Dede Sophie

Looking for the best vegan-friendly countries? I’ve officially travelled the world* for one year as a vegan proving (in my mind at least) that if I can be vegan whilst moving around and not speaking the languages, you can definitely do it in your own home. (*When I say travelled the world, I mean North America, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia, totally at 18 countries. It’s definitely not the whole world, but there was a good mix of west and east, poor and rich, English speaking and not, etc.) Here are those countries ranked from worst to best for vegan friendliness! Worst Countries for Vegans These next three countries are the ones I’ve found the hardest to be vegan in… and when I say vegan, I mean eating a plant- (and fungi) based diet as much as possible and doable , among other things (like not supporting zoos, aquariums or leather products, etc). Here we go: #18. Vegan Japan I found that Japan was one of the worst countries for vegans. They don’t even seem to have a su

Alison McQueen, author of Under The Jeweled Sky Forbidden love set against the backdrop of a maharaja’s palace in post-World War II India is at the center of Alison McQueen’s new novel, Under the Jeweled Sky (Jan 21, 2014; $14.99 U.S.; Fiction; Trade Paper). Sophie Schofield always knew she would return to India. When she does in 1957, she is the new bride of ambitious British diplomat Lucien Granger and part of the glittering expatriate set that called New Delhi home following India’s partition. But it’s not the country she fell in love with 10 years earlier and Sophie is soon confronted with the memory of her first love and its devastating consequences. The past still haunts her – the guilt she carries, the destruction wreaked upon her fragile parents, and the boy with the tourmaline eyes. Join me in reading what Alison McQueen has to say about her research involving declassified diplomatic documents, and her love affair with India while writing this interesting book. Read more »