9576606-6-3

ASIN: B0CFBCWPWL

Available from Amazon as paperback and Kindle

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