Posted by Journeying at Home and Away
Pomegranates at 4800 metres is a vibrant tapestry woven with themes of love, courage and generosity. Kim Letson’s husband, Mike surrounds her with his many gifts of love, including his courage in the face of death. At a freezing teahouse in the high Himalaya, Letson’s porter presents her with a bowl of glowing red pomegranate seeds, as astonished silence spreads throughout the crowded room. At a beach house in Zanzibar, three little boys climb palm trees to bring her fresh coconuts, and their mother bakes a cake to be shared with them. In return for a handful of dates in the desert sands of Morocco, a gentle camel complies with her desires that he kneel.
While kayaking in a storm off Vancouver Island, Letson’s friend, Pat, demands she find the courage to “come in on a wave.” This becomes a metaphor as Letson learns acceptance from her Nepali guide, Tendi Sherpa, and navigates her way through loss, grief and transformation into an intrepid nomad.
As the daughter of a Canadian military father, Kim spent her childhood living in various parts of Canada and Europe. She also served in the Canadian Forces, as did her husband, Mike Simpson. Kim’s degree in Women’s Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston was a career asset in the male-dominated military environment. In 1995, after twenty years of service, Kim and Mike retired to the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island to focus on raising their two sons, Brian and Kyle.
They enjoyed second careers as professional ski patrollers on nearby Mount Washington and, for a time, owned a sea kayaking company, West Coast Expeditions. Since her husband’s death and her subsequent retirement, she pursues her passions for international travel, gardening, writing and enjoying time with friends. When not tramping in foreign lands, she can be found in her unconventional Comox Valley garden or walking the local trails. As much as she enjoys seeking out new places to explore, Kim has fallen in love with Nepal where she has close ties with a Sherpa family.
5.5 x 8.5 – 332 Pages
Price $26.95
Shipping $6.99
GST $1.70
Total $35.64
Pomegrantes at 4800 Metres
Kim’s second book
“Soul of a Nomad: The Journey Continues”
A sequel to Pomegranates at 4800 Metres, Soul of a Nomad continues the stories of Kim’s journeys. She brings us into the world of her wandering childhood. We share more exploits with her boys, Brian and Kyle, and are introduced to her dog, Natasha. She takes us travelling to Europe, Southeast Asia, Patagonia and China over a span of sixty-four years. Woven throughout is the thread of her nomadic and adventurous spirit.
Soul of a Nomad
5.5 x 8.5 – 332 Pages
Price $26.95
Shipping $6.99
GST $1.70
Total $35.64
Kim’s third book
“In The Footsteps of a Roman Legion: Walking the Via Egnatia”
On a blistering September morning in 2016, intrepid friends in their sixties – Kim and Pat – set off on foot from Durrës, Albania towards Istanbul, Turkey. Tracing the route of a Roman road, the Via Egnatia, they dedicate their endeavour to raising funds for refugee relief. Owing to a guidebook that overstates amenities, the trek becomes more challenging than expected. As they negotiate hurdles, test their endurance, and encounter human smugglers and feral dogs, an indomitable sense of humour, a personified GPS, and an imagined Roman legionnaire see them through daily adventures.
In The Footsteps of a Roman Legion
5.5 x 8.5 – 342 Pages
Price $26.95
Shipping $6.99
GST $1.70
Total $35.64