Letters to Zerky: A Father's Legacy to a Lost Son . . . and a Road Trip Around the World

by Bill Raney, JoAnne Walker Raney

Overview

In 1967, Bill and JoAnne tried to drive a Volkswagen bus around the world with their baby son, Zerky, and dog, Tarzan. From San Francisco they flew to Germany, where they purchased the camper van and headed east across southern Europe, into Asia, as far as they could go. They traveled across Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sikkim, India, and Assam, where they hoped to take the Burma Road into China, but were turned back. From there they headed for Thailand and Hong Kong, one-year-old Zerky having a magical effect on everyone they met along the way. An adventure story about a once-upon-a-time journey, this is a story that will challenge pre-conceptions about people of the Middle East and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780982138403
Publisher:	Nickelodeon Press
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Pages:	436
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	15 Years

About the Author

Bill Raney dropped out of college in 1959 to become a beatnik in San Francisco’s North Beach district. In the late 1960s, he founded the Nickelodeon Theatre, a local art theatre still alive and successful today. He lives in Santa Cruz, California. JoAnne Walker Raney moved to Paris in 1955 and from there went hitchhiking through Yugoslavia during the 1956 Hungarian Uprising. She returned to San Francisco in the late 1950s to buy and remodel a small art theatre, The Movie.

Editorial Reviews

In this plodding memoir, Bill and Joanne Raney recount a cross-continent trip that began in 1967 with a flight from San Francisco to Munich and took the couple across Europe and Asia in a Volkswagen bus with infant son Xerxes (the titular Zerky) and headstrong dachshund Tarzan in tow. Written in two voices—Joanne's diary entries and Bill's letters to Xerxes—the Raneys record daily events and interactions, from the epic (visiting the Taj Majal, witnessing a Hindu funeral) to the mundane (exchanging money in Iran, border crossings, gastrointestinal illnesses) with equal zeal, often omitting important historical, geopolitical, and regional information. Not without its moments—some of them genuinely touching—the book remains an often banal account of an epic journey without the revelations or insight one would expect from two hippies in the tumultuous 1960s.

Publishers Weekly

"This powerful, wonderful and compelling book . . . is for anyone who savors and celebrates personal stories of epic journeys, vividly brought to life in a dramatic way."  —Greg Mortenson, author, Three Cups of Tea

“Bill, JoAnne, their 18-month old son Zerky and their fearless dachshund Tarzan packed into their VW van to set-off to see the world. Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Sikkim, Assam, Nepal, Thailand, China. Bill takes you along on that rugged ride. Letters to Zerky captures those innocent times in this touching blast to the past and tender tribute to a son.”  —Brandon Wilson, Lowell Thomas Award-Winning author of Along the Templar Trail and Yak Butter Blues

“A masterful storyteller and beautiful description. A tale that keeps readers turning the page for more. The book will appeal to a wide audience, including those interested in travel, Middle Eastern history, and simply a well-written story of adventure.”  —Christine Canfield, ForeWord Magazine

“That rare travelogue with no ego and a true sense of discovery. A compelling and poignant read. The glimpses into Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and China are invaluable.”  —Kyle Wagner, The Denver Post

“A testament to the power of the human spirit—to wonder, endure and remember. The adventure quotient here is high, but the main ballast of the book is emotional, a testament to the power of the human spirit–to wander, endure and remember. A chronicle of travels through a bygone world.”  —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher