Amy FieldSola: One Woman's Journey Alone Across South America

I loved this book! As both an avid reader and a fellow world traveler I was very impressed with the way Amy put her story into words! I have often thought about attempting to write about my travels and I can only hope that if I do it is as beautifully written. I recently purchased another copy that Amy was kind enough to sign for my daughter. I am hoping that this wonderful book insires my daughter to see more of the world after she graduates from college and gets a whole new education, which is traveling!Thank you Amy!

I absolutely loved this book! I started to read it at "Las Tortugas" which is the hotel in Costa Rica that the author used as home base during her 2 plus years of travel. I was immediately hooked after a few chapters. I enjoyed Field's honesty about the ups and downs of traveling alone, the joys and frustrations of meeting new people, searching within and walking through her travels with an open heart. I found her language in depicting the spectacular natural beauty as well as the nature of the cultures and the people she encountered very beautifully crafted. I felt a true sense of the places she chronicled. I hope that Amy Field writes about her travels again.I highly recommend Sola!

The author writes an amazing and very compelling story about her incredible adventures traveling “sola” throughout South America. Beginning in Costa Rica, where she is initially somewhat fearful as she starts out on her journey, she becomes practically fearless while exploring the many different regions farther south. In many instances, the book reminded me of my own adventures as a Peace Corps volunteer in North Africa, although I have to admit that my experiences were far less physically demanding. In fact, while reading of her exploits tromping through the snake and mosquito infested river banks of the Amazon in Brazil, descending deep into the claustrophobic spaces of a silver mine in Bolivia and facing potential calamity in the mountains of Chile, I was astounded by her bravery and fascinated by her account of the risks as well as the exhilaration she felt with each new experience.Many of the passages in the book are beautifully written. The author’s descriptions of the Costa Rican seashore, for example, are really to be savored as is the case with so many of her descriptive passages. But this is more than just a travel book. It becomes a very personal journey of self-discovery containing moments of joy but also of sadness and deep introspection. As she enjoys the camaraderie of new friends, experiences the ups and downs of romantic relationships, she learns to follow her own star, to choose a life unconstrained by conventional expectations formed by others and even by herself. In the course of her travels, the author becomes an independent and brave adventurer, and she tells her story in a way that drew me in from the very first page.

WOW. What a great read! Reading this book brings back the youth in all of us, and an appreciation for a journey that few could (or would) dare to take. It was helpful for me to remember that one of the motives for Amy was to become proficient in Spanish. She did that, found love, and so much more,We have traveled to most of the places she writes about, yet never experienced the day to day life of those places. It was about 18 years from "the journey" to completion of the book. Wonderful how she has tracked the lives of her contacts for nearly a generation. Only a gifted writer could keep such meticulous journals of daily life as it occurs.The book inspires the reader to think and absorb many details. It is well worth it. She has truly earned five stars, and more. We hope there will be other books to follow. She is living a life that most only dream about (in their youth). Thank you Amy.

Inspiring and heartfelt. I loved her story . I'm ready to take off on new adventures! Thank you Amy for sharing your beautiful travels!

Whether you are an adventurous traveler or seeking an escape from corporate life, Amy Field's wonderful journey will not disappoint! From the humidity of the rainforest to the piercing cold of the glaciers, the kind souls to the heartbreaks, the new foods to more new foods, I loved vicariously living through her adventures. Having never been to South America, I ended the book feeling a connection to the countries and people so beautifully captured in every chapter. The characters, the environment, the challenges, they all leave you rooting for Amy on her travels, and as she takes you through her own self-discovery, you can't help but discover a bit of yourself, even if doing it from the comfort of your own front porch. Holiday gifts of Sola are going to many of the women in my life so they, too, can laugh, cry, gasp, identify with and be inspired by a remarkable journey!!

The book chronicles a young woman's solo travels through South America in her early 20s. This book is part adventure, part self-discovery, part memoir, and completely enjoyable to read. I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts (how does one go to the bathroom in the middle of the Amazon jungle while hanging from a hammock?), getting completely absorbed in the cast of characters she meets along the way (surf guru, tough love co-workers, other adventurers from around the world), and being totally inspired by her courage to undertake such a life-changing experience completely alone as a young woman. Although I can imagine comparisons to Cheryl Strayed's Wild or Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, this book has its own unique voice, prose, and story. Highly recommend!

Did this book as part of a book club and it was the only reason I finished it. It wasn't bad it was just frustrating in how much it jumped around. There were a lot of times the book also seemed superficial and not deep at all ie not much deep thought, spent a lot of time talking about how gorgeous it was. I only finished this book because it was in a book club but frankly skimmed it starting 1/3 through to just finish it. There were some good parts but I just wouldn't buy this again. For reference i"m a mid thirties female who loves these kind of books but I just wanted something deep and I this book did not deliver.

I loved this memoir - Amy writes so lovingly about her backpacking experiences in turn-of-the-millennium Latin America, and captures it from her heart so beautifully.Having never come across a memoir from a woman about Latin American travel before, it's definitely one to read whether you've been there already, or you're wanting to go.And I came away with a few new literary discoveries from it as well, so it's been a great value memoir for me!Thank you for writing Sola, Amy :)

I had high hopes of a vivid travel book by a solo,female traveller,but this is utterly boring. It tries hard to convince you through a descriptive style, but it does not convince me at all. What exactly is the purpose of this book? It is certainly not inspiring.

I have read hundreds of books over the past half century. Amy Field's book is one of the best.She is a very clear writer. Her vocabulary is rich. Her writing is poetic. The descriptions of people, places and things are so alive. And she is wonderfully philosophical about life, events in one's life and in dealing with difficult situations.It is an adventure story that kept me turning pages. She was in life-threating situations during some of her hikes and once while surfing in the ocean. Her bus rides to different places in her journey were described such that I thought I was on the bus, or the truck, trying to survive. She met so many interesting people who became so real to the reader. One example is Louis who ran a small hotel in Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Louis was one of Costa Rica's first ecotourism activists; he is clearly a very wise person. Amy wrote about many of their discussions together.When I was the same age as when she took this ~2 year trip alone (Sola) to South America, it would not have occurred to me to undertake such travel. I would not have had the courage or the fortitude to undertake such an amazing trip. Many thanks to Amy for writing this beautiful book so that her readers can share her spirit of adventure.

What a wonderful read, felt like I was on my own journey of discovery. I hope that one day I can be as brave to go travelling Sola.