The Impossible Journey
by James A. Coghlan

It is 1939 and Jackie, a Scottish-soldier of Imperial Indian Army, receives an instruction from Sergeant Major Bell that he has to join ‘Operation Odessa’ to carry ‘classified cargo’ from Rawalpindi to London by car. Will he be able to get rid of the dangerous escapes of the road and reach London safely with the cargo? Based on a true story, this thought-capturing chronicle records pages from Jackie’s personal diary that documents the impossibility of such an expedition which in pre-independence India was an implausible dream too. Curiously enough, at different crossroads Jackie discovers how inevitably the Western gaze at the East is mostly deluded. Jackie’s physical journey unites with the psychological journey of his solitary soul which discovers new definition of friendship through this impossible passage to London. The book includes some original photographs, taken by the author’s late great uncle during his eventful journey, based on which the narrative achieves the immediacy of a truly written journal.

About the Author:

James Alexander Coghlan was born in Irvine Central in 1972. He was raised in nearby Kilmarnock. Initially educated at Kilmarnock Academy, the same school Alexander Fleming, the inventor of Penicillin, attended years ago, James later studied at the Universities of Kingston and Glasgow for his B.A. (Hons.) and M.Litt. degrees. A poet, novelist and a short story writer, James has presented his research papers in Turkey, Poland and Scotland. James now lives in Alloway, Ayrshire. His interests include hillwalking and the protection of the environment.

Praise for The Impossible Journey

‘A curio’ M/C Reviews

‘Poignantly written’ The Telegraph

‘brings alive the realities’ Mid-Day

‘Coghlan's attempt . . . is remarkably
successful.’ Trisha Gupta