I have enjoyed Ed Arno's work in the New Yorker for years, and was delighted to receive this book as a belated birthday gift. His sparse lines spin eloquent narratives making words entirely superfluous. Brilliant.

Leila Hadley defies the 1950's female stereotype when she takes off for Asia with her young son in tow. Leaving a prosperous career behind, Hadley is in search of more enlightening and meaningful experiences than her lush New York life affords her. She does very little in the way of planning, throws caution to the wind and hopes for the best. While the first part of her Asian adventure is quite comfortable and even luxurious at times, she dives headfirst into the adventure she covets when she hitches a ride aboard a sailboat with a small, all-male American crew. Her stories of her experiences sailing to remote destinations throughout Southeast and Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean are exhilarating and fascinating. Hadley's writing style is a bit haughty, however her stories are so interesting that this small flaw is hardly noticeable. Not the best travel memoir I have ever read, but an interesting tale by a gutsy traveler who was before her time.

'Give me the world' is one of my favourite books. The way the author takes us with her around the world is just magical. It is not a description of what she sees, but really makes us feel the different parts of the world. She adds all those little anecdotes that make the reading a pleasure ...
Do you know why they break a coconut before any religious ceremony in India ??? or how do you know that a girl is single in Haiti ?? well , read this book and you ll know the answer, and lots of other things .. enjoy the reading

This book is so packed with visual images and sensuality that I could open the book to any page, any paragraph and find poetry and description so graphic it makes my expensive camera obsolete. Her vocabulary is intense and her respect for her readers intelligence challenges me to read nothing but quality. A remarkable book. I wonder how her son, Kippy, now regards that journey. It certainly changes my notions about the fifties woman. Whew! Barbara Levinson

I have read all previous review comments on this book and while others are entitled to their own often negative opinions of Ms. Hadley and "A Journey with Elsa Cloud," I am half-way through the journey and I want input.

It is true that the book often feels weighty, and sometimes I am bored. But in Ms. Hadley's defense, she's welcome to share her life - in fact is entitled to tell her story as she feels SHE'S lived it, warts and all. I think it's honest and I applaud her for it. She has a keen eye for observing herself, her daughter, and the often tough interactions which take place between them.

Some relationships DO bristle. Mothers and daughters can love each other and STILL mix like oil and water in attitude, personality, lifestyle, and perspective. Leila Hadley seems to own her life's blessings, pain, humor, and, in many ways, lack of fulfillment, her Louie V. luggage gripped firmly in one hand, and her silver spoon lodged securely in the other. I appreciate her descriptions.

Though I can be called biased, I believe that what I say about this book is true. Leila Hadley is, I believe, one of the greatest descriptive writers of our time. I know her personally, and despite what some may call a "haughty" writing style, I can confidently say that this book is a gem and true to her experiences. Every sentence leaps off the page with an explosive vitality and zest that shocks, delights and inspires. This is truly an exciting and delicious read.

The attention to detail and description in this more-than-a-travel-journal was terrific. I usually don't enjoy long descriptions of places and things, but Hadley has a way of keeping it always interesting. The book easily shifts in time from the (then) present day travels to when her daughter, her traveling companion, was growing up. It's a fresh, honest look at the mother-daughter relationship as well. I recommend it highly, particularly if you are planning a trip to India.