I consider this book to be an easy reading mystery. It flows well and keeps you in suspence without so much of the guts and gore you see today. I thoughly enjoyed it and will look for more books by this same author.

Love story. Epic. Adventure. Travel essay. There are many aspects and genres Gilman's novel "Caravan" can be attributed to. Perhaps it is its emotional and physical range that makes the novel so appealing to so many readers. I myself had never read a Dorothy Gilman novel but knew of her series of books, such as "Nun In The Closet" which I began to read shortly after finishing this book.

The number of books I read every year has slowly been dwindling due to unseen circumstances, but of the books I have read this year, I am most grateful that I chose to read Caravan over them all. Gilman's style and prose, though well researched and pleasant to read, might lack a certain degree of complexity, but she makes up for it with a plot and cast of interesting characters that is unrivaled, say that of the classic epics.

Yet, what I found so alluring and intoxicating of Caravan, was the scenery and montage she depicts so aptly, that I too crossed the desert at night. I was there in Tripoli, smothered by the smells and masses of people. And I finally returned to England, to reminisce the adventures, places, and people from my life in Northern Africa.

Gilman is able to transport the reader in a way that is magical, allowing you and I to feel the sorrow, joy, adventure, and love felt by Lady Treal.

My greatest dissapointment ... finding The Nun In The Closet mediocre in comparison to the wonderful story of Caravan.

This book is a departure from Dorothy Gilman's typical Mrs. Polifax stories, but if you've enoyed those, you're sure to love this novel. I believe that this book is one of Gilman's finest. She writes on a higher level than in most of the Polifax mysteries: this tale is more in-depth, and builds the main character to such detail that we can hear what she hears, know what she thinks, and feel what she feels. Here Gilman reveals to us the character, rather than just telling us a story. This extraordinary character plunges into her life memories and takes us with her, and her recollections, which come alive again, are intriguing and touching.

If you like being captivated and lured away to exotic locales for breath-taking escapades, this book is for you. Most of the novel is set in the years just prior to World War I, and a lot of the plot takes place in Northern Africa--a strange and wonderful and sometimes terrible place, as author Dorothy Gilman paints it. The American heroine is strongly etched and unique and her character development fascinating as she manages to overcome a series of hair-raising adventures that would have felled a woman of frailer spirit. In sheer power of storytelling, this novel makes one think of the novels of Rider Haggard (She, King Solomon's Mines). It's adventure on a grand scale.

Mrs. Pollifax is thrilled when Mr. Carstairs, her boss at the CIA, gives her an assignment to China. As luck would have it, Mrs. P. has recently completed a course in Chinese history, so she is primed and ready to go. She joins a tour group and is told that one of the other group members is actually a CIA agent who will become her partner later on. She tries unsuccessfully to detect her future partner and is very surprised when the agent's identity is revealed. She sees a lot of interesting Chinese countryside and tries to get acquainted with other tour group members. Later in the book, she rides a runaway horse and encounters some rough stuff from a Russian spy. This book, as the others in the series, is charming, and a little romance adds some pizzazz to this one.

Dorothy Gilman rarely ceases to amaze with her talent at keeping the pages turning. In "Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station," Gilman once again creates plausible situations that never fail to catch the reader off guard. Again it is nearly impossible to decide whom to trust. A very fun read!

I'm a big fan of the intrepid Mrs. Pollifax and especially enjoy this book. The intrigue, adventure and characters are wonderful and I find real involvement with the plot. Don't miss a chance to live the spying life vicariously through Emily Pollifax - especially the earlier novels which I have found are much better than her more recent additions!

An absolutely encahting story about nuns thrust into the "modern" world and the mystery which they find themselves with. Funny,engaging and with a sense of social responsibilites, these two nuns set out to claim some property left to them by a mysterious benefactor. Not a Mrs. Pollifax book, but for lovers of Dorothy Giman, a must read!!

This is one of the funniest books I ever read -- and I never tire of rereading it. Two cloistered nuns encounter a wounded gangster and, in order to protect him, have to try to pass him off as a nun. It is very witty and hysterically funny. VERY highly recommended.

Sister John and Sister Hyacinth are wonderful characters and they do triumph over evil as one would hope, but not without making one laugh out loud.

