Wake Me Up For The Elephants: Comic tales of a restless traveller

"Keenly observed, fun-filled tales, yet with a beautifully understated appreciation of life's poignant moments, too." Peter Kerr, best-selling author of Snowball Oranges

From the author of the Amazon best-selling Greek travel memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta, comes a new collection of funny and candid tales. Wake Me Up For The Elephants has the humour and flavour of Marjory's Greek memoirs but with a broader canvas: Africa, Fiji, Greece, Australia, Scotland and Ireland. They are exotic, romantic locations and the stories are based on real journeys, some of which were taken as journalistic assignments. They introduce the reader to wild locations, eccentric fellow travellers and hilarious, often scary, situations: dodging wild animals on safari and a male stalker in Mombasa; dance torment in tropical Fiji; a supernatural mystery in the Australian bush; a beach gallop in Ireland led by a lobster fisherman; a boating mash-up on the exquisite Greek island of Paxos.

But this collection is not all fun and frolics. Some of the stories, particularly from Scotland, are undercut by nostalgia as the author grapples with the notion of a homeland and where a restless traveller belongs when the wandering, and the laughter, stops.

This book is also in part a prequel to the Greek travel series, revealing the author's unforgettable adventures just before embarking on her four-year Big Fat Greek Odyssey.

Praise for Marjory McGinn's Greek travel memoirs:

"Gerald Durrell meets Bill Bryson." Goodreads reviewer

"Marjory tells a good story with a journalist's eye for mood and detail." Alex Martin, Anglo Hellenic review.

"I loved the characters and the enthusiasm that drives the narrative." Mark Douglas-Home, best-selling author

"Part travel, part history, this very personal memoir (Things Can Only Get Feta) is a love letter to the characters that inhabit their little bit of paradise." Jill's Book Café.

"I have read a lot of travel books and Marjory McGinn is one of the best writers in this genre." Amazon reviewer

"I could read this series forever. The author's books have brought humour, knowledge and good people." Amazon reviewer