What a beautifully written story, a true story.

The author of ‘The Amazing Story of the Man who Cycled from India to Europe for Love’  by Per J Andersson uses such rich and vivid description that I felt like ‘I was there’ with the characters right from the opening chapter, absorbing the sounds, their sights, tastes, thoughts and feelings throughout.

The book begins with some beautiful childhood memoirs from a little boy named PK, and his days growing up in the Indian jungle. Reading this book takes me on an exotic mind journey that is full of intrigue.

PK’s talks us through his first experiences of discrimination as an Indian in India and the concept of ‘caste’, a hierarchy of humanity, some more worthy than others.

PK grows to understand a feeling of ‘confirmed’ difference and an acceptance of ‘not belonging’; he is beaten and treated like a contagion – labelled as an “untouchable”.

Higher caste members rush to wash themselves if they come into physical contact  with an untouchable.

This memoir highlights just how quickly tables can turn, how the apparent loser can become a winner, just by being in the right place at the right time with the right talents – seizing an opportunity.

The romantic thread  – as per the title, shows the lengths a man in love will go to get his girl, it’s his destiny, after all!

Not much different from the UK then….

This is one of those books I think is too good to ‘just be a book’, it would make an absolutely fabulous film – the visual scenes of India would be a feast for the eye.

Unusually, I didn’t go looking for this book, didn’t read any reviews online or see it in my Amazon recommendations. Instead, contrary to the word of the wise, I absolutely judged this book 100% by its cover.

The cover and sensational title caught my eye as I wandered around an airport bookshop – I completely ignored the more predictable and unassuming covers and titles surrounding it.

On this occasion, the cover more than matched up to the treasures inside!!

The Amazing Story of the Man who Cycled from India to Europe for Love  – it’s a ‘yes’ from me.

I managed to get through it pretty quickly and every page full was a pleasure read – unlike one of the other books I had with me at the time  – that one was like pulling teeth lol, and had been well researched and sitting in my wish list for weeks before buying it. #dissapointment