Myanmar

Finding George Orwell in Burma, by Emma Larkin (2004). American journalist Larkin sets off to Southeast Asia in order to trace the steps of George Orwell, who lived in British-ruled Burma (now Myanmar) during the 1920s. Larkin is able to learn of secret libraries and a country's fascination with books, all while revelling in the spirit of the people of an Orwellian land. "All you had to do, it seemed," writes Larkin, "was scratch the surface of one of the town's smiling residents and you would find bitterness or tears."