“If you’ve missed out on the glory of escapism this summer, The Scoop is the perfect read for you”
BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS
We all remember what it was like to travel, although it seems like a distant memory for many of us who have had a long list of cancelled plans this summer. Usually by this time of year, we’re all suitably sun-kissed with tales of summer that will last a lifetime.
If you’ve missed out on the glory of escapism this summer, The Scoop is the perfect read for you. It’ll take you back to life pre-corona when the freedom to travel didn’t seem so out of reach.
A humorous book filled with lessons in humanity, it’s no wonder The Scoop has been long-listed for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. Coming as Cat Walker’s debut novel, it merges geography, psychology and politics, making it accessible to all readers. Cat herself has wandered the globe and her passion for travel shimmers through every word of this insightful tale.
The description reads: “Casey Jones’ life is a mess. Her job bores her, her parents confuse her, and she has repeated nightmares about her ex-girlfriend. In a moment of madness she packs in her job and plans an adventure with her schoolfriend, long-time lad Danny. What she didn’t plan for was an extra passenger, in the shape of Danny’s estranged twelve-year-old son, Ari, who has problems of his own.
“The three of them are thrown together for an intense rollercoaster ride in Alice a converted bright pink ice cream van through some of the most beautiful and dangerous places in the world, from Tulse Hill to Tibet.”
It’s a road trip tale like no other. Cat manages to tell a heartwarming story whilst weaving in elements of history and philosophy at every turn.
You will truly feel like you are going along for the journey with the trio in their ice cream van, aptly named after Alice from The L Word. You will feel the highs and the lows that come with travelling and learn the history of each place they encounter along with them. It’s as educational as it is escapist – the perfect book for a small dose of relief from life in lockdown.
