CONDITION USED GOOD, ON A SHOESTRING TO COORG, AN EXPERIENCE OF SOUTH INDIA , DERVLA MURPHY, HARDCOVER, 1976

On a Shoestring to Coorg by Dervla Murphy is a vivid travel memoir chronicling the author’s adventurous journey through southern India with her five-year-old daughter. Traveling mostly on foot and by local transport, Murphy immerses herself deeply in the everyday life of the people she meets. What begins as a return to a land that once challenged and baffled her turns into a quest to understand India’s rich and complex civilization through personal encounters and friendships.

By chance, Murphy and her daughter arrive in Coorg — a serene, forested region between the Malabar Coast and the Carnatic — where they settle in a traditional ancestral home. There, they experience the customs, hospitality, and unique traditions of the Coorg people. Blending keen observation, warmth, and courage, the book captures the essence of rural India and reflects Murphy’s enduring curiosity and resilience as a traveler and writer.