What a great little Gilman novel, even though its situation is a bit out-of-date, its humor is timeless. One has to imagine the Sister Ursula of the closet to look a bit like some old Broderick Crawford character role. Gruff and needy to the max, with unexpected aide from strong-willed out of the cloister nuns.

Wouldn't you know that the nuns would meet with other ways of seeing God, typical enrichment by Gilman?

This was another pick up and read title of a novel by an author I have recently come to admire. And I do highly recommend your enjoyment of a definite period piece. It feels like it should be put to film in black and white, or just in some quirky feel-good comedic fashion.

Wholesome and fun! Do give it a try!

This wonderful book by Dorothy Gilman was my introduction to her world and I can't wait to get back in. Her 'Mrs. Pollifax' series is well known but this book is a gem to savored as well.

Thale's Folly center's on Andrew Thale, a young, frustrated writer and son of a very ambitious and driven company man (who does not take NO for an answer)who asks his son to look into some family property they inherited several years prior. Andrew reluctantly agrees to view the 25 acres of land that his aunt Harriet left to the family only to find the run down house inhabited by a rag-tag group of people.

He learns that his aunt used to take people in and care for them and the people living at Thale's Folly (not just the name of the property but also the way the Thale's view this excursion) are the people carrying on her legacy, living in fear that they will be discovered.

During his stay at Thale's Folly Andrew learns the true meaning of life as well as helps to solve a mystery or two. Along the way he meets some wonderful people including the enchanting Gussie, the beautiful Tarragon, the enigmatic and proper Miss L'Hommedieu amongst many.

The pace is quick, fun and riveting. I finished this book in a day and I greedily want more! A book to be savored, full of rich characters - I highly suggest brewing a cup of tea and reading this on a rainy day.

It's very true that a less-than-terrific book by Dorothy Gilman is still much more fun to read than an excellent one by a lesser light. This book is so well set-up that I fell head-long under its myriad charms, but kept falling out again for the strangest reasons. That's why the 4 rather than 5 stars.

Andrew Thale is sent by his businessman father to western Massachusetts from their home in Manhattan, to inspect a supposedly neglected property that had belonged to Aunt Harriet Thale, who died five years before the opening of this story. An unhappy young man, Andrew has suffered a nervous breakdown after a plane crash, causing him to have a monumental case of writer's block. Even though he's had two well-regarded mystery novels published, he seems unable to write anything at all anymore. Not even interesting tid-bits for the company newsletter, a position handed him by his father.

Off Andrew goes in the company Mercedes. Although not all that far away in hours or miles, once he finds the place, it proves to be centuries removed from today's world. For Aunt Harriet was a collector--of people who were down on their luck a bit, or had no other place to go, or were generally looked down on by Society. She assembled a truly great household of delightful eccentrics, and promised them that they could stay there forever. And so they have.

Miss L'Hommedieu could have arrived on a "Streetcar Named Desire" embodying as she does the ancient southern belle, wrapped in layers of chiffon, and sporting beautiful old-fashioned hats. She entertains her fellow householders by writing a paragraph of a new story and reading it to them every evening. Problem is, it's a different story every time, and she never continues any of them. She only does beginnings. To digress a moment--what wonderful beginnings they are, too! They almost make one wonder if perhaps Ms. Gilman had resurrected them from her younger days. If so, I do wish she'd finish some of them. They're wonderful! Back to the book . . .

Then, there's Gussie, who practices Wicca quite openly, to the general admiration of the nearby townsfolk, as well as her own housemates. Leo is a well-educated and well-read Marxist, who delights in quoting passages from the great philosphers through the ages. This came in handy when Tarragon Sage Valerian--so named by Miss Thale, who claimed that privilege after finding the baby on her doorstep--made her appearance. Tarragon is much loved by all, regardless of her birth, and has been very well-educated in her home school, organized by Leo.

But the house--Thale's Folly--well, the money left by Miss Thale dwindled, and the electricity was turned off. Followed, of course, shortly thereafter by the water. Fortunately, there is a creek and a pond on the twenty-five acres around the house, and some of those acres are put to good use as vegetable and herb gardens. The little band survives, in spite of themselves.

