Travel Books

George Sullivan's "Not Built in a Day" has many virtues. It is well-organized (as a series of walking tours); it is well indexed (to enable the reader to organize his/her own study; it is written fluently--neither densely scholarly nor "tour book breathless," each mini-essay captures the history of a building and its context in a direct straight-forward way. But the real difference between this book and so many others is that each essay--whether brief or more extended (like one on the Pantheon)--both reveals and encourages in the reader a careful "reading" of each building itself. I was especially interested in Bernini and Borromini's designs, and NBIAD was as good as any textbook could have been in guiding my eye as I studied the aesthetic relationship between these two acclaimed architects of baroque Rome. Anyone really interested in understanding architectural composition in Rome will find a worthy friend in this book.

Fabulous for those who have been to Rome. Mandates that you return to see it anew and deeper. Great job.

My wife and I recently returned from Rome, and one of our many fine moments in that glorious city was sitting on top of Michelangelo's Campodiglio, with Mr. Sullivan's book in hand and understanding for the first time exactly what Michelangelo did and why -- and thus helping us understand more deeply the greatness of his accomplishment. So it went with magnificent works such as Borromini's San Carlino or Bramante's Tempietto. Similarly, we came to understand the failures -- what the architect wanted to do and didn't quite get there. Mr. Sullivan's goal, was to help us move beyond admiration or puzzlement at what we are looking at, and understand what was done, and how well it did or did not work. Very well written, tough in its judgments, and infused throughout by a love for the city. Don't go to Rome without it.

A good read for those who love history, it is an excellent companion for travel to Rome

George Sullivan's "Not Built in a Day" is a unique and wonderful combination of scholarly knowledge, art, passion, and wit. The author recently gave a series of slide lectures at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. based upon the material in the book, which I attended. His lectures were exceptional -- insightful and enjoyable, a college-level crash course on the history of European architecture that was set entirely in Rome! He really made the buildings come alive through his enthusiasm and humor; I especially liked that he not only had definite opinions on buildings, but also explained clearly what architectural qualities those opinions were based on. This same in-depth but accessible approach can be found in the book, which is unlike any other guide to Rome that I have seen. I would enthusiastically recommend it if you are going to Rome, and if the lectures show up at a museum near you in the future, I would enthusiastically recommend them as well.

Carol Drinkwater provides so much information and knowledge about her Olive Farm. Delightful Memoirs of her life. Excellent.

The Olive Season, the sequel to Carol Drinkwater's The Olive Farm, transcends the travel memoir genre to create a searing personal narrative.

In The Olive Season, Drinkwater has wed her fiance, Michel, in the South Pacific, and has returned to their farm in southern France to bring in another olive harvest. The harvest season proves difficult, however, and the care of the olive farm becomes a challenging undertaking for the newly pregnant Drinkwater, whose situation is complicated by her husband's absence, her own professional obligations, and intrusions from her past.

The events of The Olive Season force Drinkwater to revisit her past, transcend her present and muster her courage to shape her future. Suffused with the idyllic scents and scenery of southern France, The Olive Season is both a superb piece of travel writing and a wrenching examination of life, its tragedies and its triumphs.

A five-star read that will not disappoint.

All of Carol Drinkwater's books are very well written and hard to put down. If you like the subject matter of olives, this is a particular treat. Beyond the work and detail involved in maintaining olive trees, the hard work of the harvest, the anticipation of having them pressed and rewarded with fine oil as a result..Carol's books are to me, a realization of a dream. She and Michel took the risk of buying a poorly maintained property and poured their hearts and soul into it.

THE OLIVE SEASON and THE OLIVE FARM are excellent as is THE OLIVE HARVEST. When I recently saw A CELEBRATION OF OLIVES, I thought C. Drinkwater published a new book and ordered it. I received it today and was disappointed to find it's a double volume of THE OLIVE SEASON and THE OLIVE FARM combined, both of which I have. According to Amazon.com readers who buy A CELEBRATION OF OLIVES also buy her other books. I feel like I was duped and cannot return the book.

