Review - A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar by Suzanne Joinson

Reviewed by Cesca Martin

In 1923, through a series of letters, we read about Evangeline English, keen lady cyclist and hopeful author of a guide to the region, and her sister Lizzie. They are stuck in the ancient city of Kashgar helping to establish (rather unsuccessfully) a Christian mission as they wait to hear whether their companion, Millicent, is to be prosecuted for the death of a local girl. In present-day London we meet Frieda who has just discovered she is the next-of-kin to a dead woman she has never heard of.  A man quite literally appears on her doorstep (meet Tayeb, hiding in Frieda’s Pimlico block of flats as he tries to escape deportation) and together they uncover certain secrets...

I thoroughly enjoyed the slow, unfurling love story set in the modern day. There were no fireworks, or great, over-the-top declarations of love but rather a meandering, touching story of two people finding and helping each other in a busy, frantic world. I was urging them on as they progressed through the book (with an owl in tow), wanting them both to find peace. 

The story set in 1923 of Evangeline and her sister Lizzie, set in the most gorgeous, rich landscape, was both fascinating and frustrating. The horrendous Millicent, fervent evangelical with an iron-fist hold over the youngest sister Lizzie, was wonderfully drawn. The bizarre first scene – the death of a young local girl as she gives birth to a daughter - was terribly sad and thoroughly intriguing. The turbulent mood of the region, the locals suspicions of foreigners and Christians, remained a constant source of tension throughout the novel. The food, dwellings and people were intricately described and the vivid colours of this unexplored territory was masterfully built up. I loved the little snippets of advice for female cyclists at the turn of the 20^th century and enjoyed the gentle humour and musings of the central character Eva. The two strands of this novel were woven together very well and it was refreshing to read about a remote region such as this. As the gorgeously exotic cover demonstrates this is a colourful and moving debut from Suzanne Joinson and I think many fans of historical fiction will enjoy this read.

8/10

Bloomsbury books are generously offering copies to readers of Novelicious. If you want to be in with a chance to win one of these books, please leave a comment below. Winners will be announced next week (Thursday 19^th July). We’d love to hear what you think you’d enjoy about this book...