This is the situation when Andrew arrives; he's totally confounded by everything. Doing all the wrong things first, however, he is their inadvertent saviour. When his room is ransacked, he stumbles over the missing will while searching for something to read. He then discovers his long-lost Mother living most happily in a cabin on the other side of the pond.

All too soon, the gypsies have arrived, and Andrew has miraculously found his next book in a trunk in Miss L'Hommedieu's room. All the loose ends are neatly tied up in the last ten pages. Therein lies my major complaint. It's TOO rushed! There are just too many loose ends still dangling when one turns the final page. More! I want more! Please!

Actually, this book had such a gentle, naïve feel to it, one could almost think it was an early book by Ms.Gilman, perhaps even pre-dating the illustrious Mrs. Pollifax, or the Clairvoyant Countess. It had such a very 50s feel to it, the sudden mention of a cell phone or computer was quite jarring. Plus all those wonderful beginnings by Miss L'Hommedieu were crying for middles and endings. Even with these niggles, though, it was still a most enjoyable book. With an added bonus--an alert to the newest Mrs. Pollifax adventure. Hooray!

Gilman can write. This is a wonderfully inventive story of a blocked writer's coming of age in western Massachussetts, while attempting to do a little research for his corporate father. The characters Andrew Thale discovers living ~ squatting ~ in his father's property are strange, unusual, leftovers, curious, relics ~ use whatever adjectives you prefer, since Gilman has come up with unique people again. Thale, without planning it, though the reader can predict it, becomes a part of the community on the property, and through his experiences there is redeemed from the stale, corporate writing life he had found himself squeezed into. The plot, for all its inventiveness, has a couple of predictable, mawkish moments ~ the reunion of Thale's separated parents immediately springs to mind ~ but they do not detract from the overall beauty of this book.

Gilman hits just the right note of poignancy in this story of a young girl who must use her wits and discover her unique talents to survive the harrowing journey to freedom when her missionary father commits suicide. It is easy to see the world through Gen's eyes as she struggles to determine who are her friends and who are her enemies in a land torn by war.

Gilman does very well with the mystical elements, fitting them in so that they mesh with the world she describes to us and seem no less real than the rest of the story.

Those who read Dorothy Gilman's books regularly will be surprised by this one; it's not her usual genre. A child is a prisoner, caught between warring factions. In the camp, her life is made bearable when she is befriended by a wise old man.
When, later, she seeks to find him again, she discovers that...well, I can't reveal what she finds, because it'd give away the magic of the story. It's a bit of Twilight Zone do-do-DO-do music that's called for here.
Quick, easy read - wonderful and compelling book.

Gen Ferris is an unusual girl, living in Burma in 1950, the daughter of a missionary--when she has to make her way out of the country. Her flight is almost immediately interrupted by her capture by Red Chinese forces, along with a large and often comical cast of characters, who are imprisoned with her. But she soon realizes that these people are wearing masks that hide their true selves. And subtle forces bring her help and illumination, both for her life and spirit as well as her fellow captives. It is never overtly stated, but beautifully done, and when I put the book down, it made me wistful for that magic. A good read!

Mrs Pollifax is a retired, "now what do I do with my life" who has always longed to be a spy. Naively, she visits the CIA & applies, where she is met with some derision until she is mistaken for a professional & sent on a courier job to Mexico. While there, she is drugged & finds herself tied up with a real spy on her way to Albania. Her very unprofessionalism & strong character shines through the entire story & makes you laugh & admire her pluck & ingenuity. I have read this book over & over & still enjoy it every time.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Definitely a 5 star ***** read!
~ * ~ This book is amusing, suspenseful, and totally absorbing! Mrs. Pollifax certainly is unexpected, and so is the greatness of the story.
~ * ~ Mrs. Pollifax, widowed, finds herself feeling her life is meaningless, and naively goes to the CIA to volunteer herself as a spy.

