Overview

South Away is an adventure story of the authors bicycle trip with her sister from Terrace, BC along the West coast to (almost) the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Meaghan Marie Hackinen experiences apprehension and determination as she camps in the dense forests of northern Vancouver Island and in frigid Mexican deserts; encounters strange men, suicidal highways and monster trucks; strong winds and violent storms; flat ties and broken spokes. Her couch-surfacing adventures provide an insight into the kindness of strangers en route. Accompanying the travel memoir is an inner journey, related through flashbacks and memories, as the author begins to better understand her relationship with her parents, grandmother, and sister. In attempting to balance risk with safety, she arrives at a minimalist philosophy of living, which requires physical stamina and mental ingenuity. The style is engaging and personable; the images of landscape and seascape are imaginative and memorable. This is a rare roadtrip story -- with a female lead and a female companion, a Canadian Hobbit tale of adventure and miraculous events.

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9781988732633

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Reviews

"Praise for South Away: ""In this empowering memoir, Hackinen, an avid cyclist, recounts her first touring-bike journey.. Teens will be particularly fascinated by how the author found post-grad direction and confidence using the strength of her own two legs."" Booklist ""Biking and adventure travel enthusiasts will revel in the author's descriptions and ability to endure such an arduous trip, and find this account restores one's faith in human goodness."" Library Journal ""... [T]his book will be a breath of fresh air and a reminder of the hope that lies in the humanity beyond our front door, if we dare to venture beyond it."" All Lit Up ""I LOVED this memoir...! Stumped for something to read? NeWest has published this awesome Canadian memoir that'll have you ready to pull out your own bike and set out into the world by the time your done."" Worn Pages and Ink Blog ""The body of work about the unique joys of wandering the world on two wheels just keeps getting better and Meaghan Marie Hackinen's South Away is a welcome addition to it. Howard Macdonald Stewart, The Ormsby Review ""Everyone says 'Be careful, ' but Meaghan Marie Hackinen wants to live large. South Away will fill your lungs with the fresh air of adventure and restore your faith in human goodness. An exhilarating debut."" Candace Savage, author of A Geography of Blood and Strangers in the House ""Hackinen's journey is the quest of her dreams. Her sharp images of life on the road reveal that the world is more complex than she thought-and that sometimes people will let you camp on their front lawn."" Nicole Haldoupis, editor of Grain Magazine and untethered"

Praise for South Away Everyone says 'Be careful, ' but Meaghan Marie Hackinen wants to live large. South Away will fill your lungs with the fresh air of adventure and restore your faith in human goodness. An exhilarating debut. Candace Savage, author of A Geography of Blood and Strangers in the House Hackinen's journey is the quest of her dreams. Her sharp images of life on the road reveal that the world is more complex than she thought--and that sometimes people will let you camp on their front lawn. Nicole Haldoupis, editor of Grain Magazine and untethered

Author Information

Meaghan Marie Hackinen is a writer and cyclist from Vancouver, BC. Her two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexicos high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and, most recently, from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europes highest paved roads. Her writing explores relationships, experiences on the road, and encounters with wild places. Her creative non-fiction, poetry, and prose can be found in literary journals and cycling magazines. She has an MFA in Writing from the University of Saskatchewan and currently resides in Kelowna, BC.

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