Riding the Asian Dragon: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary People

Smart, funny, and filled with a clever gypsy’s wanderlust, Riding the Asian Dragon: Extraordinary Lives of Ordinary People by Frenchwoman Isabelle Boulet is a fascinating memoir that shares the author’s experience backpacking solo across Asia. A yearlong sojourn that proved transformative, this travelogue reflects on the Far East’s traditions, customs, ethnic groups, politics, marriage, spirituality, beliefs, and economic disparities. With waylays in China, Tibet, Mongolia, Nepal, India, Cambodia, and Laos, readers will enjoy an intimate look at how the locals live and love.

It helps that Boulet is an experienced equestrian—and that she could use her dressage skills and knowhow as an icebreaker to befriend the nomads of Tibet and Mongolia. Even more inviting, is her ability to finesse words and language to breathe new life into the travel-writing genre. For her, capturing the essence of a destination is to capture its people. Truly, this memoir is a literary diorama of the men, women, and children the author met along the way.