"The Japanese-Speaking Curtain Maker" Book Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Media

Spencer Conway is an adventurer through and through. If you look him up, you’ll see that when this man has a dream, he goes for it. His dreams are usually on the edge, too. He’s someone I admire because of his courage, humility, humor, perseverance, and pure strength of character. Some think he’s barking mad and frankly, there’s some reality to the thought.

The Japanese-Speaking Curtain Maker is a nutty title for a book about circumnavigating Africa on a Yamaha XT 660. But, it fits wonderfully with the quirkiness of this tale, along with the author’s observations. Solo and unsupported, Spencer rode from the U.K. to Tunisia, North Africa. From there, he visited Libya, Egypt, and down the eastern side of the continent. From Cape Town, he headed north into Namibia, Angola, the DRC and the Congo. All in all, a 10-month, 31,900-mile route through 34 countries.

In part, this is a book of full-on motorcycle action. Some would say that Spencer’s XT is long-suffering, and others that the Yamaha was just living up to its designer’s intentions. Spencer calls it the perfect bike for a trip like this. It dealt with the constant ever-changing road conditions; many of which were in dire state. It stood up to being shot at—yes, it sports bullet holes! And it took him places so remote that even the world-famous Michelin maps didn’t properly chart.

Spencer takes the reader beneath the TV headlines, soundbites, and the dramatic footage, to show the wonderful, vibrant, enticing, surprising and sometimes shocking truth of the African continent. But be forewarned, some of his meals would have been a biohazard in the western world, and some of the places he slept will leave you shuddering at the thought. He does get robbed, injured, and falls foul to malaria. This is Africa, which also means there’s plenty of laughter and as I write this, I’m grinning at the way he shares his tale.

Spencer is a people person but is quite happy riding solo. One of the book’s main characters is a very likeable Canadian called Carl. As is often the way with long distance travel, they crossed paths in some of the most obscure parts of the continent, and often at times when there was a real need for quality company.

If you consider yourself a motorcyclist with a taste for adventure, but one who wants to know more, then this is a book for you. Spencer describes the places and the people connections so well that you can almost taste them. His depictions bring these characters to life along with insights into their lives in such a way that you feel awed by the conditions some live in, and by the innovative determination to survive of others. In balance he also describes the kindnesses, the many smiles, the warmth, and the open generosity, too.

Adding to the story is that Spencer was born in Kenya and later moved to live in Swaziland. This background, combined with the perspective of years of study outside of Africa, gives him a unique perspective of the people and their cultures—insight few adventure motorcycle writers can match.

There will be times when you won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough as the pace is fast and furious, and others where you’ll linger because you are being taken to places that deserve quality time. But I want to give you another warning—not all readers will like how Spencer travels, and some may be challenged by his observations. My personal feeling is that this is one of the finest aspects of this book. Do we only read for entertainment? Or for knowledge… for I-didn’t-know-that moments, too?

This is a book about courage, determination, and resourcefulness, all wrapped up in adventure and discovery.

Publisher: YouByYou Books

Availability: Paperback—$19.99 plus S&H | Kindle—$0.00 with KindleUnlimited

ISBN: 978-0-9956290-3-5

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