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Along the River that Flows Uphill: From the Orinoco to the Amazon

Richard Starks & Miriam Murcutt
Haus Publishing Ltd. (2009)
IISBN 9781906598327
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (11/09)

Until I began reading this travel book I had never heard of the Casiquiare River, let alone that it flows uphill!  The author introduces the reader to a world many have never heard of and even fewer will ever visit.

"Along the River that Flows Uphill" is not just a story but a real life adventure that takes twists and turns along a remarkable stretch of water that remains nearly untouched.  The authors not only give a stunning account of their adventures but provide intriguing background information as they go through the journey.  From slight sidebars to detailed accounts of jungle, rivers and bugs, the reader feels as though she joined the authors on the trip.

I was very impressed with the knowledge of past explorers like Humboldt and Pierre-Simon de Laplace as well as Stanley and Livingstone.  The authors provided much of the background information that really draws a reader in and makes the book near impossible to put down.

Starks' adventure takes him from Caracas to the Columbian border and along the way he and his companion (and co-writer) Miriam Murcutt meet riveting characters, from a wanna-be entomologist to local fisherman to a Yanomami they refer to as Y.  The authors have their own preconceived ideas of what each of these people should be only to find their perceptions aren’t necessarily the reality.

This is an extremely intelligent book that leaves the reader feeling wiser for having read it and more aware of the fragility of the world, as well as a bit of disgust at the corruption that plagues the political arenas.

A very well written book that has a few surprises on the way.


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