In the Olive Season, Carol Drinkwater continuous Michel and her dream-come-true olive farm experience in the south of France. Other reviewers of her first book, as well as this reviewer, hoped for a sequel and Carol did not disappoint them. Although the book can be read and enjoyed without reading The Olive Farm, this reviewer strongly recommends that readers first read the Farm, as it provides the necessary backdrop and introduction to characters that enhances the enjoyment of the Season.

In the Season, Carol shares a lot more on personal level than in the Farm. Although I have enjoyed the first book specifically because it largely revolved around their farming experience and dealt less with them at intimate level, I can accept the change in focus because it is quite understandable when one reads about their tragic loss halfway through the book. The closing paragraph of the book confirms this conclusion. Do yourself a favour and do not read the last page of the book before you "legitimately" can after you have read the rest of it - apparently some people actually do that! It will not necessarily spoil your reading experience, but the story unfolds very well and pulls the reader closer to the author as it develops. Similar to the first book, the Season is well written and/or edited.

I again enjoyed Carol's description of the French rural characters she and Michel meet during their farming adventure. Although I appreciate her sharing of her research into various aspects of farming and nature, I find that those specific paragraphs tend to clash with the writing style of the rest of the book. Although short, they are almost reference book fact-like descriptions. However, they are far and in between and do not really distract from the overall reading experience. Their exploits into the French countryside and visits to interesting little shops and eating places do a lot to make the reader want to get onto a plane and explore those hide-away places!

If you have enjoyed The Olive Farm, you will also enjoy The Olive Season, although it is somewhat more "heavy" because of the dramatic events referred to earlier. Would I buy the next episode if Carol writes it? Yes, probably, even if only to find out whether they have managed to find a beekeeper! She clearly wrote, or at least completed, this one, inter alia for her own personal healing, but her writing style is such that I would support sequels in the Olive-saga much more positively than I would support Hollywood follow-on's!

Richard Lambert went to England to fulfill his dead wife's wish, never knowing that he would be reunited with her, albeit 700 years in the past. Meanwhile, in 1214, a very brutal Lord Richard de Lambert wreaks havoc and terror along the Welsh border. His wife Eleanor, knows him for the monster he is and doesn't really care for him. Ambushed and mortally wounded, Lord Richard's body brought home to Eleanor, and he is pronounced dead. When the priest comes to perform last rites, he finds Richard still alive. Reluctantly, Eleanor tends to Richard and as he eventually begins to heal, she finds this Richard is completely different.

This new and improved Richard, the one from the future, who fell down and most likely died while exploring the medieval keep took the place of his namesake. Richard's mind is from the future, but his body is now that of a younger man (a body better than he ever had in the future). Eleanor is the picture of his beloved deceased wife, but looks at him with fear and much less than affection. Not knowing the language, old French Norman, he must find a way to communicate and win the love of his wife while surviving in a land that would label him possessed while he tried to acquire the skills of a warrior to survive. He is faced with insurmountable problems in order to disguise his true identity and convince Eleanor of his love, and to overcome the treachery that abounds in that period.

This is a fascinating book! It is fast paced and quite intriguing. I have always thought that the more believable time travels were such as this, where it is the soul transported, or the `essence' of the person rather than the body that gets catapulted back into time. Ms. Kelleher appears to have done a marvelous job of research in describing the historical elements of the time period. All lovers of time travel should look to acquire this book for their keeper shelves! Superb read!

This is probably one of the best time-travels I've ever read. It's rich with history, and the characters are completely believable. I thought the author did a particularly great job with the hero--I could really fall in love with him!

I hope they'll do another print run of this book for those of you who haven't read it yet -- it's a wonderful blending of accurate history with romance. It reminded me a bit of Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," with the hero's modern sensibilities hitting up against a medieval environment. I adored the love story, and found it easy to suspend disbelief because the author did a great job of having the romance unfold naturally. Full of visceral detail, this book almost made me wish I could step in an English castle and vanish into the past.

Anne Kelleher knows how to draw a reader into a story. From the opening battle scene, I was completely hooked. Indeed, I had to read that paragraph several times - it is the most gruesome, and I imagine, the most realistic description of a medieval battle that I have ever read. There is a gritty reality to the entire narrative, the author gives the impression that she has studied this period in great detail and displays an admirable ability to transport her readers there. Her writing is clear, crisp, and evocative. It is a charming story without a hint of the corniness, so often found in this genre. I highly recommend this book to my friends - even to those who are wary of reading romance or time travel!

