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A Time of Light and Shadow: To Asia, Africa, and the Long Way Home
An inspiring travel adventure memoir that explores a young woman’s quest to live life on the front lines of conflict zones during the 1970s.
In 1975, a time of new freedom for women, Ella Harvey lived in Paris, worked as a nurse in war-torn Lebanon, and fell in love in Istanbul. Jostled between cultures, between love and loss, she found her way home. A year later, restless once again, she set off alone for India, a land of unsettling contradictions. A solo trek in the Himalayas completed that Asian journey.
By 1980 Ella was working for the International Red Cross, immersed in the heart-wrenching tragedy of a Cambodian refugee camp, and later that same year with the nomadic Issa in the drought-ridden desert of Djibouti, Africa. Faced with the immensity of poverty and suffering, her commitment to service was shaken.
Four decades later, in 2019, Ella returned to India, asking herself as an older woman, “Would I dare do now what I readily did then?” A Time of Light and Shadow explores one woman’s complicity in privilege, a troubled past with her mother, and reflections on solitude and friendship, youth and aging, longing and belonging.
In 1975, a time of new freedom for women, Ella Harvey lived in Paris, worked as a nurse in war-torn Lebanon, and fell in love in Istanbul. Jostled between cultures, between love and loss, she found her way home. A year later, restless once again, she set off alone for India, a land of unsettling contradictions. A solo trek in the Himalayas completed that Asian journey.
By 1980 Ella was working for the International Red Cross, immersed in the heart-wrenching tragedy of a Cambodian refugee camp, and later that same year with the nomadic Issa in the drought-ridden desert of Djibouti, Africa. Faced with the immensity of poverty and suffering, her commitment to service was shaken.
Four decades later, in 2019, Ella returned to India, asking herself as an older woman, “Would I dare do now what I readily did then?” A Time of Light and Shadow explores one woman’s complicity in privilege, a troubled past with her mother, and reflections on solitude and friendship, youth and aging, longing and belonging.
312 pages, Paperback
Published October 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 6, 2022
I absolutely loved this thoughtful, beautifully written memoir. Highly recommended for any reader who has burned with the desire to travel and see new worlds.
December 7, 2022
Ella is a gifted travel writer with the ability to take her readers on a ride worth taking. Despite my varied travels, I've never been to Lebanon, Turkey, Nepal, India, Cambodia or Djibouti and yet, through her detailed descriptions and vivid storytelling, I felt like she had taken me along with her: walking down dusty roads and through formidable mountain passes, taking in the varied sights, sounds and smells of each place, meeting the locals who made her journeys so memorable. I understood Ella's passion for adventure and the allure of exploring unpredictable destinations. I could also relate to the importance of paving one's own path, to lead an authentic life rather than giving into what others expect. A great read, especially if you want to experience armchair travel through the observant eyes of a solo woman traveller in a pre-digital world.
February 10, 2023
This well written and remarkable Memoir paints a vivid picture of people, places, sights, sounds, scents and tastes some of which I may never experience. It has joined my ReReads collection.
January 21, 2023
A Time of Light and Shadow is an incredible story of a young woman chasing adventure, stumbling into love, and working in dire circumstances on the front lines of Africa and Asia. It is a multi-layered book, an exploration of diverse cultures as well as the inner terrain of the human heart.
In the mid-seventies, free-spirited Ella left Canada on her own in search of freedom at a time when many young North American women struggled to find their way to any sort of independence. She found work as a private duty nurse in Paris. One day she received an unexpected phone call inviting her to join a mission to Lebanon with Médecins Sans Frontières. She accepted on the spot, leaving the next morning for the war-torn country, a brief experience that would change her life.
Her dream was to go to India. Restless and searching for some eternal truth, Ella set out solo again, only to be detoured by love in Istanbul, the city where ‘east meets west.’ But reeling from love lost and displaced between cultures she returned home. A year later, her wanderlust calls her once more.
