pomegranates
AT
4800 METRES
SOUL OF
A
nomad
In the footsteps
OF
A ROMAN LEGION
Canterbury
AND
OTHER TALES
MEET KIM
With a Canadian military father, Kim spent her childhood living in various parts of Canada and Europe. She and her husband, Mike Simpson, served twenty-year careers in the Canadian Forces. Retiring in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, they focussed on raising their two sons, Brian and Kyle, pursued second careers as professional ski patrollers on nearby Mount Washington and for a time owned a sea kayaking company based on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Since Mike’s death in 2007, seeking solace and following her nomadic spirit, Kim has indulged her passion for off-the-beaten-path international travel. When at home she walks with friends, writes and enjoys her unconventional garden.
REVIEWS
Reviews of Pomegranates at 4800 Metres (2018)
Bruce Kirkby, adventurer, author: At times gut-wrenching, at times spellbinding, this heartfelt memoir is a powerful reminder of the heights to which curiosity, kindness and bravery can carry us. Bravo Kim
David Esson Young, Ship’s Master, author: … descriptions of the lands she journeys to and the people she encounters are vivid and evocative. She carries her readers with her, from the depths of despair, through torrential West Coast rain, across the vast Serengeti, over Himalayan suspension bridges and into the Moroccan Sahara. Small of stature, she’s tough enough to defy risk, endure pain and most importantly, to grow in self-awareness and confidence.
Reviews of Soul of a Nomad (2020)
James Deutsch, George Washington University lecturer, folklorist, author: The English word nomad derives from the ancient Greek νομαδ, referring to those who roam or wander in search of pasture for their livestock. Modern-day nomad, Kim Letson also searches - always seeking new vistas and fresh perspectives - on a lifelong journey that never fails to delight the reader.
Chris Harker, safari guide, fellow adventurer, author: ...This delightful autobiography encompasses a life, a career and best of all, an exciting guide to those who are more interested in “otherness” than in exporting and expecting Canadian values when abroad. With boisterous good spirits and self-depreciating humour, Letson brings us with her to many of the world’s “roads less travelled” and describes for us the good, the bad and the ugly. …
Christine Dickinson, historian, author: Soul of a Nomad takes us from the Yangykala Canyon of Turkmenistan to the Alaskan Coast and from Florence in Tuscany to Ushuaia in Patagonia. At every juncture, Letson reflects on the significance of place, time and those she encounters. She describes her diverse travels through the eyes of a child, a young soldier on a peace keeping mission and an intrepid retiree. Ever the cautious interloper as she considers her role as “Other” and “outsider,” Letson is a keen observer of new ways, and new cultures. A highly recommended read for all observers of humanity and those with an interest in travel.
Margo McLoughlin, storyteller, teacher, author: Soul of a Nomad recounts a lifetime of exploration in remote corners of the world. Rich with sensory memories … this is the story of how one person grows into the habit and practice of adventure. Going out to meet the world requires courage, flexibility, and humility. Every encounter described by Letson reveals the dual nature of her learning: while other cultures always have much to teach her, the journey is also a mirror of her own self-discovery. …
Reviews of In the Footsteps of a Roman Legion (2021)
Evelyn Gillespie, owner Laughing Oyster Bookshop, Comox Valley: The Via Egnatia holds over two thousand years of stories - of soldiers, merchants, farmers, refugees and travellers. And this is a gripping one – two travellers (sometimes three?) meet both generous hospitality and surprising hostility with resilience, cold beer, and hot coffee. Atlas in one hand and this book in the other - I was transported!
Joshua Levy, award winning author: Fun, funny, and endlessly thought-provoking, Kim Letson pulls no punches as she explores some of the bumpier corners of humanity, all while finding the time to celebrate life’s small, simple pleasures. If you like the idea of lacing up your shoes to embark on a grand adventure from the comforts of your favourite reading chair, you couldn’t pick a more capable guide than Letson. Brimming with passion for the road less travelled, Kim Letson has written a page-turner.
Janet Miller, author: … in this compelling book, we accompany her and Pat as they tramp through three Balkan states on their way to Turkey. Readers will learn about Albania’s concrete bunkers as the adventurers endure blisters, encounter poisonous vipers, vicious dogs, human traffickers, and armed helicopters before finally relaxing in a steaming Istanbul hammam. Thank you, Kim, for including us on your intrepid walk.
Wendy Wickwire, University of Victoria professor, author: A gifted storyteller and seasoned backpacker, Kim Letson takes her readers on a hair-raising journey (mostly on foot) along the old Roman Via Egnatia across the Balkans. Packed with historical vignettes and contemporary encounters, she offers a rich lens on life today in this war-torn region. In the Footsteps of a Roman Legion is a superb travelogue and travel guide, especially for those in search of trails less travelled. I loved this book.
Reviews of Canterbury and Other Tales (2023)
Bill Arnott, poet, author: Kim Letson has created a curative elixir with Canterbury and Other Tales, a sumptuous blend of adventure-memoir, escape, loss and healing shared in concise, engaging vignettes. … A series of stories you won’t want to end.
Paul Chinn, environmentalist, traveller, author: This book vividly brings back the joys of walking and riding many of the same pathways and facing some of the same challenges which Letson presents with unvarnished candour. While the journeys do not all carry the title of pilgrimage, they all share the pilgrim sense of an inner search – a need to fill the void of the tragic loss of her husband and mother with both a rationale for her own existence and her relationship with the world.
Christine Dickinson, historian, author: Kim Letson has done it again. In this latest collection of journeys, she shares intimate moments, challenges of the terrain, encounters with both fellow travellers and those who host pilgrims such as her. Walking alongside shadows of the past, she describes intriguing details and the broad sweep of historical context for her travels and surroundings. Her insights are often humorous and sometimes wry, but it is her accomplishments and tenacity which leave us in awe and just a little envious.
Jeanette Taylor, historian, author: Like their namesake, these tales are much more than a guided tromp across some of Europe’s best treks and pilgrimages. They are also reflections on love, friendship, loss and what it means to be human. Letson shares lyrical glimpses of the landscapes and history she encounters: the uphill grinds, the wet boots, the soaring cathedrals and sweeping views. In her deft hands we are changed.