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Summary: "Just do it!" Rita did/does it...
Review: Fearless: the author explores our world. Rita Golden Gelman is a cultural pack rat. She ferrets out the best from exotic cultures and leaves the seeds of human love and understanding behind. This is a book for everyone who cares about the human race. If you suspect that we are all brothers and sisters on this planet, Rita's experiences will prove it.If you are a vicarious adventurer like me, this book will excite you... and certainly stimulate you to think. The author's background in anthropology gives her a Star Trek approach to other cultures. Her "Prime Directive": Live it. Understand it. But don't mess it up. Tired of the "Ugly American" approach to the world? Read this book. Be proud. Buy a plane ticket.
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Summary: Armchair Traveler's Review
Review: As I read the book I felt like I had known Rita all of my life. While I couldn't wait to get to the next locale so I could learn about the culture and customs she was experiencing, I didn't want the book to end. Rita Golden Gelman knows how to tell a story - to tell a story so that the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next page and the next chapter, are eagerly awaited. Her simple, friendly style is a breath of fresh air - I found the book to be a real treat and was sorry that it had to end. But I was immensely pleased to find her email address on the last page of the book so that I can actually tell her how great her travels sound! If you're looking for a great way to experience some exotic locations in the world, from the eyes of a seasoned traveler, this is a great book. Rita's spirit, her optimism and her love of people really come through.
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Summary: A brave lifestyle, a boring book
Review: Roaming around the world all alone, while brave seemed self indulgent and I couldn't keep from wondering how she really filled her days. A few ceremonies, a few hikes it seems there should have been a lot more for someone as educated as Ms. Gelman. Perhaps the problems was in the writing and the story never made it to the pages.
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Summary: I found it very enjoyable!
Review: Rita Golden's subtitle to this book, Living at Large in the World, is what this book is all about. She starts her tale at the age of 48 with the end of her marriage of 24 years to a prestigious husband, a life of glamour and privilege; a marriage that produced two loving, successful children who are now grown and out on their own. She starts her travels in Mexico, learning to enjoy the life of backpacking, meeting new people, and living among natives of a country. Each chapter is another country she visits, the people she meets and with whom she lives, and comes to know as family. We travel to Guantemala, Nicaragua, Israel, Galapagos Islands, Indonesia, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand. We meet her friends, loved ones, and families. I am amazed at the way in which people around the world opened their homes and their hearts to her at a word or a note from a friend, or even acquaintances. If I came away with anything, it is this universal friendliness, love and outreaching. We learn of the languages, the people, the food and cooking, and customs. My only criticism may be that very occasionally it is slightly too detailed. As a whole, it is a fascinating book by an adventuresome, interesting woman. I highly recommend it. "I laughed again at my ragged tortillas and wailed with the woman who was holding her dead baby. I sang in the mountains, fell in the mud, and blew bubbles with a little boy and his mother in the middle of New Guinea. I ate green mussels and gloried in "ho mok" and whizzed through Bali on the back of (...a) motorcycle. And I communed with Tu Aji's spirit." So did I, through Rita Gelman.
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Summary: AMAZING WOMAN, FANTASTIC JOURNEY!
Review: I cannot say enough good things about this book. Rita Golden Gelman is one of the most amazing women one could ever hope to encounter. In a search for self and adventure, little does this gutsy housewife realize that what began as a two month separation from her husband would lead to a fifteen year journey in exotic places around the world. From a Zapotec village in Mexico to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Isreal, Galapagos Islands and eight years in Indonesia, Gelman does what most woman only dream of doing. What may seem to some like a betrayal to family and an escape from reality is, in essence, a story of unbelieveable determination, strength and pursuit of self. Gelman possesses extraordinary interpersonal skills and others, even total strangers, are drawn to her like a magnet. She has an enormous passion for people, life and the unknown, and I found Gelman and her story to be one of the most inspiring, exhilarating and refreshing ones ever written. There are always sacrifices to be made in life. The universe has a way of balancing the give and take. For every door or chapter in life that we close, another opens; Gelman's life is no exception. Her journey and her life are a shining validation that nothing is beyond our dreams if we are prepared to make sacrifices, believe in our goals and in ourself, and have the commitment and courage to make our dreams a reality. I highly recommend this powerful and captivating book, particularly to women since they will probably have a deeper understanding of where the author is truly coming from. It is what is commonly known as "the freedom to do your own thing, in your own time, in your own place." While being a wife/partner and/or mother are significant and fulfilling, I can tell you from my experience as a counsellor that many women, married and single, tend to lose their identity of self, or become an extension of someone's else's identity, if they limit themselves solely to those roles. Hopefully, the reader will find much enjoyment and inspiration in "The Tales of a Female Nomad." Good luck in your search for self, fulfillment and happiness!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring but annoying
Review: This book started with a great title and premise, but then goes downhill from there. As one who spends a significant amount of time daydreaming about "leaving it all behind", I was anxious to hear what promised to be an exciting account of her new life, but the book disappointed me. I enjoyed the first third of the book as she begins her life-changing experience, but found her personally annoying by the end. Perhaps my dislike of her is politically based, but I quickly grew tired of her self-righteous, understander of all peoples, angry at America attitude. Where initially I saw her as a courageous woman dealing with a dramatic life-changing event, by the end she came across as a somewhat bitter, nearly unstable expat. Please just more objective descriptions of your unique experiences and less left-leaning ranting. It was hard to finish. If you're not bothered by the politics of the author, this book does provide an interesting account of a variety of experiences.
