Books by and for independent women

Travelling Light by J.L. Morin

Human trafficking is a dark mark on Western society, a serious issue that needs to be addressed. A novel tackling this distressing topic would go a long way to raising awareness of this problem to the population at large. But despite what ostentatious epigrams suggest, Travelling Light is not the novel to tackle this problem.

In her second novel, J.L. Morin aspires to deal with many complex themes: sex slavery, an economically depressed country with religious strife and aspirations to enter the EU, and infidelity and what it means for both parties in the marriage. Noble though this undertaking may be, she falls woefully short in her execution.

The story is narrated by Mackenzie, an American woman married to a diplomat. Her husband, Charon, is from the island Styxos, where the couple and their children have relocated. The Greek mythology references are scattered around thinly from this point forward, including references to Charon ferrying passengers.

The overarching plot relates to Grushenka, a dead prostitute held against her will, whose demise is the catalyst for Mackenzie and her women’s group taking on the human trafficking issue on Styxos.

Mostly, this is a story about Mackenzie’s bad luck in relationships: a failed marriage, a current, unhappy marriage, and entertaining a relationship – while still unhappily married – with Farouk, the man accused of murdering the aforementioned prostitute.

The greatest failing of Travelling Light is that the reader can’t sympathize with the characters. Mackenzie comes across as whiny. The falsely accused Farouk always sounds conniving. Grushenka is portrayed as an opportunist and it is suggested she is to blame for her predicament. When she’s mentioned at all.

Aside from the red herring of political activism, Travelling Light is bogged down by a convoluted plot and too many pointless passages. There is a civil war on Styxos between Muslims and Christians that has no bearing at all on the plot.

There are countless scenes on beaches and at parties that could be lifted out and never missed. There are one too many anecdotes that related to men being bad and women loving them anyway.

Heaped on this are extraneous characters, from Charon’s mother (whom his family lives with, though she plays no significant role in the story), to members of the women’s group that is supposed to be tackling the trafficking issue, to the president of Styxos showing up just long enough to proposition the main character and then promise to spite her husband when she refuses.

A more shrewd editor could possibly salvage Travelling Light; cutting characters, chunks of boggy dialogue, and pointless subplots could allow the bigger issues discussed to shine.

It’s an ambitious attempt, but Morin’s reach exceeds her grasp. If she wanted to write a story about sex slavery, she needed to focus less on the personal relationships of the narrator, and more on the cause.

Want to see for yourself? Published this month by Harvard Square Editions, you can buy it in paperback for £8.30, or for Kindle for £2.14.

Rating: 1.5/5

Other recommend reading: For better integrated Greek mythology, and a more entertaining, easy read, grab a copy of Marie Phillips’ Gods Behaving Badly. Or go for the similarly titled Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison – it’s completely unrelated to human trafficking, but it will have a far greater impact on the reader’s worldview.

Amanda Farah