Eliza Fay set out on her first trip to India as a young, newly married woman whose husband had been given an assignment in Calcutta. These collection of letters (written to her family who requested she document her travels) serve as an excellent historical document of long distance travel in the late 18th century. Her letters remind us of how difficult and dangerous travel often was in this period, and how resourceful one must be to reach the ultimate destination. Her writing has the sophisticated vocabulary of her time and suggests a family background in sailing or adventure of some sort. There are at times lulls in the narrative so the pacing can feel a bit slow, but there is plenty of excitement and an array of interesting characters along the way. The book will be most appreciated by historians, particularly with an interest in travel and India, and would be doubtful to hold the attention of the reader looking for a tale of adventure.