Women of the Gobi: Journeys on the Silk Road

Women of the Gobi: Journeys on the Silk Road by Kate James.  Paperback book published 2006.

Some of you may remember that I recently wrote about “The Story of Topsy: Little Lonely of Central Asia by Mildred Cable and Francesca French”.   Paul Perry of  AllSorts Bookshop Northcote commented at the time on Kate James’ book which is a sort of contemporary travel book and biography of these women.  Surprise, surprise 2 weeks later what do I find, but the very book mentioned.  I’ve never seen a copy of this book before and then someone mentions it and whammo it’s in my hand.  If I was the sort of person who believed in divine intervention, I’d say it was meant to be… but I’m not (that sort of person), pure coincidence is what it is… and my scanning booksellers eye for the key word “Gobi”. 

There are some great photographs in the book including this one of the Trio with Topsy in London 1937:

… and this one of Eileen Guy, known to her friends as Topsy, in 1994:

... finally, I like to say that I would never name a rabbit Eileen.