I stepped down from the plane into a blast of steamy heat squeezed from a cloudy sky. India! I had finally arrived at my long-sought destination, the land with the holiest of rivers, the highest of mountains, and the exquisite Taj Mahal.
Her eventful journey continued to the Himalayas of Nepal, where she faced the challenge of trekking solo almost 300 km through the rugged terrain, wind, and dust of the Kali Gandaki River Valley, one of the world’s deepest gorges.
Ella’s evocative imagery takes us from the majestic Himalayas to the stark desert of Africa. Keen for adventure, feeling unsettled, and longing to work where aid was most needed Ella signed on with the International Red Cross, first in a Cambodian refugee camp and later in the nomadic camps of Djibouti, Africa. Her respect for the people of each new culture encountered, her heartfelt descriptions, and her understanding of the poverty that shapes their lives offer enlightening insights.
Four decades later, Ella returns to India. A Time of light and Shadow illustrates the immeasurable value of keeping detailed travel journals. Drawing on the richness of those original journal entries, Ella creates a lyrical, reflective, and haunting tale of the separate but intertwined eras of her life.
I highly recommend A Time of Light and Shadow to anyone who longs to travel solo and make a difference, no matter what their age. You’ll be hooked from that first phone call to follow Ella’s intrepid and introspective journey of self-discovery.
In the mid-seventies, free-spirited Ella left Canada on her own in search of freedom at a time when many young North American women struggled to find their way to any sort of independence. She found work as a private duty nurse in Paris. One day she received an unexpected phone call inviting her to join a mission to Lebanon with Médecins Sans Frontières. She accepted on the spot, leaving the next morning for the war-torn country, a brief experience that would change her life.
Her dream was to go to India. Restless and searching for some eternal truth, Ella set out solo again, only to be detoured by love in Istanbul, the city where ‘east meets west.’ But reeling from love lost and displaced between cultures she returned home. A year later, her wanderlust calls her once more.
I stepped down from the plane into a blast of steamy heat squeezed from a cloudy sky. India! I had finally arrived at my long-sought destination, the land with the holiest of rivers, the highest of mountains, and the exquisite Taj Mahal.
Her eventful journey continued to the Himalayas of Nepal, where she faced the challenge of trekking solo almost 300 km through the rugged terrain, wind, and dust of the Kali Gandaki River Valley, one of the world’s deepest gorges.
Ella’s evocative imagery takes us from the majestic Himalayas to the stark desert of Africa. Keen for adventure, feeling unsettled, and longing to work where aid was most needed Ella signed on with the International Red Cross, first in a Cambodian refugee camp and later in the nomadic camps of Djibouti, Africa. Her respect for the people of each new culture encountered, her heartfelt descriptions, and her understanding of the poverty that shapes their lives offer enlightening insights.
Four decades later, Ella returns to India. A Time of light and Shadow illustrates the immeasurable value of keeping detailed travel journals. Drawing on the richness of those original journal entries, Ella creates a lyrical, reflective, and haunting tale of the separate but intertwined eras of her life.
I highly recommend A Time of Light and Shadow to anyone who longs to travel solo and make a difference, no matter what their age. You’ll be hooked from that first phone call to follow Ella’s intrepid and introspective journey of self-discovery.
January 3, 2023
A Gripping and Transportive Story of Travel and Personal Journey
In her second book, A Time of Light and Shadow, Ella Harvey takes us on her compelling journey To Asia, Africa, and the Long Way Home. Handwritten journals over many years her constant companion and thick with lived experience, Ella’s beautifully written memoir transports to times and places of remote beauty and unimaginable hardship. Her descriptions are rich, even filmic, and her reflections authentic and gritty; I felt myself swept into her world and her journey. Beyond the spectacular rendition of time, people, and place, A Time of Light and Shadow is a heartfelt and relatable account of one woman’s emancipation and journey to find her place in the world.
