Shahnaz Habib’s book on the history of travel is an unusual approach towards an otherwise exciting activity; but it also does not promise to be a spirited read, as in its subtitle it already declares itself as a ‘passive-aggressive’ chronicle. The book takes a flight into her experience as a solo female traveller who’s carrying cultural baggage heavier than her travels can allow, in an attempt to understand how the word ‘wanderlust’ compounded despite the challenges that come with crossing borders. It doesn’t take Habib too long to decipher the etymological mystery of this word which is rooted in ‘colonialism and capitalism’ (p. 215).
Thus, one of the recurring themes that Habib foregrounds is the imperialistic gaze that has impacted a reading of the global sphere, especially the Third World countries. The book does not shy away from exposing the hegemony of a western traveller’s history that has impeached upon the lesser-known travel stories from the East. And so, Habib’s retelling of the accounts of various travellers also gives way to rhetorical questions worth pondering over: