I've done my fair share of traveling solo over the last 15 years, and was super excited to read this book. I could relate to many of Wills' travel experiences (and cracked up at some of the descriptions, especially around airports in the beginning!).

But, I do wish she'd focused more on the travel component (given the book blurb/title/etc.) and less on relationships-gone-wrong (and some colorful experiences in that regard--TMI for me, personally). And the summary of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict felt so...high-level--too much so for such a nuanced topic. I had high hopes in that regard, having been to Israel twice myself (most recently, just two months ago)...but it left out some key elements that would have gone a long way in helping readers begin to tap the surface.

Solo travel can teach each of us so much--I know I've learned a ton with every trip!--this book just ended up missing the mark. The tips at the end of each chapter are worthwhile, so consider skimming a copy from your local library.

Note: There is some language, as well as the aforementioned colorful relationship stories (along with some about the female travel writers whose footsteps she followed).

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful story, I thought it was very good.

I have always been seduced by travel. I do a ton of reading of travelogues while comparing them to my travels. Wills is a globetrotter and I have been to a few of the places she has visited. She interspersed her experiences with single intrepid women who also visited those same areas. She also includes tips for solo female travelers. While I disagree with some of her tips, I do agree with her encouragement to spread your wings far and wide because if not now, when?

I found the book a little confusing. The author seemed to have little knowledge or information about the places she was interested in or traveling too. No ideas about visas, thought hula dancing was hula hooping? I was really scratching my head here.

An enjoyable and inspiring book. This memoir/travel book gives you three for one: a memoir of a young woman who works as a travel writer and struggles to settle down, a vivid history of female solo travelers over the ages, and practical tips for women traveling alone. The personal story served as a pretty good framework, but the real strengths of this book are the stories of women who made monumental and dangerous trips by themselves over the centuries. Many of these women were unprepared and ill equipped, but they all adjusted and continued on to complete their journeys, experiencing many adventures.

As a recently widowed woman, I found this book truly inspiring. After traveling with my late husband for many years, I had assumed I would need to find a travel companion before I hit the road again. Maybe not!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a DNF for me, sadly. The premise of this book instantly piqued my interest but I found I couldn’t connect with the author’s style. The promise of following and learning from women travelers of yore was very appealing but the transitions from historical profile to the author’s personal life often felt clumsy and even confusing. I will say that I’ve learned of a few I’ll definitely be researching further! I may come back to this in the future but it wasn’t a great fit now.

This book felt a lot more like a memoir than a travelogue, which is what I was expecting. While I found some of the author's stories entertaining, I just kept wishing that there was more information about the places she was visiting.

This book was a light, fairly enjoyable read. More memoir than travel book. From the publisher’s description I was expecting more of a historical look at the lives of intrepid female travelers and the logistics and impressions of Kate Wills' own travels. I did enjoy these exploits but not so much the approximately half of the book that was Kate's personal non travel related memoir. As I said, I did enjoy it as I have been missing my usual travels in this time of Covid restrictions

A Trip of One’s Own is an interesting mix of nonfiction biographical writing, memoir, and travel tips. I enjoyed learning about all of the female solo travelers throughout history, and Willis’ writing isn’t terrible. However, I didn’t always enjoy the autobiographical parts. Her story: a recent divorcé and travel writer who runs away from London and goes on various solo trips (a little bit like Eat Pray Love- but no where near as insightful or entertaining). Also, the tips about solo traveling feel out of place, and read like a blog post.

Thank you NetGalley and Source Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i loved this book!!! kate wills talks about her own experiences with travelling across her life, while also intertwining it with various famous women and their pioneering trips, including cycling around the world, walking around the world, and all the oversights of them for men. i found her tone and voice very relatable and kind and i was rooting for her as she threaded all these women together, her admiration for them clear in the way she spoke about her own life. i partly read and partly listened to this which was a lovely experience

The back and forth between personal reflection and the adventures of other female solo travelers was refreshing. Mixed with small sections on how to travel alone, I found this book to be a worthwhile, informative, and inspirational read.

I often read Kate’s column and love her style of writing and as a frequent solo traveller I just knew I had to read this . . It’s a perfect read for those who are thinking about travelling alone as not only do we learn about Kate’s experiences but we also hear the stories of female travellers from the past who inspired her to go solo . I felt that the book reads more like an essay collection than a memoir as such , I liked this but I can see how others may have felt disappointed as it can appear slightly disjointed.
The book is also full of practical tips and a useful reference guide which makes it ideal to read if you were actually travelling !
I would have liked to have read more about Kate’s own journey but that didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book and it’s definitely a book to keep on your shelf and refer to !