~ * ~ Unexpectedly, of course, they happen to be looking for a nice "little old lady" type for a simple courier mission. Mrs. Pollifax is mistaken for one of the "approved" and experienced spies, but she is given a chance anyway on this simple mission, as her "new" face will be critical in protecting the person she is to rendezvous with.
~ * ~ Not unexpectedly, all does NOT go as planned, and Mrs. Pollifax finds herself in a very awkward position on the completely wrong continent. The book is filled with loveable allies, and nasty villains, but Mrs. Pollifax remains the star. Through blunt force and determination she manages to pull and entirely unexpected victory from the jaws of defeat/
~ * ~ Reading this book that started the Mrs. Pollifax series, is definitely as much fun as any amusement park ride, and it won't make you queasy!
Enjoy an "Unexpectedly" delightful journey: Read this book~

All of the books in the Mrs. Pollifax series (as well as the whole of Mrs. Gilmans' works) are truly delightful. The reader will be swept away by the adventure, humor and intrigue, all the while learning about the customs and history of foreign lands. You can start with any book in the series, but if you have the chance, read them all. They are not to be missed!

When I finished the last page of this book, I had this huge goofy, satisfied grin on my face. Mrs. Pollifax is hi-lair-i-ous. She's such an endearing blend of demure primness and gung-ho recklessness. She's a great role model not only for senior citizens, but for us young'uns as well. As I read through this series, I keep realizing how well Ms. Gilmore researches her locales. I've never travelled to Turkey, so I can't gauge her descriptions' accuracy--but she brought the landscape to life for me. And Ms. Gilmore captures the people quite well--their temperament, generosity, and language. At one point in the story, Mrs. Pollifax rhapsodizes about "the astonishing strangers who become friends." I feel the same way about Emily.

Mrs. Pollifax is back and better than ever in the second book of the series. The mild-mannered widow who becomes an unlikely CIA agent is called again by her contact Mr. Carstairs. This time she is asked to go to Turkey where she will be in contact with Magda Ferenci-Sabo, a Russian spy who is defecting to the Free World. She is to give Magda money and a passport which will enable her to leave Turkey. Carstairs gives Mrs. Pollifax only 30 minutes to get ready, but the plucky widow is ready for another adventure. She flies to Turkey and sees Magda, but
she is unable to make contact before Magda flees. Thus, Mrs. Pollifax embarks on a wild ride, matching wits with a diabolical
double agent and surviving imprisonment, but along the way she makes friends with some unlikely allies. This book is delightful
ride from beginning to end and should be pleasing to "cozy" fans.

As much as I love the entire Pollifax series, I would have to say that Dorothy Gilman's "The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax" is the most exciting of the bunch. I stayed up most of the night reading this book because I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. Again, I love all of Gilman's Pollifax books, but this one is the most action-packed. If you liked "The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax," you'll love her second, "Amazing," adventure.

Mrs. Pollifax is trying to recover from her last adventure in Hong Kong and is planning a trip to Thailand with her new husband, Cyrus. Just as they are about to leave, CIA emissary Bishop arrives and asks them to go on a "simple mission" in which they would divert their travels only slightly and would deliver something to an agent and retrieve something in return.
She and Cyrus agree and soon they are off on their latest misadventure. As always, in Mrs. Pollifax tales, things do not go according to plan and there are unfortunate incidents of murder, kidnapping, and opium dealing before Mrs. Pollifax finally triumphs and ties up these untidy details in a nice, neat package. This is a typical book in the series.

"Wanted: Agents for the CIA. Must be able to travel at a moment's notice, able to endure pain and danger,
and willing to lie to your neighbors about where you have been."

If you came across such an ad, what would you do? Most of us would call the editor for running such an
obvious hoax, but Emily Pollifax, a garden-club grandmother, once came across an ad much like that one and began a
series of adventures that I have found fascinating reading.

In Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle,, Dorothy Gilman takes us (and her heroine) to Thailand where she
is to simply deliver a package to one of the CIA's couriers. Afterwards, she and her new husband can enjoy a much-
deserved vacation.

Of course nothing goes as smoothly as it should, and when Mrs. Pollifax attempts to make the delivery she
discovers that the agent is unable to keep their appointment for an excellent reason-he has been murdered! To make
matters even worse, her husband, Cyrus, is kidnaped and only she can follow the trail to rescue him.

Unfortunately her only link to her husband and to the dead agent is a man called Bonchoo, and she is not
sure how well she can trust him. He claims that another agent there has been passing along false information to the
CIA and that he had tried to inform the agency of that fact.

Swallowing her mistrust, Mrs. Pollifax follows Bonchoo into the jungle. There they come into contact with
one of the local bandit gangs, a group interested in smuggling both guns and opium. Are they connected with her
husband's kidnaping? And even if they are not, does she know too much to live?

