100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go
Susan Van Allen’s Italian travel book 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go is part travel guide, part “inside peek”. Read more
Book Review: Stealing Fatima’s Hand
Carolyn Theriault’s move to Morocco thrust her into a situation many expats are familiar with: extreme cultural adjustment during a time of total career transition. Those of us who have been through this understand the punchy sense of humor that arises from the “might as well laugh as cry” phase so typical of international moves.
It’s not that we don’t enjoy travel, or value the cultural integration opportunity. We do. But the fact is, the settling-in phase rarely goes smoothly, resulting in one hilarious research mission after another (grocery shopping, obtaining a driver’s license). While we all go through the same adjustments and attempt to get a good laugh out of them, few actually go the extra mile and commit the experience to paper. Theriault has done dust that with an edgy, honest style born of authentic life experiences.
Two particular incidents stuck out to me. First, the weekend getaway with the coworker and local drivers / guides / “new friends” where Carolyn gets stuck in a continuous loop of struggling to reach her desired destination, regardless of how clearly she tries to communicate her needs. A version of this story happens more frequently than most independent travelers might care to admit. Second, the initial post office visit where Theriault goes to retrieve her package from home. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have had the exact same experience on numerous occasions, but to me this was just wet-your-pants funny. Ditto with the no bathtub chapter.
As a huge fan of the Middle East in general, I was a bit sad that things hadn’t gone more smoothly for Carolyn during her time in Morocco. Negative accounts from westerners relating to the Middle East region always seem so abundant, and positive ones are unfortunately less prevalent. That being said, her experiences and voice were utterly authentic and I enjoyed her style. Congrats to Theriault on her first title, Stealing Fatima’s Hand. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Photo Credit: Vox Humana
Book Review: Change Your Life Through Travel, by Jillian Robinson
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One of the things that struck me about this book was the author’s sincere interest in providing her readers with the necessary tools to start carving out their “travel transformation” experiences. Read more
Book Review: World Stompers – A Global Travel Manifesto
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Written by a gentleman by the name of Brad Olsen, this book is definitely written from the younger person’s perspective. Read more
Wanderlust and Lipstick: The Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo
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Beth Whitman does an excellent job covering all of the potential details women and other first time travelers must consider before hitting the road. Packing, safety, selecting a particular type of trip, online resources and more. Read more
Married to a Bedouin
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”Married to a Bedouin” by Marguerite van Geldermalsen is the fascinating story of the author’slife among the native Bedouin of Petra, Jordan. Read more
Book Review: Baghdad Without a Map
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A collection of journalistic travel adventure tales from Tony Horwitz’s journeys through Arabia. Read more
Book Review: Not So Funny When it Happened, Edited by Tim Cahill
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This book is basically a collection of brief, humorous travel essays from various writers, edited into one finished work. Read more
Notes From a Big Country
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Notes From a Big Country, by Bill Bryson.
This was the book that introduced me to the work of Bill Bryson, via a referral from another traveling friend of mine. Read more
Scotch and Holy Water
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Scotch and Holy Water, by John D. Tumpane is an up-close and personal look at integration into Turkish culture. Read more
