The best thing about reading is its ability to transport you to new places and that is what we are doing this World Book Day. Travel to the US with this range of captivating novels that provide the perfect chance to escape…
While we might not have been able to travel to the U.S. this year, books have played an integral role in allowing us to travel to realms past our living room. Offering an escape from the stress that has been the last 12 months, we don’t know where we would be without books. As C.S. Lewis articulated, “Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become”.
The U.S. is home to a number of stimulating narratives, from dazzling New York parties in The Great Gatsby; to experiencing a young girl’s solitude on the North Carolina marshes in Where The Crawdads Sing, a novel that many found security in amidst the UK’s first national lockdown. Below, Visit The USA showcases five novels that offer enrichment and the opportunity to traverse across the United States through the pages.
Indulge in opulence in The Great Gatsby, Long Island, New York
Set in the iconic jazz-age of New York, The Great Gatsby epitomises the excitement, opportunity and high-society that New York houses. This fictional yet biographical account of Jay Gatsby is split between the setting of the gorgeous Long Island mansions and a lavish, sky rise flat in the midst of New York City. Often referred to as the ‘city that never sleeps’, F. Scott Fitzgerlad depicts New York as exactly that, from extravagant parties overflowing with guests at Gatsby’s mansion; to an insider’s view of New York’s 1920s speakeasies; to tragedy and scandal taking place in the dead of night. The narrative unveils the birth of mass culture in the U.S., where people embraced consumerism and became utterly care-free, attitudes which became prominent following the 1918 influenza epidemic in the United States. Today, as the world looks at a life beyond the pandemic and we prepare to welcome the new roaring 2020s, travellers will be seeking out entertainment and excitement, from high-end hotels; to vibrant galleries and culture hubs; or world-class performances on Broadway – New York City is guaranteed to liberate every traveller. www.nycgo.com
Discover a city of cultural vibrancy and diversity in Tales of the City, San Francisco
Armistead Maupin’s 1978 novel, Tales of the City, was originally serialised in the San Francisco Chronicle and is a novel that explores the vibrant and diverse cultures in San Francisco. The narrative begins as Mary Ann Singleton, a woman looking for a modification in her life, moves to the city and lives at 28 Barbary Lane, a boarding house turned apartment complex, with all of whom who live there quickly forming what Maupin coined a “logical family”. The novel offers an insightful investigation of San Francisco’s culture in the 1970s, researching topics including the developing LGBTQ+ culture, sexual and enthusiastic freedom, homophobia, counterculture movements and what it means to be a family. As readers turn the pages of Tales of the City, they will begin to view San Francisco more like a beloved character than a location, as they get drawn into the exciting, unpredictable nature of the city. San Francisco continues to be a destination which is celebrated for its diversity, from lively jazz-clubs packed with history and heritage, to San Francisco Pride – an annual celebration which attracts visitors from all around the world. www.sftravel.com
Experience solitude and serenity in Where the Crawdads Sing, North Carolina
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is set in North Carolina’s marshland and coastline, following the protagonist Kya’s journey. Through Kya’s eyes, the reader is able to get lost in the landscapes, from witnessing the North Carolina sun drop “under a paint-brushed sky” to hearing the “cicadas squeal against a mean sun”. Unlike most, Kya does not seek or find support through human contact and the North Carolina marshes are not merely her home, the wetlands and wildlife within it become her family; she is guided by nature, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. For travellers yearning for a peaceful escape away from the hustle and bustle of life then North Carolina offers the perfect getaway, as visitors can immerse themselves in wildlife tours or enjoy serene beach walks. www.visitnc.com
An American Marriage, Georgia Atlanta
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, An American Marriage is a stirring love story that grapples with the tenuoisty of relationships. The novel focuses on the marriage of a middle-class African-American couple, Celestial and Roy, who can be read as the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. Author Tayari Jones addresses, very simply yet poignantly, the racial inequalities of yesterday and today; Roy found himself locked away for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and not because he was the commitor of the crime. As a destination, Georgia champions its Black history and culture and visitors can book on to the Atlanta Black History & Civil Rights Tour and delve into the African-American heritage in the home of the Civil Rights Movement. www.exploregeorgia.org
Hit the Hawaiian Roads in The Descendants, Hawaii
Based on Kauai, an island often referred to as the ‘Garden Island’ of Hawaii, The Descendants offers the reader a vision of this enchanting landscape, a setting which is draped in emerald valleys, soaring mountain spires and jagged cliffs aged by time. The plot is centred around Matthew King, a royal descendant and one of the state’s largest landowners and thus was a man who once was considered to be the most fortunate man in Hawaii. Fast forward in Matthew’s life and time has changed, he now is the father of two out of control daughters and husband to wife Joanie who is terminally ill, passing away before the narrative ends. Readers will be drawn into both the emotive narrative and the breath-taking setting, leaving readers hungry for a holiday to Hawaii. The Island of Kauai has ample to offer, from glorious beaches; to an exquisite culinary scene; or exploring natural wonders like the Wailua River. Travellers who visit Hawaii are guaranteed to come home with a story to tell. www.gohawaii.com