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Summary: This is a must read for summer and a must to pass on to all!
Review: I absolutely loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for travelling and the lessons one can learn about themselves from such experiences. Rita's travels and lifestyle change left me in complete awe and filled me with absolute admiration for the guts, courage, and trust that were required of her. This book will not only inspire the reader to embark on travels of his/her own, but will cause some much needed introspection into the routines that so many of us lead in our daily lives. This book serves as a shot in the arm to get out and experience life, others, and other places. In the book, Rita allows the reader to vicariously experience her life with her. The reader cannot help but feel as if Rita Gelman is a good friend by the last page. And once the book is over it is hard to stop thinking about the incredible adventures and gutsy lady that comprise Rita Gelman. Definitely read this book and check out some of her great children's books while you're at it. Rita is a true jewel and anyone who loves to read should be reading her books. I look forward to future books and the book tour!
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Summary: Innocence Abroad
Review: Our book club read this book and not one person liked it. From the very first paragraph in which she questions why someone like her, leading such a star-studded life, could possibly be unhappy or unfulfilled, I took an instant dislike to her.
She undertakes her travels with a cluelessness that is truly astounding in a reasonably sophisticated person of mature years. The bit about her sitting around in the lobbies of the better hotels hoping that someone will invite her to dine with them is truly pathetic. Oh! There's a whole group of back-
packers who travel in foreign countries! Who knew?
The descriptions of her wandering around in the Zapotec villiage were just sad. Why don't people speak to her? It must be her blue eyes! She reasons that if she wears sunglasses, it might not be a problem, but alas this turns out to be no solution. Oh, but all the discomfort and tedium is swept away when all the women assemble to make a meal! Instant bonding! This book is rife with cliches. Her skin condition?...why, of course, it represents the shedding of her old life (skin)!
I'll confess I couldn't finish it. A truly terrible book, poorly written but a really annoying, self-absorbed author. Lets just hope I don't run into her on my own travels.
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Summary: Read the Dream!
Review: I read this book a few months ago and still find myself drifting off and thinking about it quite often. It was an excellent book, but I must warn that it is a dangerous read if you have a bit of wanderlust in you (and I definitely do!)That said, it is an amazing book that I would highly recommend! Rita takes us along with her over several years as she travels through many different countries. She writes very honestly and is a very interesting woman to get to know along the way. It is nice to read because she is an older woman that rediscovers a new way of life after a divorce. I travelled around the world as a backpacker and mostly encountered other people in their early 20s, so it is nice to get a perspective from an older woman, and also refreshing to know that it is never too late! Rita has a website that you can check out first to figure out if she is someone that you would be interested in reading a book about. I really enjoyed this book and definitely think it is worth reading! For me, it was an amazing way to read about the lifestyle that I can only dream about now! It definitely has made me think (quite often) about quitting my job, writing a book, and traveling around the world!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring but annoying
Review: This book started with a great title and premise, but then goes downhill from there. As one who spends a significant amount of time daydreaming about "leaving it all behind", I was anxious to hear what promised to be an exciting account of her new life, but the book disappointed me. I enjoyed the first third of the book as she begins her life-changing experience, but found her personally annoying by the end. Perhaps my dislike of her is politically based, but I quickly grew tired of her self-righteous, understander of all peoples, angry at America attitude. Where initially I saw her as a courageous woman dealing with a dramatic life-changing event, by the end she came across as a somewhat bitter, nearly unstable expat. Please just more objective descriptions of your unique experiences and less left-leaning ranting. It was hard to finish. If you're not bothered by the politics of the author, this book does provide an interesting account of a variety of experiences.
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