On the eve of her 60th birthday, Nan Watkins decided to embark on the around-the-globe trip she had always dreamed of--a trip she would take alone. Having endured both the death of her twenty-two-year-old son and the dissolution of a thirty-year marriage, the author resolved to follow a solo path east across Europe and Asia to renew connections with old friends and explore foreign lands and cultures. As her adventure-filled weeks and months unfolded, what began as a trip of discovery transformed itself into a powerful journey of the spirit.
With elegant style and thoughtful insight, Watkins considers the issues particular to a woman living and traveling alone and examines the complexities of global development and the changing role of women in non-Western cultures. This rich and beautifully rendered chronicle, which takes the author from the lonesome, rugged coast of Ireland to the bustling streets of Kathmandu to the majestic Rajasthan desert of western India, is a spirited testament to a woman's determination to overcome loss with joy and passion.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Falls just a little short:
I bought the book after hearing an excerpt on public radio program Sound and Spirit. I was drawn to buy it because the experience of the author in the loss of her son. I had recently had a loss of a grandson due to suicide and was interested in reading more. I found the author had an interesting story but I really didn't glean anything more profound than what had been quoted. I gave it 4 stars because it was still well written. It just didn't really give anything to me.
A Little Disappointed:
When I saw the title and description of the book I jumped at it because I turned 60 this year and have yearned to do something special to mark the passage. When I saw that she had bought an around the world airline ticket good for a year, I expected a nomadic sort of ramble to strange countries and adventures. I was disappointed to realize that this trip was relatively short and had a set itinerary. Even though she went to exotic places, she had been to some of them before, and she had friends or... more info
Two Journeys:
I found this a fascinating book on two levels. The journey around the world visiting and sometimes traveling with friends was an absorbing story in itself. But the inner journey-the "solo" journey- was a moving and uplifting experience. Everyone has those special birthdays-30, 40, and in the author's case, 60, when one tends to take stock of one's life. The trip was a chance to both see a part of the world we rarely get to see as well as to look back with the author at the process of becoming the person who... more info
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