My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir

by Susan Allen Toth

Release Date: 08 March, 1994

Edition: Paperback

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Especially for confirmed Anglophiles

I loved this book. Having had several Brits recommend Bill Bryson books the last time I was in Britain, I was disappointed that he was rather whine-y and not all that funny. Susan Allen Toth, however, is a kindred spirit. I enjoyed reminiscing based on our shared experiences (the love of English footpaths, and Britain's lovely breakfasts and teas) and look forward to my next trip and trying some of the things I had not experienced before, such as omelettes and gardens.

I have travelled to other places and enjoyed them very much, but there is something special about England. This author has a gift for articulating those special qualities. I found myself smiling often as I read these pages and drinking more tea than usual. I would say that this book would be more enjoyable for someone who has already been to England rather than someone who is trying to plan their first visit there.

I can't wait to get back to the U.K. -- or to read Ms. Toth's next book -- and I would like the people of Britian to read this book and see that *this*, rather than Bryson's, vision is the one I carry for their lovely isle.

A Good Companion for Armchair Traveling

If you're dreaming of seeing England but won't make it this year, pick up this cleverly written little book instead. Susan Toth's witty, conversational tone makes for an easy, enjoyable read. But don't confuse it with a travel book. This is instead a journal of Ms. Toth's many trips abroads from her adventurous back-packing with a friend at age 20 to the disastrous honeymoon with her first husband to her exploration of gorgeous gardens with her second husband. Reading this book is akin to traveling with a good friend and sharing likes and dislikes.

However, the England that Susan Toth really loves is the countryside and not the bustling London. If London is your heart's desire, you might be better off with another choice. Ms. Toth is not one to stand in line to view the Crown Jewels, but she will take you to memorable sheep dog shows or on a badger hunt. My favorite chapters were those she did set in London and its environs when she was teaching a class abroad. She definitely whetted my appetite for travel with her allusions to the places dear to Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and other literary figures.

This is a book to put you in the mood for England, a diary-like remembrance of her many trips to a country she loves. But it alone won't help you plan a trip there. For more on London proper for the book-lover, I would suggest "Mystery Reader's Walking Guide:London" by Alzina Stone Dale and Barbara Sloan Hendershott.