Isolde Martin returned to her home of Germany after more than three decades of life as an expatriate, which saw her live on five continents and in six countries. Additional travels included short stays in many more countries and trips around the globe in either direction three times. After settling, at long last, in Germany, Isolde keenly and painfully felt the loss of the many friends and acquaintances now scattered across the world. Her efforts to stay in touch eventually resulted in poignant, charming, and often witty notes, an attempt to stay connected to friends in distant places - friends she appreciated and loved, and refused to lose to this very day, seven years later. Now compiled into this single collection, Notes from the 48th North, offers a stream of consciousness that has been written in moods that range the emotional gamut, refl ecting her feelings of loss, isolation, and confusion, whilst also exploring issues that have compelled her to write. One could say that the Notes continue a conversation that can no longer be held in person over a cup of tea. Notes from the 48th North is a must-read for anybody who has travelled, felt the pangs of friendships long separated, or simply enjoys the poetic nature of observation.