'So many travel books seem forced or contrived, but
Looking for George is neither. More mystery than travelogue
it is compelling reading - one of those classic "unputdownables".'
Lucy Gillmore, The Independent 'Books that inspired
me'.
'Drysdale's search through fetid hospitals and silent
cities is imbued with a disquieting beauty. Not only
a travel book, but a journey through humanity, from
the reaches of state cruelty to the generosity and
genius of the individual.'
The Times
'Drysdale's quest has resulted in a brooding work
of undeniable passion.'
The Independent
'An unusual travel book, so intense, personal
and ultimately moving that one becomes deeply involved
in the author's search for her long-lost friend.'
Independent on Sunday
'A brilliant travel book.'
Colm Toibin, Irish Times
'There are scenes here that chill the blood, and
others that make one weep for the poor victims of
what amounts to a national delusion.'
Paul Bailey, Daily Telegraph
'In this profoundly harrowing book, there is a sense
that Drysdale has done some good, has rescued a consoling
patch of truth.'
James Laurenson, Observer
'Her story is one of the more remarkable to emerge
from the benighted country that is Romania and she
does full justice to her subject in its telling.'
Marcus Warren, Sunday Telegraph
'Looking for George is a beautiful book and the writing
is lyrical and modest. Drysdale has a poet's eye for
detail.'
Edward Marriott, Evening Standard
'An intriguing and unusual book, shot through
with poignant memories: at once a detective story,
travelogue, portrait of post-Communist Romania and
tribute to a remarkable young man. Helena Drysdale
is someone who travels thoughtfully, not just with
an open mind but with an active conscience too.'
Isobel Wolff, Independent on Sunday
'A fascinating cultural portrait.'
Daily Express
'Beautifully written and bristling with dramatic
tension, this is one of those rare books that, having
started, you really can't put down.'
Carolyn Hart, Marie Claire
'Poignant, touching, often sad and ultimately tragic,
this is both a quest and a love story.'
The Good Book Guide
'In many ways this is the most remarkable book I
have read for years, both for its human interest and
for the light it throws on a country that has been
abused in a way that makes one's blood run cold.'
John Jolliffe, Country Life
'Looking for George is about looking for several
things. As a record of a holiday romance, it's about
looking for love; as a travel book it's about looking
for "the real Romania"; as a piece of detective
work into the disappearance of a young man, and at
its most fascinating, it's about looking for answers.'
Sabine Durrant, Sunday Times
'Helena Drysdale is a first class travel writer. Here
she attempts to walk the trapeze wire between travelogue
and personal adventure. The attempt is heroic. I trembled
for her success. Is this Heloise and Abelard? Is this
Dracula? Is it Ceausescu's police state in action? The
book is, in fact, a combination of all three.'
Henrietta Rous, Literary Review
'Drysdale's attempts to find George resemble
a mythic quest, a hall of mirros journey into a world
akin to hell. yet it is her respect for the country
that shines through in this sober elegy for a man who
loved freedom without ever having experienced it.'
The Observer
