The longest subtitle ever is: The Border: A Journey Around Russia Through North Korea, China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, And the Northeast Passage
This travelogue is the story of the author’s journey through these 14 countries that border the massive country of Russia. She books transit on an old Soviet research vessel through the Northeast Passage. Included are “five of the newest countries in the world” after the fall of the Soviet Union. She delves into the history of many other polar expeditions to the Arctic and tells the stories of many ordinary people who make their home in these far flung regions in this book. A shocking discovery is the amount of trash she sees which reminds me of the trash left on Mt. Everest Jon Krakauer writes about in his book Into Thin Air. A great book to read in my travel-deprived state.
I found the book after reading a book review in the WSJ recently. She is a Norwegian author and the book is translated into English from Norwegian. Let me know if you read it.