I would like to be able to share this book with more people. Any chance that the publisher will print more?

Did you ever wonder how in most time travel stories, the time-traveller always seems to fit in so seemlessly and effortlessly into their new environment? Did you ever wonder how time-travellers always seem to be able to speak the language of whatever environment they are thrust into? Did you ever wonder what it would really be like to find yourself in another time, where you didn't have a clue what anyone around you was saying?

In her latest novel, A ONCE AND FUTURE LOVE, Anne Kelleher has created a story which actually seems to take the reader into the past, with all of its uncomfortable realities, sights, sounds, smells, and customs.

Anne Kelleher's novel revolves around a middle-aged 20th century man named Richard Lambert, who after his wife passes away, travels to England only to fall to his death while exploring a medeival castle, and awakens in the body of a cruel, young ancestor in the 13th century. But unlike most time travel stories, Richard quickly realizes that he cannot speak the language, has no understanding of the customs, and has to deal with the reality of a 20th century man finding himself in a barbaric and primitve period with almost no understanding of the world around him. And to make things even worse, the body he finds himself in is severely wounded, near death, and it quickly becomes clear to him that everyone around him would rather see him dead that alive.

As in her previous three novels, Anne Kelleher demonstrates that her sense of the medeival world is detailed and acute. She forces Richard to deal with the harsh realities of the time period that he has found himself in, from the smells of the people around him and the ill tasting foods, to a 13th century wife who both fears and loathes him as a slave would feel towards its master.

The only convenience Anne Kelleher takes is to have Richard conveniently wounded in the neck long enough to slowly pick up the language and get some sense of bearings in his new world. But aside from this, her writing is extraordinary with almost poetic imagery and detail.

A ONCE AND FUTURE LOVE is clearly one of the best works of its type that has been written in modern literature. Kelleher's novel is far beyond just another time-travel romance.....rather, it is a story which truly makes the reader feel that they have visited the world that she has created, and by the end of the novel, makes the reader want to go back for even more of an absolutely unique experience.

This is an instant favorite for children and adults. The maps are so colorful and detailed; this book is a visual feast! The different lands are fun to investigate, especially if your child is familiar with the story behind each map. Explore the worlds of Jack and the Beanstalk, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and Aladdin through maps. This is a book that can grow with a child. A preschooler would enjoy this book and as they get older, introduce them to more and more of the map concepts.

This was one of those books that we happened to introduce our daughter to at the perfect time. She is 5.5, loves fairy tales, and has recently been very interested in Peter Pan, and we are teaching her about maps. She loved the book right away! She loves to have an adult read her the directions while she moves her finger around on the map. She also loves finding interesting items/people in the busy map pictures (think "Where's Waldo"). From an educational standpoint, with this book she was able to quickly understand how to use coordinate grids, keys, scale, cardinal and ordinal directions, and geographical vocabulary, all without the book being overtly didactic. Rather, it was just a fun story she could be a part of (and learning these things was an inherent by-product). I would guess most 4-8 year olds, but especially those who like fairy tale and pretend play, will enjoy this.

This is a great book that the whole family enjoys. It's fun to pick a map and since everyone knows the fairy tales already- to make new endings or stories and characters based on the wonderful maps. I've bought more of these as baby shower gifts to add to family libraries.

I'm so glad I found this book on Amazon. Beautiful illustrations with wonderful detail. My son and I both love this book!

This book is great, it really brings life to the fairy tales like Snow White and even Peter Pan with big colorful maps of everything you read about in the stories. We have a lot of fun going over the map, and I really think for a youngster 4-7 or so it is perfect for their age and imagination. It really puts a picture to the story, and makes the fairy tales all the more real.

The maps are very colorful and vibrant, and really took some imagination and time to put together. There are a lot of fun things packed in, I really enjoy it as much as my daughter. Haven't reviewed many things but HAD to write one for this because every parent needs this on the bookshelf.

