Tessa De Loo
‘When I read that letter my old love for Byron came flooding back. I decided to travel with him, on horseback, making the same journey – even if it was two centuries later. I wanted to get to know not just Byron but Albania too…’
An absorbing contemporary travel adventure, Tessa de Loo recounts her expedition following in the footsteps of the infamous Lord Byron’s tour of the now harried terrain of Albania in 1809. Enthralled by the image of Lord Byron as a teenage girl, she sets about exploring not only his physical journey, but attempts to understand his inner one as well. The source of inspiration for his poem, ‘Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage’, the trail of Byron sets out de Loo’s path, where she, in the midst of her gruelling pilgrimage, herself undergoes something of a transformation.
‘[One notes] the seriousness and humour with which De Loo laces her contribution to superior travel literature… She gives her report in the form of letters to Byron (My dear friend, My dearest George) alternated with chapters where she recounts Byron’s journey. However euphoric De Loo’s report is not too affected, it stays lively and informative…. A Pig in the Palace is a book of contrasts, surprises and disappointments, written cheerfully and with eye for details.’ Vrij Nederland
Sales
- De Arbeiderspers NL
- Pracownia Stow Poland
- Bertelsmann Verlag Germany
- Skanderbeg Books Albania
- Haus UK (WEL)
Material: English edition (185pp)