Matters are only complicated more when she comes across a photojournalist, Mornajay, a man who insists
on getting in her way, and when she meets the Acharya, a reclusive Buddhist holy man.

Her superiors in Washington are in terror that Emily Pollifax may be on her last mission. Of course, we
readers have much more confidence in her abilities-and in the joys we will encounter in the other Mrs. Pollifax
books!

Sometimes when I read of the doings of Mrs. Pollifax, I just get exhausted thinking that an over 60 woman could possibly have all the stamina and determination of Gillman's Emily Pollifax. And sometimes, while reading the Pollifax series titles, I have had to set the books aside and shake off my irritation at this super-hero woman.

But this one grabbed me from the start, with Emily and her spouse, Cyrus Reed, vacationing together in Thailand on a "sure-thing" little assignment for Carstairs and Bishop of the CIA, back home in Virginia.

Gillman has a way of making Emily Pollifax an endearing protagonist who empathizes with her adversaries to the point of befriending them, and who survives miles of walking in the wrong shoes, eating the minimum of food, enduring the most hazardous of jungle trails and the dangers thereof.

There are always surprises in store for the reader. The double identities are things one can guess at if you have read very many mysteries, but the touching revelations just add to the delight.

It would be nice to think that there is someone out there like Emily, who at the waning time of life is still up and after it and never too tired to try another adventure. For me, the reader's position is the best place, with the comforts of home as I enjoy another quite dramatic journey that all winds up kosher, thanks to the skillful touch of a fine mystery writer, Dorothy Gillman Butters. Brava, Emily! Brava, Dorothy!

I couldn't wait for this book to come out, as I have loved reading Mrs. Pollifax books in the past, but this one seemed dull and uneventful compared to the others. The story never seemed to pick up and didn't have the delightful descriptions of the country that the other books have had. There were no real surprises or plot twists, and I am getting kind of sick of Farrell, even though I like the character, he's in too many of the books. I love her books set in the Middle East, but this one was basically the same geography as the last Mrs. Pollifax book (which was set in Jordan - Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled is set in Syria). Not to mention, having Mrs. Pollifax once again disguised as a native on a bus (also in The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax) was a bit weak. I was really disappointed in this book, compared to the others in the series, but since I do like the characters and the plot wasn't terrible, it was still entertaining. By the way, if anyone likes listening to audio books, Recorded Books, Inc. has brilliant recordings of all the Mrs. Pollifax novels. The narration is excellent. They have a website at recordedbooks.com or get one at your library!

Mrs. Pollifax is an unlikely candidate for a CIA spy.

Carstairs: "...Mrs. Pollifax, would you be free to leave on Sunday?

Emily Pollifax: "For Syria!" In her mind Mrs. Pollifax ran over her engagements and nodded. "I'd need only cancel Garden club on Monday, and my karate lesson on Tuesday."

In this Mrs. Pollifax book, she and Farrell are sent to Syria. A woman, who'd stopped some hijackers dead in their tracks, was missing. Mission: to bring Amanda Pym back to the United States.

Despite a beating each, Mrs. Pollifax and Farrell both got off easier than usual. This book, while still quite good, wasn't up to the standard of the other Mrs. Pollifax books. I've been reading Dorothy Gillman for over ten years, since "The Unexpected..." appeared in Reader's Digest "Condensed." While disappointed, I'm glad I read it. While I'm glad I read it, I'm also glad I borrowed it and didn't purchase it.

It was pretty good; I'll continue to read Dorothy Gillman's series.

Just when Mrs. Pollifax begins to get restless, Bishop comes to her home to offer her another adventure for the CIA. This time she and her old friend Farrell are asked to find a young girl named Amanda who rescued 200 people from being hijacked on a plane and then disappeared. There are the requisite number of chases, strange-looking people following them, adventures and misadventures for this book to join the others in the enjoyable Mrs. Pollifax series. The one thing that puzzles me is why Dorothy Gilman had her heroine marry Cyrus in one of the early books and then have him serve as background, always off on his own business when Emily does another assignment for the CIA. Perhaps she received negative feedback from readers when Cyrus accompanied her on one of her adventures, but it seems too bad to shove such a nice man into the background.