Travels With My Father: An Autobiographical Novel by Karen Jennings

(Thank you to Holland Park Press for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book: (from Goodreads)

Travels with My Father is a beautifully written autobiographical novel. Written from the point of view of a young woman, daughter and writer, it is a frank, yet delicate and moving, account of her relationship with her father and his influence on her own life.

In the footsteps of her father, the author travels the world. Yet, key scenes are set in Plumstead, a suburb of Cape Town, where her father lived most of his life.

The relationships and divisions between members of a family that does not wear its heart on its sleeve, and some of whom are real eccentrics, are sensitively recorded. It all adds to an intricate picture of a changing South African society.

my thoughts:

I'm really digging memoirs lately.  They are just so addictive and informative.  I'm starting to think they are the bee's knees.  So, when I was offered the chance to read Karen Jenning's autobiographical novel, Travels With My Father, how could I resist?

This is the story of how Jennings coped with her father's death.  Except, its much more than that.  Its about her relationship with him. Its about her travels. Its about her life and the ways in which he influenced it.  Its about dealing with death.  And its about living life. 

Travels With My Father is about so many things that we can relate to - family, love, loss.  Its chock full of vivid and heartbreaking details that will give you all the feels.  Its honest and raw with memories and realizations.  The writing is similar to stream of consciousness, with its barrage of memories that come one after the other in no particular order.  I think that this nonlinear manner provides an authenticity, because thinking in tangents is definitely something we do when trying to remember everything from our past (and even present).  Or at least I do.  Suffice it to say, I truly enjoyed getting lost in Jennings' personal stories about her life.  They were interesting, sad, relatable, and entertaining. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of memoirs, autobiographies - you will definitely ENJOY this book.


Thank you to Holland Park Press for providing me with a copy of this book!