I found this book hard to put down. An amazing journey, a true testament to the indomitable-ness of the human spirit. Without sponsorship of any kind, with just two camels to carry their supplies, Helen and her husband walked the Gobi desert in summer. They crossed paths with smugglers, border guards (sometimes hostile), wolves, endangered bears and tiny native deer, and they met the people who lived in the desert, families who welcomed them into their homes and their lives.

Her portrayal of the camels, Tom and Jerry, is particularly endearing. She and her husband learned the hard way to ensure the loads were balanced properly or deal with the consequences. Apparently camels are noisy and stubborn when they believe they are being hard done by!!!

Helen's writing is journalistic and sometimes a little flat. It is descriptive but I would have liked to get more of a feel for the desert and their hardships. That being said, I enjoyed this book very much. It is an easy read and I learned lots about the Gobi desert and the Mongolian people who live there.

I enjoyed this. Very informative about the people, animals and vegetation in the Gibi Desert.

A decent account of Thayer's trek across the Gobi with her husband. Written in journalistic fashion, I found the interactions with the natives to be the best parts. The rest is good but lacks an impressive writing style to make it especially stand out. Still, a good enough read for travel buffs to look into.

The writing is ordinary, the author has no special insight, and the account is a little dull, but I still enjoyed reading about the adventure.