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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Azores - The Storyteller's Photo Guide: A Photographic Tale Across The Islands Of Flowers and Fire by Joana Kruse is a detailed travelogue that takes readers on a photographic journey across the nine Azorean islands. Through a conversation style of writing, Kruse discusses each island's unique landscape, history, and culture. For example, in São Miguel, she documents volcanic sites and agricultural projects, like Joaquim’s pineapple venture. On Flores Island, she participates in a search for Ambrose, an ornithologist, uncovering local stories. In Terceira, Kruse visits Angra do Heroísmo and digs into local traditions, connecting with Valério, whose history mirrors Vasco da Gama’s. Kruse speaks about her stops on São Jorge, Pico, Horta, Graciosa, and Santa Maria, where she gathers stories of resilience, folklore, and local culture from farmers and winemakers to lighthouse keepers. The book combines travel, photography, and storytelling, offering an intimate look at the islands and their people.
“We are Azoreans. We endure.” Joana Kruse’s Azores - The Storyteller's Photo Guide is a spectacular mix of travel tips, local lore, and incredible photography. The breakdown of visits to each island in the Azores is thoughtfully compiled and gives invaluable information on logistics, like how to get there, where to stay, and what to do, which is the more practical side of the guide for travelers. The full-color photography marries those two components together so a reader can visualize what Kruse is sharing. However, the pièce de résistance of Kruse's work is her remarkable storytelling. Through meetings with locals, she conveys to us stories like the touching tale of Sarah’s search for family on Graciosa and Camilo’s brilliant descriptions of Santa Maria. In this and others, Kruse not only paints a picture of the pure beauty of the islands but also of their rich, ingrained history and culture. Overall, readers are invited to connect deeply with the people and places of the Azores, making it both a travel guide and a heartfelt journey. Very highly recommended.