Winter Shoes in Springtime

Beryl Smeeton was that rare combination -- an intrepid traveller and a writer of entertaining prose -- and she made astonishing journeys as a young woman in the 1930s. Going home alone, overland from India, mostly by bus and third class train, she explored Persia (now Iran), where she was greeted with great kindness, and wrangled an unusual trip through southern Russia. She then crossed Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway with her brother (who, to her disgust, insisted on travelling first class) for a visit to Japan and Hong Kong. From there, on her most extraordinary trek, she roamed by riverboat, bus, train,truck and on foot through China and into Burma.Later, Beryl married Miles Smeeton and brought to their adventures aboard Tzu Hang the same high energy, insatiable curiosity and sense of humour that shine through this, her delightful first book about her solo travels.