George Mahood

It’s always educational to read a book about the US written by someone not from here; it’s a fascinating look at what other people see and expect and are surprised by. And that’s mostly why this got three stars from me.

The actual book — okay. Books like this, that are the very personal tale of one individual’s trip, have to be funny, beautiful, or informative, or they are just that long dull story you hear from your uncle about that time he went to that place and met those people, show more those funny people. This book is not especially informative; I mean, yes, I do have the advantage of coming from this country, but it’s pretty easy to get things about, for example, prairie dogs right even if you don’t. And in some cases Wikipedia appears to have been used to jog his memory (since he’s writing here about a trip he took long ago), which — I can look things up there myself if I want to. And the book is not beautiful or lyrical. So it’s got to be funny. And it’s not, not really. Partly that’s because the author just does not quite have the knack for telling a story. And partly that’s because I spent most of the book distracted, wondering why he survived the trip.

Look. We were all young once. We all did stupid things. (At least, I hope so. I know I definitely did.) But coming to the US for nine months and forgetting a coat? Even though you’re going to be here through the winter? And sleeping in your car? Um. He also managed to drive from New York to California and back again over those nine months, despite having car insurance for only three of them. And he only had a visa for six months. As these facts were revealed, along with other exciting ones (like that he drove all the way to California before realizing his car had tires of different sizes), I found myself mostly just thinking about how lucky he was to be a white man. All those aw-shucks-we’re-all-kids-once encounters with cops would’ve been a lot different otherwise.

There were other problems, too. Like, oh, his relationship with Rachel, which apparently turned into a marriage after this trip, for reasons that are definitely not clear from this book. And his ear for dialogue, which is, uh. Not present. (Most Americans in this book say “ain’t” and use double negatives, no matter where they’re from. But they also all use Britishisms fairly constantly.)

But I did finish this. Mostly so I could marvel at it. I’d probably read another of his, if it were free, if only to find out if he ever does get any better at traveling. show less

Because I enjoy wandering the back roads (I hate interstate highways with a real passion) so much myself, I’m always on the lookout for a well written travel memoir about that kind of trip. It doesn’t matter if the travelers are walking, biking, or driving; I’m ready to make the trip with them. I’ve made lots of those trips in the US and Canada, even a bunch in the UK when I was younger, so George Mahood’s Not Tonight, Josephine: A Road Trip Through Small-Town America from my first show more glance at its cover seemed just about perfect.

Two young Brits, author George Mahood and his buddy Mark, decided to spend the better part of a year exploring America, having correctly assumed that the experience would be a much better way to learn about the country and its people than exclusively following the usual tourist track instead. Their plan, however, changed even before they landed in New York because Mark was granted only a 90-day visa, leaving George on his own when it was time to turn their rather ancient Dodge Caravan (called Josephine) around and head back to New York for the flight home. (George would inadvertently have his own visa problems later on.) Thankfully, Mark was able to join George before anything happened to George as he wandered around solo through places like some of Baltimore’s most drug-infested neighborhoods on foot searching for a place to sleep.

Not Tonight, Josephine is every bit as much fun as I hoped it would be. Because the boys, due to budget restraints, spent the bulk of their nights sleeping on Josephine’s too-small seats, parked wherever they felt relatively safe, they had more than a few encounters with local cops who spotted them parked overnight in unusual spots. And because the trip began so late in the year, they often woke up with ice on both sides of the windows and chattering teeth. Even some of America’s cheapest, dirtiest, and weirdest motels began to look good to them at that point.

There is even a love story happening in Not Tonight, Josephine despite the fact that George and Rachel have the Atlantic Ocean firmly fixed between them. At one point, as George continues to move westward and Rachel decides to relocate to Ireland, they manage to put more and more miles between them. For both, it is a new relationship with an old friend, and George fears that he is destroying it even before it begins. After Mark returns to England, George wants nothing more than to have Rachel join him for the return leg of the trip, but she is not so sure that is what she wants to do.

Bottom Line: I ended up liking Not Tonight, Josephine even more than I expected I would. George and Mark steered Josephine through many of the small towns and more-isolated regions of the country that I’ve explored on my own, and reading about their experiences brought back some good memories. It’s the “little things” and unexpected encounters that make this kind of trip a true success, and despite all the things they barely missed seeing on their travels, George, Mark, and Rachel ended up experiencing a very successful road trip with a lot of help from Josephine. This one is fun. show less

Two young men one goal travel from Lands end to john o groats relying on the kindness of others and as an added incentive start the challenge in nothing but your union jack boxer shorts! The ground rules were simple all food, all transport all clothes must be "blagged" no money must be taken or spent..this was self sufficiency in the extreme....could it be done or was the whole idea just plain bonkers...Free Country is a super little book and the reader is privileged to travel with the boys show more and be part of the expedition. To me the story is not only about the endurance and spirit of two men but a celebration of the generosity of the British people. If you add to this some wonderful characters that they met along the way this is a story that will leave you with a smile on your face. Highly Recommended show less

Fun, light read. I enjoyed the writing style - Mahood writes in a very relatable and fun way. You can't get bored because each entry features a new celebration. What could easily have been a boring play-by-play instead becomes a funny dialogue between him and his wife and children about what wacky new thing he's doing, plus interesting background on the holiday itself. Whether it's Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day or National Reese's Day, it's funny and entertaining to read.