BRATTLEBORO-Since her youth, Imogene Drakes of Brattleboro has had a passion for science and for ancient mysteries. That sparked a 2025 journey that took her to 11 key sites across six continents in search of deeper understanding of religion, mythology, and science — and their interconnectedness.
In her third book, which launches this week, Around the World in 42 Days, Drakes relays the experience, from preparation through all the stops, to summary reflection.
Promotion for Around the World describes it as “a candid, light-hearted travel memoir of chasing ancient mysteries worldwide” and “a front-row seat to what happens when you stop dreaming and actually go for it.”
“From the heights of Machu Picchu in Peru to the mysterious stones of Stonehenge in England; from the bustling streets of Cairo, Egypt, to the quiet wonders of the Galapágos Islands off the coast of mainland Ecuador, you’ll get a taste of what it’s really like to chase big questions about our past (and maybe [about] yourself).”
A career scientist, spiritual researcher, and international speaker, Drakes came to the United States from her native Guyana in 1989. With a Master of Science in Forensic Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, she earned her doctorate in public health from Walden University in Minnesota.
The mother of twins and grandmother of six, Drakes moved to Brattleboro in 2015 to serve as laboratory director at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital until her retirement in 2025.
In Around the World, we travel with Drakes to Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Egypt, Pakistan, and England.
Around the World in 42 Days closes with tips, a summary, and reflections: among them, as Drakes garnered observations about clothing, customs, beliefs, mores, she was reminded “that the search for truth is rarely straightforward.”
“The stories we tell about ourselves and others are shaped by history, faith, and science and also by the everyday choices people make,” she writes. “Traveling taught me to look beyond the obvious and appreciate the nuance in every place and person I met.”
She also observes: “Where interpretations diverge, I have resisted the urge to smooth away the tension. History, mythology, religion, and science may speak in different languages, and yet they are frequently addressing the same fundamental questions.
“My purpose has not been to challenge science, but to explore where these ways of knowing may overlap, conflict, or illuminate one another. In places where evidence remains incomplete, I have chosen not to force certainty.”
She adds, “I’m not the same person I was before this trip. I’m more disciplined, more grateful for the kindness of strangers, and a little braver, too. If I can handle mountains, caves, and pharaoh’s tombs, maybe I’ll finally master those bunny slopes this winter.”
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Annie Landenberger: How did you come up with your list of sites?
Imogene Drakes: I’ve actually been writing a book for many years now on religion, mythology, and science. After I retired, I started to look more in earnest at what I [needed] to write the book properly. While I was doing so, I came across this ancient alien theory. And I wanted to explore that more.
The theory is the idea that certain figures in early religious and mythological traditions — like the Nephilim in the Hebrew texts or the gods of the Sumerians — might have been understood as flesh-and-blood beings with extraordinary abilities. Some theorists suggest these stories could reflect encounters with people whose strength or knowledge seemed superhuman to early cultures.
I’m not endorsing that view, but I didn’t want to dismiss it outright, either.
Since my book deals with religion, mythology, and science, this was the one area where I felt I didn’t yet have a solid handle on the claims. So I decided to look at it directly, to see the sites myself and evaluate whether those interpretations had any substance — or if they [would be] better understood as symbolic narratives of human achievements.
I wanted first hand knowledge rather than dependence on someone else’s observation.
So I thought of the Moai on Easter Island. I went to see the rainbow serpent painting in Australia. I wanted to see this alien-type painting in South Africa, so that was on the list.
I went to see these strange figures in Indonesia that they thought were sort of alien-like. I included the Nazca lines in Peru, because the lines appear to be drawn some 2,000 years ago for someone looking down from the sky.
I went to Machu Picchu because of the engineering. I included the Sphinx in Egypt, [which] appears to be about 12,000 years old. I included Stonehenge [3000 BCE] because of the archaeological significance. I wanted to see that for myself.
But most key to this particular book was the place called Mohenjo Daro.
A.L.: What was that about?
I.D.: It’s theorized that it could possibly be the place where the Mahabharata War was fought. And that war was between two families for the kingdom in Samaritan India.
People have been theorizing that the Mahabharata War is the cause of the constriction in the Y chromosome genetics at a certain point about 6,000 years ago.
A.L.: OK, so much there. So who should read your book?
I.D.: I think, first of all, women — especially women who hope to be solo travelers. Many women I’ve talked to have said, “Your book has encouraged me to be courageous enough to travel solo.”
Next, I would say anyone who’s interested in ancient history and, of course, the scientific aspect as well.
A.L.: Are you happy traveling alone?
I.D.: I certainly am. I’ve done this before, so it’s not unusual for me. Even when I travel with a group, I find time to go out by myself just to immerse myself in the culture and have a sense more of how people think, how they feel, how they interact with me.
That has always been key for me in traveling: to understand people more, to really immerse myself.
A.L.: So, your science is biology and —
I.D.: Besides biology, the forensic science portion of my life has been a lot of chemistry. And I have been exposed to anthropology in doing the forensic science program at John Jay.
So I think my background is very mixed and very varied, and I love it that way. I look at things from different angles.
A.L.: And that comes through in your writing.
Did you feel safe? Was there ever a place that you felt unsafe?
I.D.: I felt unsafe traveling on my own in Australia because I saw names like “Alligator East” and “Alligator West” or “Alligator South.”
I felt unsafe when I had to walk on my own to get to the Rainbow Serpent painting because I had just heard the night before that there were wild buffaloes, crocodiles, and pythons in the area. I was a bit worried then.
And I was slightly concerned when I was in Pakistan and some guy started following me. But then I realized that he was doing so for a very innocuous reason, so that was very funny.
But no, in general, I didn’t feel unsafe.
A.L.: When you say in the book that you “learned not just about the world, but also about myself,” what’d you bring home?
I.D.: Listen to the locals. You know, I went with a laser focus [but soon] I had to realize that I have to leave space for new information. So I came back with that, and I tried to be a bit slower in coming to conclusions. I also learned that I have courage.
A.L.: When you say near the end “I’ll retire to my armchair for now, ready to write the next book,” what do you mean?
I.D.: This next book is called The Top of the Sphere, because people [have said]: “You’ve traveled to these places and you’ve given us some teasers as to what you thought, but we really want to know what you were thinking as a scientist.”
I couldn’t do that kind of writing for this book [while] going around the world at that speed, meeting people, finding things, getting into spots, and getting myself out.
I decided to give those people their book so they can see what I was thinking and how I processed what I saw and what I’m going to do next with information I received.
A.L.: Thank you, Imogene. Such a rich life you live.
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Imogene Drakes will talk about her travels, do some readings, and sign books Saturday, Aug. 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., in the undercroft of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Ave., Brattleboro.
The book can be purchased through local booksellers and online vendors who order from Ingram. Copies will also be on sale at the book signing.
Learn more at ImogeneDrakes.com.
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Editor’s note: Stories presented as interviews in this format are edited for clarity, readability, and space. Words not spoken by interview subjects appear in brackets.
Annie Landenberger is an arts writer and columnist for The Commons. She also is one half of the musical duo Bard Owl, with partner T. Breeze Verdant.
This Arts item by Annie Landenberger was written for The Commons.