This just might be the most awesome book about my hometown of NYC. The artwork is fabulous and this book is put together so well. Its shown me things I never saw. I think being a tourist in your own town is great.

I'll disregard the book's one glaring omission--Saarinen's TWA Terminal at JFK is not included--and give it a five. Well written.

and come back and sit and look at this book.

Bet you missed a lot on each street.

Then go out again and do it all over.

A real treat.

The title might have been 1,000 of the BEST buildings in New York City. No city in America, and few the world over, contain the mind-boggling ensemble of outstanding urban architecture, both historic and modern, as does New York City. This city is a national and world treasure, and all of Manhattan SHOULD be a UNESCO World Heritage site, but, alas... There's simply no comparison possible. This book is a survey of 1,000 outstanding structures in the city, properly chosen in my opinion, each including a black & white photograph and short descriptive essay. With so much wonderful material from which to choose, the book is a real feast of architectural goodness! Because it isn't as exhaustive as White & Willensky, it is more thorough in coverage of the selected buildings. It's well put together. Good buildings. Nice photography. Well written short essays. Covers the five boroughs well.

America's peninsular cities; San Francisco, New York, Charleston and Boston also happen to contain the best architecture. Hmm...

Every once in a while I'll walk down a street of my busy city and spot a building that I'd never seen before, or, if I had seen it, never paid it much mind. But something about it--its age or its architecture--tells me that there's a story to be told about it. Judith Dupre, Bill Harris, and photographer Jorg Brockmann in their monumental book, "One Thousand New York Buildings", fill in the gaps left behind in the AIA books.

There are hundreds of buildings that, for whatever reason, have escaped landmark status and/or the attention of New Yorkers. Although "One Thousand New York Buildings" does discuss the familiar structures, like the Empire State Building, the Woolworth Building, and Grand Central Station, it also devotes equal time to those that have been ignored or overlooked. What are those tiny, Colonial style houses on Harrison and Greenwich Streets? How old is that building at 2 White Street? Who lived in those somber buildings at 130-132 MacDougal Street? "One Thousand New York Buildings" answers these and hundreds of other questions. In this sense, this book is much like "New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buidlings and Landmarks" by Christopher Gray and Suzanne Braley, in as much as it pays equal tribute to the famous and not so famous structures.

One last note, this is a solidly put together book. The binding is sturdy, the paper thick and glossy, and the photos are clear and intriguing. It as well constructed as the buildings they pay homage to.

What a journey! A thrill ride to other worlds- your world? Our guide, Susan, fillets her true-self for all to feast as she allows us to experience her emotion, vulnerability, and STRENGTH. This book opened my mind, engaged my imagination, and gave me hope... What a gem!

This book is like a guide through one's own personal reality into the subconscious and beyond into hidden worlds, like dreams, and many other altered states. Fascinating concepts on time and no time, reincarnation, karma, life choices, and even death and spirits. This book is above and beyond because it frees one to open their minds to encompass the scope of life beyond what we understand without adhering to any particular belief system. It is kind of like the more you open, the richer your life becomes. The whole book gives you an 'ah hah!' kind of feeling, a sense of constantly being enlightened. A good book to read over and over.

I am reading this book for the third time. It is SO packed with incredible insights and usable thought processes I was folding most every page so I could go back for reference. It was very well received at our womens' health fair in clinic. Kalior is my new favorite author, I have read all 4 of her books. Some fantasy, all life enriching.

This is an extremely amazing book. It takes you on a very deep journey of love and life. Very inspirational. Susan did a wonderful job on this. Thank you.

This book is a most soulfully interwoven journey the dives deeply into the adventure of self-exploration. It reflects all of life's internal issues on multiple levels and is cram packed with plenty of real substance. A very courageous book to steps out of the norm and yet is delivered in the most delightful way. It's brilliant!


This writer Susan truly has an amazing gift!

Linda Post

There is a lot of good information in this book, but most of it can be found toward the beginning. The tips on predicting the weather alone could be worth the price of the book. However, the maps of the various waterways were absolutely terrible. I would recommend this book for a general overview and lots of tips and tricks for paddlers, and the two "Canoeing and Kayaking the Streams of Florida" guides for detailed information on specific waterways.

