It is true that very rarely I decide to read a whole book. That's a fact that surprises even my close friends. This happens because I consume what we call “free time” in other activities like riding my bike, swimming at the sea (sometimes even in winter), playin guitar, bass and (the last 2 years) drums, watching cool films...reading a book comes at the bottom of the list though I really appreciate people who can have a decent way of writing. Considering the above, no matter how strange it sounds to you, it is a kind of achievement for me to finish a book of 500 pages not written in my mother language.
This specific book is a special case as it has all the elements that could touch me and everyone else who shares the same likings: It is a biker's travelogue written by one of the most famous and competent rock musicians, Neil Peart, who plays drums with Rush, a Canadian band living their 5th decade of their career. All the above combined with the fact that this special trip was decided by the author after an unbelievable family tragedy he had, was a plus (sad) reason that increased my curiosity.
The story goes back right after the mid 90's when Neil Peart was enjoying a happy and balanced family life with his wife Jackie and his daughter Selena all having as a base their pretty house by the lake in Canada. In the morning of 10th of August 1997, 19 years old Selena says goodbye to her parents in hugs and kisses in order to drive her car up to Toronto where she would start her studies at the University. It was already late on the same day and she hadn't call her parents as promised making both of them but especially her mother quite worried. Neil was usually the positive and optimist one so he tried to calm Jackie down but when the lights of the police car showed up at their house the instinct of the mother was confirmed in the most tragic way. The officer that visited them showed them the fax he received from the Ontario police station: “...single car accident...lost control...dead at the scene...” No parent can easily recover after such a drama, to loose their only child that both loved and were so proud of her. Unfortunately, especially for Jackie, this loss had tremendous consequences. The most tragic loss for a parent caused her total psychological collapse. Her husband tried as hard as he could to help her though he suffered a lot as well from this shock but he didn't manage to give her a new reason to live. Their friends didn't succeed on that too. It was obvious that she just had retired from living with intense anorectic attitude. At nights she used to sleep hugging her daughter's photo. She didn't stand this incredible tragedy and passed away after 10 months, few days after doctors diagnosed “terminal cancer”. In 10 months Neil Peart lost all his family and was left all alone. Their house by the lake used to be a spring of joy, now it was just a retrieval of bad memories and this was the last thing that Neil needed at that time as he had to find a new reason to live if he didn't want to follow his wife's tragic end. A few days before Jackie passed away she told him: “...ah...you'll trip on your bike...”. She knew how much Neil loved motorcycling as she made him one of the best surprises a woman can do to her husband: a brand new BMW!
On 20th of August 1998, on a dark and rainy morning, Neil sets off without specific plans with a fully loaded R1100 GS adventure with camping gear, clothes, tools and everything else a driver might need on a long trip without prescheduled length and duration.
Finally he made 88000 km in 14 months. Details about where he'd been, what happened and where it all lead him is very interesting for you to read via Neil's own way of writing. He named himself as Ghost Rider” and the route “Healing Road”. Identical of the struggle the author-rider had with his own life and the way the whole trip affected his worried soul (“my little baby soul” as he often names her). The whole procedure as well as his tragic moments in his life changed him a lot, resulting in him naming his previous self as “the fool I used to be”. During that trip the author emphasizes on different sides of himself that come up and gives different nicknames to each one of them. The book is written in a way that the reader comes pretty close to the Author's family and circle of friends, with details that even hardcore Rush fans didn't know. It is quite impressive to see how his bandmates supported him through all this story as they are brilliant friends first for so many decades and then musicians-colleagues. They never even thought about asking him whether he wanted to rejoin the band or not (on Selena's funeral, all in tears, he told them “consider me retired”). 2 years passed without Neil touching his drums and when he felt emotionaly able to return back on the stage his bandmates took care in order not to be exposed to any curious journalists asking him to describe what has happened through all this time.
In the band of Rush Neil Peart contributes not only his skills on drums but also the lyrics of almost all songs. Therefore, he couldn't miss writting a song relative to all his unique experience.
Rush playing “Ghost Rider” live:
