[.ca] Caravan (ISBN 0345492374)

Disappointing for Mrs. Pollifax fans:
If you are thinking of reading this because you like the Mrs. Pollifax books, forget it. It has plenty of description from North African countries, like some Pollifax mysteries, but the plot is so full of holes, it's laughable. I don't mind the slightly mystical parts but I do mind the ones that make no sense, i.e., why the widow of a wealthy man is penniless; why an ivory trader doesn't recognize an emerald; why the main character makes no effort to see her family again; and more towards the end that I won't mention.

When adventures were real, and the world unexplored:
Love story. Epic. Adventure. Travel essay. There are many aspects and genres Gilman's novel "Caravan" can be attributed to. Perhaps it is its emotional and physical range that makes the novel so appealing to so many readers. I myself had never read a Dorothy Gilman novel but knew of her series of books, such as "Nun In The Closet" which began to read shortly after finishing this book. The number of books I read every year has slowly been dwindling due to unseen circumstances, but of the books I have read this year, I am most grateful that I chose to read Caravan over them all. Gilman's style and prose, though well researched and pleasant to read, might lack a certain degree of complexity, but she makes up for it with a plot and cast of characters that is unrivaled, say that of the classic epics. Yet, what I found so alluring and intoxicating of Caravan, was the scenery and montage she depicts so aptly that I too crossed the desert at night. I was there in Tripoli, smothered by the smells and masses of people. Gilman is able to transport the read in a way that is magical, allowing you and I to feel the sorry, joy, adventure, and love felt by Lady Treal. My greatest dissapointment ... finding The Nun In The Closet mediocre in comparison to the wonderful story of Caravan.

When adventures were real, and the world unexplored:
Love story. Epic. Adventure. Travel essay. There are many aspects and genres Gilman's novel "Caravan" can be attributed to. Perhaps it is its emotional and physical range that makes the novel so appealing to so many readers. I myself had never read a Dorothy Gilman novel but knew of her series of books, such as "Nun In The Closet" which I began to read shortly after finishing this book. The number of books I read every year has slowly been dwindling due to unseen circumstances, but of the books I have read this year, I am most grateful that I chose to read Caravan over them all. Gilman's style and prose, though well researched and pleasant to read, might lack a certain degree of complexity, but she makes up for it with a plot and cast of interesting characters that is unrivaled, say that of the classic epics. Yet, what I found so alluring and intoxicating of Caravan, was the scenery and montage she depicts so aptly, that I too crossed the desert at night. I was there in Tripoli, smothered by the smells and masses of people. And I finally returned to England, to reminisce the adventures, places, and people from my life in Northern Africa. Gilman is able to transport the reader in a way that is magical, allowing you and I to feel the sorrow, joy, adventure, and love felt by Lady Treal. My greatest dissapointment ... finding The Nun In The Closet mediocre in comparison to the wonderful story of Caravan.

When adventures were real, and the world unexplored:
Love story. Epic. Adventure. Travel essay. There are many aspects and genres Gilman's novel "Caravan" can be attributed to. Perhaps it is its emotional and physical range that makes the novel so appealing to so many readers. I myself had never read a Dorothy Gilman novel before, but knew of her series of books, such as "The Nun In The Closet" which I began to read shortly after finishing this book. The number of books I read every year has slowly been dwindling due to unseen circumstances, but of the books I have read this year, I am most grateful that I chose to read Caravan over the rest. Gilman's style and prose, though well researched and pleasant to read, might lack a certain degree of complexity, but she makes up for it with a plot and cast of characters that is unrivaled, say that of the classic epics. Yet, what I found so alluring and intoxicating of Caravan, was the scenery and montage she depicts so aptly and vividly, that I too crossed the frigid desert at night; I was there in Tripoli, smothered by the smells and masses of people; I shared the campfire of Tauregs beneath a sea of a million stars. Gilman is able to transport the reader in a way that is magical, allowing you and I to feel the sorrow, joy, adventure, and love felt by Lady Treal. My greatest dissapointment ... finding The Nun In The Closet, my 2nd Gilman novel, mediocre in comparison to the wonderful story of Caravan.

Take this trip; it's a stunner!:
Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax mysteries have delighted me. I am late in coming to them. They have been out for years. But I love the pattern of suspense and the new cultural treats that are in store for her readers. I always learn in a Gilman book. And her sense of respect for other ways of living, of relating to God and one another, enrich the tales she gives us. I recently gleaned the shelves of Half-Price Books and found a few of her titles I had not read, among them was Caravan. And it is a true jewel of a tale. One feels a bit like this character, a carny child sent to finishing school, is historical, a veritable Unsinkable Molly Brown, and yet the story, as told in retrospect by Lady Teal, encompasses only a small part of a very rich life. And what a vibrant small part that is! Caressa's survival in the stark desert life of the early 1900's is impressive, and Gilman's finesse in presenting a foreign world and its pecularities make for suspenseful reading beyond the norm. One thing that Gilman never does is shy away from the brutal and the violent realities of her character's situations. In the primitive 1914 imprisonment that Caressa faces among the conquering Tuareg tribesmen, there are an amazing set of obstacles that just shouldn't have been lived through. No Indiana Jones character could out do Caressa's challenges. Most beautiful of all are the endearing friendships that she makes with the unusual likes of a fellow slave, a black boy, Bakuli, and earlier with Mohammed, her Arab host in Tripoli. Delightful endings wrap up Gilman's books with happily ever after as their due. But one is not disappointed with Lady Teal's surprise to readers. In fact, one should have guessed such an ending would be in store. Typical Gilman in some ways, but very nice escapist reading overall. Brava!