I’m back from the Scottish Highlands. This was a truly off-the-grid vacation, staying in a remote cottage with no internet or electricity. (Admittedly, it wasn’t that hardcore: There was still a gas-powered fridge and stove, as well as regular plumbing and oil lamps, naturally . . .)
Daytime adventures included hiking, kayaking, and trips to the beach. And if you’re thinking sunshine and large crowds — think again!
Nighttime activities were board games or cozying up by the fire with some good books.
The best book of the trip was a true-crime, narrative nonfiction book by Richard Lloyd Parry, People Who Eat Darkness: Love, Grief and a Journey into Japan’s Shadows.
Warning: This book is not for the faint of heart.
It is an account of the appalling abduction and killing of Lucie Blackman, a British hostess living in Japan, who died there in 2000, and the utter heartbreak of those who loved her. More than that, though, it is a story about the peculiarities of Japanese culture (from law enforcement to the prevailing attitudes toward women), international media, and human psychology.
Parry, the Asia editor of the Times of London, worked tirelessly for years piecing together a compelling and, more importantly, trustworthy narrative.
It is a gripping and insightful read, for any location.