Prince of provinces

Brown says he traveled really rugged, a style not suited for everyone.

"I worked in corporate management and business ownership for 28 years, and teaching for seven," he says. "All of these iterations have brought me into contact with thousands of individuals from every walk of life: princes, paupers, politicos, populists, tin-pot tyrants, worldly saints and humble citizens - originals all," he says. "Most were just trying to survive and be happy."

Having summers off while he teaches at an international school provided the time for his trek last year that prompted him to write 44 Days. And while he deliberately chose to visit provinces he didn't see during his first years in China, it was people more than places that he sought out - eager to share their lives and experiences.

"That kind of travel is not for everybody," he says, laughing. "I traveled really rugged, on local trains and no taxis - even in places where there were taxis. I stayed in local hostels and ate in local restaurants that most foreigners wouldn't want to go to."

Brown's facility for languages and his eagerness to engage with rural citizens made the journey both possible and fruitful, but even those assets didn't make it easy. At Jiayuguan in Gansu province, for example, his first successful stay at a Chinese hostel began with a flat refusal: "I can't let you stay here."

Brown smiles at the memory.