In her second book, A Time of Light and Shadow, Ella Harvey takes us on her compelling journey To Asia, Africa, and the Long Way Home. Handwritten journals over many years her constant companion and thick with lived experience, Ella’s beautifully written memoir transports to times and places of remote beauty and unimaginable hardship. Her descriptions are rich, even filmic, and her reflections authentic and gritty; I felt myself swept into her world and her journey. Beyond the spectacular rendition of time, people, and place, A Time of Light and Shadow is a heartfelt and relatable account of one woman’s emancipation and journey to find her place in the world.
January 23, 2023
Ella Harvey lived every experience she wrote about, and in some cases, lived through them. This shows in the intensity of the experiences she describes in her fascinating book.
The images of Harvey's work and travel were incredibly vivid, which is a credit to her writing. She also wrote eloquently about the internal dialogue that was going on, an aspect that is often neglected by other authors. I appreciated the historical, political, geographical and religious information that she researched and wove into the stories. In addition to the compelling travelogue and first-hand Canadian Red Cross experiences, her book was current and informative.
All of this makes for a compelling read that provides authentic perspectives on dramatically different cultures than those found in the U.S. or in the author's Canadian homeland.
The images of Harvey's work and travel were incredibly vivid, which is a credit to her writing. She also wrote eloquently about the internal dialogue that was going on, an aspect that is often neglected by other authors. I appreciated the historical, political, geographical and religious information that she researched and wove into the stories. In addition to the compelling travelogue and first-hand Canadian Red Cross experiences, her book was current and informative.
All of this makes for a compelling read that provides authentic perspectives on dramatically different cultures than those found in the U.S. or in the author's Canadian homeland.
December 28, 2022
A Time of Light and Shadow, by Ella Harvey, is a remarkable book, and a remarkable story. Sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and chapter by chapter, it is eloquently written and deeply engaging. The wealth of local detail is fascinating, and keeps the reader by her side as she explores parts of the world less intrepid travelers prefer to avoid. Ella’s personal story of seeking belonging, meaning, and personal understanding while working selflessly as a nurse in war zones and refugee camps across the globe, and through adventurous solo expeditions through India and the Himalayas, is equally captivating. In both the quality of her writing, and in her extraordinary life story, Ella has much to share with readers.
February 1, 2023
Ella Harvey’s memoir is one of adventure, growth, connection, and reflection. As a fellow female traveler, I can relate on so many levels, but what makes “A Time of Light and Shadow” such a great read is the author’s willingness to reveal her younger self on the page and share what makes us human.
December 24, 2022
This was a great read about a woman who travels the world working as a nurse taking her to exotic locales. I really enjoyed her love affairs that often took her off track of her mission to make the world a better place! Filled with sad and beautiful moments- very well-written.
November 27, 2022
A Time of Light and Shadows Ella, as a young Canadian nurse, is called to action with Doctors without Borders and finds herself saving lives in war-torn Lebanon, and then later in Djibouti as one of the very few medical professionals racing to save lives in famine that the world has forgotten. She touches on her time in Cambodia, too, when she was worked as nurse after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. But these incredible feats of courage and compassion are set against her equally compelling jounries through Turkey, India and Asia finding love, exploring spirituality, and then later in life, retreading those same paths with a differnt eye. It is a humane, unique story that will inspire and inform.
January 3, 2023
This memoir is a wonderful read for anyone who knows the lust for travel in their heart, which author Ella Harvey most certainly does. As a solo woman traveller in the 1970s and ‘80s, she kept journals that she relied on extensively while writing this memoir decades later. The result is, at times, a hauntingly beautiful and harrowing account of life-changing experiences abroad.
Ms. Harvey takes us on her journey through troubled times, both personally and professionally. She is wide open to the wonders of the ancient world, the colourful cultures, various faiths and exotic landscapes she encounters along a loosely determined path – with unexpected detours along the way. She writes with passion, documenting travel during an era when countries such as India and Nepal were on the hippie trail of mostly Western young men and women – a time that perhaps doesn’t exist in quite the same way as it did then.
