Kiss the Sunset Pig: A Review

Canadian Laurie Gough is a Spokesperson for all Restless Souls

Oct 6, 2008

In her second travel novel, Gough journeys into her past to reconnect with her former self, and contemplate her future.

Travel literature can be the best of both worlds of fiction and non-fiction. It's a mix of the personal nature of biography and the crazy, sometimes surreal adventure stories that are typically found in a fiction novel.

Canadian writer and avid traveler Laurie Gough excels in both of these departments. Her second novel is a must-read for all fans of woman's fiction, Canadian fiction, and especially for people with itchy feet.

In Kiss the Sunset Pig, Guelph native Laurie Gough embarks on a rather spontaneous trip to California over Christmas break in search of a cave on the coast of California, which she lived in for ten days in her early 20's. While on the road she mulls over the correct lyrics of the Joni Mitchell song "California", "is it Kiss the Sunset Pink, or Pig?"

The novel switches from road life to tales of her past travel experiences; from getting lost in a jungle in the most remote part of Indonesia to teaching Aboriginals in the James Bay. Each of these chapters feels like a full travel story. It is a jambalaya of her many journeys, of everything left out from her first publication, Kite Strings of the Southern Cross (the Canadian publication is titled Island of the Human Heart).

Calling all Restless Souls

To put it mildly, Gough is adventurous. She travels to a small town in the depths of the Indonesian jungle just for the challenge. She wanders the residential streets of Jamaica late at night with hopes of finding a family to stay with. She drives through the Nevada desert with a car practically on its death bed.

There's many instances in the book when Gough doubts her choice to leave for California, blaming herself for being reckless and refusing to settle down back home, not fully certain that leaving her job and boyfriend is the best decision. This doubt heightens when she makes a pit stop and to visit her sister and stays in her squeaky clean and spacious suburban home in Colorado. Gough she can't help compare her youthful existence at the age of 30 with her sister's adult life and retirement savings. However, even after a few days with her sister the pull she feels towards the sunshine, free-spirits, and redwoods of California remains strong. As with many travelers, she cannot ignore her instincts, so she treks on through the picturesque Western United States.

Laurie Gough is a strong female voice for Canadian Fiction and travel literature. Look her up. Her website provides helpful tips for writers and travelers alike, and it is wise to learn from a pro.

This book is recommended for people who have yet to find what they're looking for and want some comfort in knowing that they aren't the only ones.

The copyright of the article Kiss the Sunset Pig: A Review in Travel Writing is owned by Jennifer Richardson. Permission to republish Kiss the Sunset Pig: A Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.