Miss Adventures: A Tale of Ignoring Life Advice While Backpacking South America by Amy Baker (A Review by Catherine Mongrain)

Rating: 3.8/5

This book is a true account of the author’s travels through South America. Unhappy with her life in London, figuring there was more to life than this, Amy decides to embark on a what she hopes will be a life changing/meaning finding journey through five different countries in her quest to become a travel writer.

I loved the way this book was set up. Each chapter started with a friends’ advice for her travels juxtaposed from an “expert” advice and had the end of the chapter she crowns a winner. As a woman who has travelled alone, some of this advice sounded very familiar. I think this book would resonate with a lot of young women, I know it did with me. Amy’s quest for meaning and actually packing up her life and going in search for it is inspiring for those feeling at a similar crossroad in their life.  

Amy was so personable, both as a main character and how she comes across in her writing. Her writing is engaging and she’s quite funny, the book providing a handful of laugh out loud moments. Her misadventures provide some great insights and a big case of wanderlust.

I wouldn’t recommend this book for book club as a monthly read, as there’s not as much to talk about as a regular fiction book. Nevertheless since Amy is such a great story teller and a personable person, I think she’d be great for an author event.

A Review by Catherine Mongrain