“Not many walk 4,500 miles to prove their love and win the right to someone’s hand in marriage, but this is precisely what Ewart Grogan did more than one hundred years ago. Julian Smith, an award winning travel writer for Outside, National Geographic, and other publications, decided this was a fair premise for him to repeat the task in order to prove to himself that marriage was the appropriate road for him to travel with his beloved. Obviously the road from Capetown to Cairo was a bit different in 1898 (as in not really a road), but still taking such a journey today is in no way a minor feat. In Crossing the Heart of Africa, Smith provides a travelogue that weaves together tales of Grogan’s with his own, and gives a glimpse into the contrast between the two time periods on the continent. Simultaneously Smith takes us on a journey of the heart as he contemplates the life changes that may or may not come with the step into commitment. Take a trip across Africa with Smith from the comforts of your own home.” —Brad, Paulina Springs Books, with locations in Redmond and Sisters, OR