Free Ride is the story of a remarkable 20,000 mile journey by motorcycle across Asia and Europe by a remarkable woman, Noraly Schoenmaker. This is a story of determination, struggle and, honestly, frequent failure. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me an advanced reader copy (ARC).
Noraly Schoenmaker was a geologist from the Netherlands, working around the world on projects for her company, when she learned that her partner had been cheating on her. Heartbroken, she quit her job and went to India to “find herself”, as the saying goes. Instead, she fell in love with a motorcycle.
She had ridden motorcycles before, in cities and relatively “civilized” areas, but after riding a rental motorcycle through the Himalayas, she bought a Royal Enfield Himalayan and rode it from India to Malaysia – a remarkable journey in itself.
After her initial journey, she had her bike shipped to Oman, and traveled through Iran, Central Asia, and eventually home to the Netherlands.
Along the way, she started a blog and then a YouTube channel, Itchy Boots, documenting her travels and struggles.
I found Free Ride fascinating. She is very honest about her struggles with the traveling, through some very remote areas (ever heard of Tajikistan?), over some really terrible “roads”, and struggling with food and fuel and bureaucracy. She must have been very lonely, and she writes many times about feeling like a failure for undertaking such a crazy trip.
In some parts it reminded me of Adam Shoalts’ book Beyond the Trees, his story of traveling alone across the Canadian Arctic. I think the main difference, beyond geography, is that Adam was much better prepared, because he was so far from anyone else. Ms. Schoenmaker drove through some very remote areas, but at least she was on roads or trails!
It must be said that English isn’t Noraly’s first language. The book is very readable, but some of the phrasing is a bit awkward in English. I think it adds to the charm of the book.
I’m not a motorcycle person – at all – but I really enjoyed this book. Maybe you will, too.
Free Ride will be released on June 3, 2025 by Simon and Schuster and will be available in the usual places. Thanks again to the publisher for sending me the book to review.
View the Itchy Boots web site and YouTube channel!