Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven: A Memoir

#346
Title: Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven: A Memoir
Author: Susan Jane Gilman
Year: 2009
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
314 pages
As Keath Fraser's anthology Bad Trips amply illustrates, travel is fraught with difficulties and unexpected events, of which only some are humorous. Gilman tells the story of her out-of-college, around-the-world trip with Brown University acquaintance "Claire." It starts like any travelogue that recounts the misadventures of young travelers out of their depth. However, it's quickly clear that something is wrong with Claire, and in the context of the People's Republic of China in the mid-1980's, this becomes rapidly more perilous for both young women. Gilman does an excellent job of conveying her state at the time as well as her later reflections on these events. She is especially sensitive and astute about the effects of cultural dislocation on even a healthy traveler. A terrific memoir for inexperienced travelers, not because it is frightening (which it is), but because of the self-reflection and planning it may stimulate.