Her quest for adventure and meaning lead her to serve as a nurse in war-torn Beirut in 1976 and then again some five years later during drought and famine in Djibouti. These episodes are relatively short-lived compared to her time in Turkey, India and other parts of Asia, but they offer extraordinary insight into the grit required to work under extreme and often heart-wrenching circumstances. As such, they act as a counterbalance to the more indulgent and angst-ridden journey of a passionate young woman searching for a sense of belonging in the world.
When the author returns to India as an older woman, she sees herself again as that young free spirit and also as a woman who has lived a full life. She visits her beloved Taj Mahal several times, reminiscing and reflecting about the course of that life. When she observes the contrast between herself as a young woman, battling and most often at odds with her mother, next to the older woman she is now, at the bedside of her dying mother, we feel her experience of life coming full circle, a wisdom gained. A compelling book.
Ms. Harvey takes us on her journey through troubled times, both personally and professionally. She is wide open to the wonders of the ancient world, the colourful cultures, various faiths and exotic landscapes she encounters along a loosely determined path – with unexpected detours along the way. She writes with passion, documenting travel during an era when countries such as India and Nepal were on the hippie trail of mostly Western young men and women – a time that perhaps doesn’t exist in quite the same way as it did then.
Her quest for adventure and meaning lead her to serve as a nurse in war-torn Beirut in 1976 and then again some five years later during drought and famine in Djibouti. These episodes are relatively short-lived compared to her time in Turkey, India and other parts of Asia, but they offer extraordinary insight into the grit required to work under extreme and often heart-wrenching circumstances. As such, they act as a counterbalance to the more indulgent and angst-ridden journey of a passionate young woman searching for a sense of belonging in the world.
When the author returns to India as an older woman, she sees herself again as that young free spirit and also as a woman who has lived a full life. She visits her beloved Taj Mahal several times, reminiscing and reflecting about the course of that life. When she observes the contrast between herself as a young woman, battling and most often at odds with her mother, next to the older woman she is now, at the bedside of her dying mother, we feel her experience of life coming full circle, a wisdom gained. A compelling book.
January 12, 2023
Occasionally, I start reading a book that I can’t put down and, as I’m reading, I’m already regretting the day when I’ll reach the last page and it will be over. This was one of those books.
Ms Harvey is as brave and adventurous and honest on the page as she is in the experiences she shares with the reader. Her descriptions of the cities and villages she travels through in Asia and Africa, and the people she encounters, are vibrant and colourful. She doesn’t hold back on the misery and joy she sees, and how it impacts her personally.
I highly recommend this book.
Ms Harvey is as brave and adventurous and honest on the page as she is in the experiences she shares with the reader. Her descriptions of the cities and villages she travels through in Asia and Africa, and the people she encounters, are vibrant and colourful. She doesn’t hold back on the misery and joy she sees, and how it impacts her personally.
I highly recommend this book.
January 20, 2023
This is a very interesting & intriguing, true tale of world travels, independence & romance. A young woman forging her path in her own way despite obstacles along the way. I was inspired by the young Ella and impressed with the reflections of the mature Ella. It was a book I didn't want to come to an end and hope there will be another one published by the author soon.
January 14, 2023
Polished, Poetic, Thought-Provoking Prose
I enjoyed this memoir from Ella Harvey, from its evocative, fitting title to its polished, poetic prose. In and out of love, in and out of disaster zones, in and out of divergent cultures and in and out of cultural clashes....
"I looked out the window to the green-domed mausoleum, where the spiritual master lay. It had a numinous quality, this place where Rumi had whirled in ecstatic reverence, in and out of light and shadow. I was whirling too, in and out of love with Alim. There were a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground, but we weren't on equal ground. The man had the power. The woman would obey."
I liked the way the author had me vicariously reflect on my own cultural mindset and also on my own “privileged” status as a Canadian. As a Canadian nurse working with people suffering the dire consequences of war and famine and travelling through areas with extreme poverty, the author reveals her sensitive social conscience. I wondered, “Would this be me too?”
"An old man, his feet grotesquely swollen with elephantiasis, reached to me with an outstretched hand. I felt sick, powerless to respond. And what response could make a difference? It had to be more than a handout. The complexity of giving or helping in the face of such overwhelming need was like a heavy stone I carried or kicked about, or it sank into the swamp of my conscience."
Holding the book in my hands, I appreciate its beautiful cover, its uncluttered and attractive layout, its short “bite-sized” chapters and its many colour photographs. This book was an enjoyable and enlightening read.
I enjoyed this memoir from Ella Harvey, from its evocative, fitting title to its polished, poetic prose. In and out of love, in and out of disaster zones, in and out of divergent cultures and in and out of cultural clashes....
"I looked out the window to the green-domed mausoleum, where the spiritual master lay. It had a numinous quality, this place where Rumi had whirled in ecstatic reverence, in and out of light and shadow. I was whirling too, in and out of love with Alim. There were a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground, but we weren't on equal ground. The man had the power. The woman would obey."
I liked the way the author had me vicariously reflect on my own cultural mindset and also on my own “privileged” status as a Canadian. As a Canadian nurse working with people suffering the dire consequences of war and famine and travelling through areas with extreme poverty, the author reveals her sensitive social conscience. I wondered, “Would this be me too?”
"An old man, his feet grotesquely swollen with elephantiasis, reached to me with an outstretched hand. I felt sick, powerless to respond. And what response could make a difference? It had to be more than a handout. The complexity of giving or helping in the face of such overwhelming need was like a heavy stone I carried or kicked about, or it sank into the swamp of my conscience."
Holding the book in my hands, I appreciate its beautiful cover, its uncluttered and attractive layout, its short “bite-sized” chapters and its many colour photographs. This book was an enjoyable and enlightening read.
May 6, 2024
I met the author recently and plan to read her other book, an earlier one, having just finished this one. Our ages are similar, we both enjoy solo travel, and we live in the same city, but Ms. Harvey has accomplished much, travelled far and contributed to humanitarian causes in several parts of the world. Her adventures as a young woman are astounding (hiking alone in the Himalayas?!) and leave me in awe. Her willingness to help as a nurse in war-torn or famine-ravaged countries is commendable and impressive. I appreciate her reminiscences about life and choices and her musings about growing older.
I look forward to reading "Encounters on the Front Line: Cambodia - A Memoire."
I look forward to reading "Encounters on the Front Line: Cambodia - A Memoire."
January 26, 2023
With eloquence and descriptive elegance, Ella Harvey takes her readers deep into the heart of her questing life and adventurous solo travels. A Time of Light and Shadow is an engaging memoir that illuminates the difference between being a traveller and merely a tourist. The author definitely is the former, as she opens her mind and her heart to the world, whether she is exploring far-flung places, connecting deeply with the people she meets or offering her gifts as a highly skilled nurse in a conflict zone. I am inspired by a life lived like that, as I was by this excellent book.
August 21, 2023
Ella Harvey's memoir explores themes such as courage, finding our home, responsibility for suffering, and meeting ourselves at every turn of our lives. It is a testament to the female adventure spirit, which often has to battle social conformity, big questions on marriage and motherhood, and finding stability. Ella's prose is graceful and beautiful, and the book moves at an exciting pace that brings the reader on an adventure through the decades of her life and the changes in the world. I highly recommend you add this book to your collection.
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October 13, 2023I admired Harvey so much, and wished I was braver at the age when she began her travels. I travelled too, but not to the places she was driven to experienceI grew impatient with her romantic choices, and maybe recognized myself too much.
This book is filled with the struggle and the journey to wisdom. An older woman reflecting on her younger self.
Sometimes inconsistent in writing style, but maybe that was just the writer’s remembering all the tumultuous conflicting feelings of challenging moments. I’m glad I stumbled on this one.
This book is filled with the struggle and the journey to wisdom. An older woman reflecting on her younger self.
Sometimes inconsistent in writing style, but maybe that was just the writer’s remembering all the tumultuous conflicting feelings of challenging moments. I’m glad I stumbled on this one.
