I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is written by a writer who moves with his wife and infant to France for five years. One of the best books I have ever read that discusses the differences between he American and French beliefs about the world. There are thoughtful passages and laugh out loud passages. I loved the chapter about having a baby in France- No raw vegetables!. I have read this book twice and enjoyed it both times. A thoughtful intelligent look at life as an expatriate. Have you figured out yet that Alma and I would like to move to France for a year or two? There are things we would find frustrating but I think the experience of living in a different culture would be great for the boys. Unfortunately we don't have very mobile jobs. So maybe we will have to wait and do this when we are empty nesters.
Friday, June 24, 2011
A year in Provence By Peter Mayle
This is another travel book. One of the first I read about living in France- an classic and a must read. It is a good introduction the the slower rural life. The life ruled by seasons and rejoices in what is fresh and perfect at that moment.
Posted by Polly at 10:31 PM 0 comments
Country Driving; A Chinese Road Trip By Peter Hessler
I have read River Town by the same author and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading this book. It didn't disappoint. I didn't care for the first section about driving along the great wall. It was okay just not captivating for me. But this was made up for my by the strength of the section about his country home and the relationship and experiences he has in the small agricultural village. The real power of his writing is the ability to connect with the Chinese and really describe their lives, government and beliefs. In no other chapter is his love and frustration with this culture so evident. I especially loved the sections about seeking health care in the big city for a little boy- I always like anything that looks at health care in different cultures.
Posted by Polly at 10:24 PM 0 comments
The Best Women's Travel Writing Ed by Lavinia Spalding
This was a great collection of stories. My favorites:
Posted by Polly at 10:15 PM 0 comments
The Innocents Abroad bu Mark Twain
Are you tired of travel books- there are more coming.
Posted by Polly at 10:06 PM 0 comments
Tales of a Female Nomad; Living at Large in the World by Rita Goldman Gelman
I loved this book. It is honest and heart felt. It tells her story, her view with out worrying about giving a complete guide to the areas she travels. It is full of the brief evocative moments that make your travels memorable. The conversations, the miscommunication, the friendships made while being in a foreign place. Any traveler knows it is those moments that stay with you. The conversation in the market where you honestly connect to a women so different from you- the time you follow the advice of a fellow traveler and wander someplace untraveled and have a transcendent experience, or the friendships formed that change you forever. It is these brief unplanned moments that make traveling a joy and a revelation. This is a book that collects those magical or sometimes heartbreaking moments in the author's life on the road. There is an especially touching chapter about her many years in Thailand that moved and inspired me. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Posted by Polly at 9:56 PM 1 comments
How to Climb Mt Blanc in a Skirt By Mick Confrey
More of my Travel books:
Posted by Polly at 9:51 PM 0 comments