I started following the author in Instagram some time ago because who doesn't want to see photos of a cat travelling the world with her rescuer! Ich kannte die beiden vorher nicht, fand die Geschichte wirklich toll erzählt und den Schreibstil sehr flüssig.

People approached him, sometimes in the middle of nowhere, because they recognised him from social media. Seeing someone care as deeply as Dean does about the many animals he comes across on his travels, as well as Nala, was a joy to see, the world needs that awareness and compassion, now more than ever. The book takes you along for their adventures, from Dean setting out from his home in Dunbar, Scotland in September 2018 to the two of them ending up in lockdown near Budapest, Hungary in April 2020, as the world shuts due to the coronavirus pandemic. By his own admission they made an odd couple: “We were an unusual sight; a big, bearded tattooed bloke on a bike, with a kitten sitting on his shoulder like Long John Silver’s parrot.When I found my self going solo in this epic bike journey I had undertaken, I was unsure where to head next.

Of course, they become inseparable almost immediately, and have some scary adventures together as they travel south to Greece, spend a summer in Santorini, and start crossing Turkey before routes through India and Iran and Russia become too challenging, and they turn back. I'm passionate about animal rescue and rehoming; since being a child all our cats have been rescues and our fur family currently consists of Rosa, our 15 year old rescue cat, and Eva, a year old Podenco dog rescued from being abandoned on the streets in Spain. His interest in helping the environment, clearing up plastic waste and generally doing good, is an example to us all. Dean's world travels were put on hold in March 2020 when COVID changed all of our lives, hence this is when the book ends. I can undoubtedly say that Dean is one of the most down to earth, kind hearted, humble and generous souls I've ever 'met' - what a priviledge it would be to one day really meet him and Nala.After his friend Ricky left Dean to travel on alone, it was his journey through parts of Bosnia which changed everything for him. He does now use his internet fame to raise money for animal shelters, which is great, and I will acknowledge that. A heart warming story, with the classic "who saved who" theme as Dean admits straight up that she made him a better person. Both curious, independent, resilient, and adventurous, they were a perfect match - and so together, they set off to travel around the world.

On the road to Turkey Dean had to cycle in a dry heat that could reach 100 Fahrenheit, whilst hauling 50kgs of belongings, including Nala's pet carrier. Molto consigliato per la storia vera, l'umanità che traspare non solo del protagonista ma anche delle situazioni in cui si trova con la sua micina e delle persone che incontra sul suo cammino. This book is written with humour, passion and honesty, it's suitable for all ages and can be enjoyed as a memoir but also as a love story between humans and animals, a tribute to those that go above and beyond for both, and the fundamental good in people, on a global level.

Nala happens to be Dean's sister's favorite character so it's obvious that Dean also has a strong sense of family values. Nala's World is Dean's first book, and tells the story of how they met and their adventures on the road. J.Jacobs' The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, and one or two of his others, but I feel like that's his whole MO now. With gorgeous illustrations from winner of the Waterstones Gift of the Year, Frann Preston-Gannon, and also featuring photos of Dean and Nala's real-world adventures.