I really loved the premise but the execution fell flat unfortunately. I was a little bored sadly. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book isn't quite what I was expecting, but I did enjoy it for what it is. At times the book feels a bit disjointed and like it isn't quite complete. There were more than a few moments where, while I found the topic interesting, it felt like the author didn't quite complete the thought. I did enjoy the snippets about solo female travelers from the past and. the challenges they faced (which, let's face it, all too often aren't all that different to the challenges that solo female travelers today face). It just felt that Wills didn't complete the connection between the historical and her own travels. In some cases it was easy to fill in the blanks myself, but this isn't a MadLibs - I don't want to have to fill in the blanks. The small "tips" bits seem a bit random and honestly, rather specific to the author and her situation. All in all, it's and okay book.

I was excited to start A Trip of One's Own. I did quite a bit of solo travel in my mid-twenties, so I hoped this book would suit my interests. Unfortunately, I got the sense that this book never quite hits its stride. The author's memoir sections focus far more on the end of their relationship than on their solo travel experiences, with jarring transitions to accounts of historical female travelers. This imbalance is especially unfortunate, as the author repeatedly mentions the emotional benefits of travel and how impressive it was to follow in these women's footsteps. Due to the brevity of those sections, the reader does not get to share in the emotional experience.

I also had trouble with the tone of the writing. The breezy attitude and brisk pacing lead to some troubling observations of "cultural differences" that rang insensitive and privileged (think: bemused observations of indigenous customs, and concerns of cleanliness in Asia). Perhaps most concerning was the summary of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which was so brief as to sound glib. I expected more sensitivity, nuance, and awareness from a journalist and seasoned traveler.

Kate Willis is a travel writer. She puts her heart on her sleeve and tells you about her motivation for the job and the desire to travel, as she doesn't really seem to be that into her marriage.

The book intermixes her research regarding other solo women travelers (sometimes travel writers) alternating with short chapters that are "lists".

One chapter I was a little confused regarding whether the author was talking about herself or about another solo woman traveler.

Kudos for the bibliography at the end of the book regarding the other women travelers; if you are interested to do more reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Advance Read Copy of A Trip of One's Own in exchange for an honest review. Also many thanks to Kate Wills the author and the publisher SourceBooks, publication date is May 3, 2022.

If you are interested in learning about female travelers from centuries ago, this book is for you. Wills weaves their stories through her own as she shares a bit of what she’s learned from solo travels.

I adore travel and memoirs and I was hoping to hear more of her story. My favorite bits of the book were the ones where she shared her own travel adventures. I, sadly, found myself bored reading about others from the 1800 and 1900s.

As someone who travels for work and enjoys solo travel, I really thought this book would be right up my alley. I think the book summary is very misleading. The story seems to be more of the author re-telling other solo female travelers stories/books and very little of her own. The irony is that in summarizing many of these women's stories, the author states how she feels like she was there, or that she did it herself, and yet when it comes to her own travel stories, I felt none of that. My other problem with the book is that it's extremely disjointed. All too often the author would start with one thought and within a paragraph or two be on a complexly different tangent, to the point that I'd sometimes look back and reread to see if I had missed something. And finally, the "list" chapters. Frankly, these just seem to be unnecessary filler.
I appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy but I'm glad I did not pay for this book. I would have been disappointed.

Nothing really new here... I always pick up some tips and interesting to hear about other peoples wanderlust and adventures.

A Trip of One's Own by Kate Wills promises to spark wanderlust, and I am here to tell you that it more than delivers on this guarantee. If, like me, you have been longing to experience the kind of high that only travel and adventure can provide, then look no further than this gem of a memoir.

Travel journalist Kate has reached the end of her marriage and for the first time in her life finds herself wading into the uncharted waters of solo travel. Looking to be inspired by lone female travellers of the past, Kate uncovers the stories of some truly remarkable women who went it alone, despite all conventions of the time, ultimately paving the way for female travellers of today. And if that is not fascinating enough to fuel your intrepid wanderlust, Ms Wills has thoughtfully included some very practical tips and tricks that will help to ease your own journey.

This is a memoir that I will return to again, both as a reference and for some levity when my confidence in going it alone is a little wobbly. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for an ARC.