Lisa Alpine’s book Exotic Life: Laughing Rivers, Dancing Drums, and Tangled Hearts is a sprawling anthology of 19 travel tales. Alpine is an inspiration to women travelers everywhere. She fearlessly wanders through one obscure destination after the other, leaving her complete trust in the experience. She answers that timeless question – Can solo women travelers really go there? – by doing just that and carrying away some wildly unique stories.

Hers are the type of spontaneous and quirky tales that vagabonders dream of when they muse on the possibilities of the open road. In true vagabonding spirit, her tales portray a woman with a no-frills approach to travel and a heavy investment in experience. You’ll find impassioned stories about far-flung destinations that can only come from an extended time on the road.

Alpine’s stories might not be to everyone’s tastes. She recounts her experiences with passion, shameless candor, and a huge amount of heart. There is no subject off-limits in her book. If you prefer the safety of clean careful narrative, with strict mindfulness to all Ps and Qs, this collection might be a bit much for you.

In addition to being a collection of travel stories, Exotic Life also explores the many trials and joys of Alpine’s personal life. Readers will not just come away with a host of tales from around the world, but with a vivid sense of the type of woman Alpine is. Her personality leaps from the pages.

For US$14.95, you can order the book from Alpine’s website, where you can read more about the author’s inspiring life.