Wheels Within Wheels

The autobiography of Dervla Murphy's first 30 years was given to my mother in 1981. I picked it up from the bookshelf and read it, inheriting it after my mother's death in 1982. Along with "Jules and Jim" by Henri-Pierre Roche, it has endured as one of my most treasured possessions. Dervla's philosophy of life and her witty, accurate observations are infused always with primitive, glowing truth, and beautifully expressed. I sometimes find myself spontaneously recalling certain phrases from the book when the occasion elicits it. I have been inspired by this book for my whole adult life, and I wish I knew her personally. I really respond to her concept of life. If you're a thoughtful, aware reader you'll probably feel the same way.

I loved this book. Dervla Murphy had a very unusual childhood, but through it all the burning desire to travel and to write carried her on. She succeded spectacularly in both and her adventures shared with us in books are treasures. This book gives some insight to the circumstances that shaped her life. That she prevailed over such difficult times is a tribute to her spirit. That she found peace and love is a joy.

I loved this book. I got addicted to Dervla Murphy books a few years ago and find her travels around the world fascinating. She is clearly an unconventional person and this book gives the details of her unconventional childhood. She was an only child with a crippled mother. She left school early to help look after her. As a child she loved reading and made her decision to cycle to India from Ireland at a very young age. In this book she is brutally honest, from her childhood daydreams of the teddy bear tree to her alcoholism as an adult. I felt I understood this amazing women better having read this book and I would recommend it to anybody as a great and emotional read.