March 26, 2024
Cinematic, yet delicate, A time of Light and Shadow: To Asia, Africa, and the Long Way Home by Ella Harvey encompasses the joyous, the intricate, the unexpected and the passionate in solo travelling. An acute sense of observation and a soulful empathy for the peoples encountered is rendered through the voice and lens of the eager young woman as well as through the musings of the observer of later years who looks back on the roads travelled embracing herself anew. Corageous writing and a most enjoyable read.
January 11, 2023
The immediate pace of this book caught me by surprise, the author exercises precision on what, and more importantly, what not to include - each chapter is a fleeting taste of a key point in their story. The eloquence, and at times poetic writing ensures this style of delivery is still rich and fulfilling. If you benefit from a vivid imagination, the lean chapters in no way detract from the mix of personally challenging insights and pleasure of joining Ella on her travels.
January 17, 2023
A Time of Light and Shadow is a courageous story of compassion, self-discovery, and cross-cultural immersion, amidst a backdrop of some of the world’s most fascinating wonders and devastating humanitarian crises. Ella Harvey’s expansive journey seamlessly weaves the exploration of the external and internal, opening new perspective into the depths of the human spirit and what it means to live a meaningful life.
October 20, 2023
A Time of Light and Shadow is a page-turner, the physical, visual, and romantic account of a female solo traveler back then. It's also the emotional account of a nurse who doesn’t hesitate to veer from serene sceneries to humanitarian devastation. The book is an escape for women who "then" didn’t have to mind their safety when walking around or meeting a stranger. Young travelers will be inspired by the author’s gained insights as she returns to India many years later. It also reminds us that nursing is still a selfless vocation. The book took me to more 'places' than the story itself.
April 21, 2023
The author takes us with her as a young woman experiencing the best and the worst of humanity in some of the most beautiful, dangerous and heartbreaking places on earth. She brings those places and people alive for us. We can feel the dust and the heat, see the people, experience their lives and humanity.
This book grabbed me by the heart and wouldn't let go.
This book grabbed me by the heart and wouldn't let go.
January 17, 2024
I was lucky to met Ella during a trip to India in 2019. In fact, I am the brazilian friend she
mentions in the book.
We had such wonderful conversations, and I knew then that Ella was a differentiated person.
Her book confirms that.
Sensitive, emotional, courageous.
What a life experience!
Fifi Tong
mentions in the book.
We had such wonderful conversations, and I knew then that Ella was a differentiated person.
Her book confirms that.
Sensitive, emotional, courageous.
What a life experience!
Fifi Tong
August 24, 2023
A Time of Light and Shadow is a remarkable book. Full of vivid imagery as the narrator traverses remote areas of the world with impulsive spontaneity. An honest and courageous take on life as travelled, together with deep introspective soul-searching along the journey.
September 15, 2023
Ella Harvey's memoir, A Time of Light and Shadow, tells the remarkable adventures of a young nurse from home in Canada to Paris, Lebanon, India, Cambodia and Djibouti. The vivid story telling made me feel like I was travelling along side her.
September 28, 2023
Ella Harvey has written a compelling account of her international work and travel. I was drawn in by the detail and vulnerability with which she describes and processes these experiences. The book flows smoothly from scene to scene, bringing us along for a great ride
June 20, 2024
Ella’s book ,
What can I say? It had me captured and intrigued, every page.
She pulls no punches even her most private moments and thoughts are woven into a full story of adventures, travel and searching.
This is a beautiful book congratulations Ella
What can I say? It had me captured and intrigued, every page.
She pulls no punches even her most private moments and thoughts are woven into a full story of adventures, travel and searching.
This is a beautiful book congratulations Ella
June 12, 2023
This book allowed me to travel & experience with the author. Couldn’t put it down, but also didn’t want it to end. Very enjoyable read!
January 20, 2024
An honest, evocative memoir that brings to life the soul searching of youth and describes incredibly challenging nursing work in international areas with conflict and poverty.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews