Lizzie review by Denis Minev

		Lizzie: A Victorian Lady's Amazon Adventure by Tony Morrison Edition: Hardcover Availability: Out of Print--Limited Availability
COMMENTED DIARIES OF AN BRITISH LADY IN THE AMAZON, July 23, 2006 Lizzie Hessel was a British lady who, at a young age right after her marriage, followed her husband to the depths of the Amazon for him to take the job of rubber tapping manager at Orton, a famous rubber zone in northern Bolivia.  This book is basically a collection of letter Lizzie sent her family in England throughout her journey (which took over a year just to get to Orton). In it, she witnessed death (of Fitzcarraldo no less, the man immortalized by Herzog's movie), faced hunger and difficult living conditions with humidity, insects and no shelter in the jungle. The owner of Orton also dies on the way, which makes their situation uncertain halfway through the trip.  The authors added commentary to the letters, which provide the reader context to her situation. Maps also give the reader a good sense of where the couple is and where they are headed. It also shows how crazy their trip is, going around the interior of the continent to avoid a yellow fever outbreak. Overall, an outstanding story, with an ending that I will not give away, but is heartstopping.