Well, I've typed this twice, I think. Anyway, the writer has a good sense of humor, and I'd like to paddle with her sometime. Each chapter has a story to go with it, from Indian history to digging fossils to fishing to how NOT to cook on a week long canoe camping trip.

I'll use this book often.

I found the book "Paddler's Guide" easy to find ones way around in through a well organized index. The locations that I looked up i.e. Chassahowitzka and Weeki Wachie rivers had all the info that one could possible need to set off on a paddle.
Very important though is to read first the initial chapters on Tips for Paddling. Their is a wealth of information in this book. Congratulations.

After much looking around, this is the first book I actually bought. Its got very detailed, practical information on most of the waterways, but doesn't even mention some beautiful rivers that I've paddled in the central area of the state. While the text was excellent, I found the maps to be confusing and lacking in detail about ramps and access roads, compared to my personal knowledge of the roads and waterways of some areas. Its one of the most recently written books on this subject, so the information is probably the most current. It is not just a dry info book, but includes humorous stories about paddling and camping, altho the author writes as if she would enjoy the outdoors much more without all that pesky wildlife! Still, I highly recommend this book for planning your next outing.

The lady who wrote this book must be a lot of fun to paddle with. Her dry humor shows up in every chapter. I'd like to meet her in person.
Besides a great deal of advice about problems specific to Florida, she gives a number of safety tips. I almost felt like I was being mothered.
Obviously an experienced writer, Sandy Huff has a story to tell about each destination, ranging from history to botany to birding to how NOT to cook while camping. I also intend to put a stick of hot glue and a book of matches in my emergency kit from now on.
Very enjoyable reading, and probably the most comprehensive where-to book ever pubished for canoers and kayakers about Florida waters. I'll go back to this book often

The PassPorter for DCL was very, very helpful for my family and me. They pretty much have all the answers in here to any question that you might have about DCL and cruising in general. The maps and planning how-to s made me feel like an old hand from the minute we arrived at the terminal until we disembarked. Between the print version, the free online updates and the passporter.com web forum, you have all the info you need to plan out a great cruise, including OBJECTIVE reviews of the shore excursions and the activities available onboard. DCL has so much going on at every hour (without casinos) for cruisers with and without children, you have to have a good idea ahead of time what you want to do and when, and we would not have had nearly as much fun (I am sure) if we did not have our PassPorter to guide us!

I found the passporter to be very helpful in planning our vacation. A year and a half ago I used the Disney Vacation Passporter and it was VERY helpful, even giving a few tips to make our trip MAGICAL (ask about riding in the front of the monorail). So it was only natural that this time as we plan our Disney Cruise Vacation, I would purchas the Passporter's Disney Cruise Line. Again, I found this book to be VERY helpful in planning this vacation. I feel very prepared for when we finally board the Disney Cruise Ship. I feel as though I know some of the ins and outs, as well as what to expect for many parts of our trip. I would recommend any of the Passporter's books when planning any kind of Disney Vacation. I'm VERY pleased with the information contained in the book.

This is THE book that Disney should include for free with your cruise. Everything you need to know for the cruise is included. The book includes highlighted chapter tabs to quickly find a section of the book. As a second-time cruiser, I found the book to have great tips for things I didn't do on the first cruise. Highly recommended.

I love this series of books. The authors are very thorough and detailed. This is a great book and will help you plan out a wonderful vacation!

Everyone who wants to take a cruise on the Disney Wonder or the Disney Magic should read this book. It is much better than the Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line book. I highly recommend this book!!

Pennsylvania Wilds is a thick, hardcover coffee-table-sized book filled to the brim with beautiful photography of the Allegheny National Forest region in Pennsylvania. From bear prints, to snow scenes, to serene waterscapes, and colorful characters, this book is a pictorial vacation getaway.

But Pennsylvania Wilds is more than a vacation--it also contains script telling you about the region and its history, even delving into some scientific facts. For those who live in Pennsylvania, the book is a great state study book for homeschoolers. For those who live elsewhere, but are interested in other states or are just looking for a great place to travel to, then this is a book sure to whet your appetite for experiencing the panoramic landscape views in person.

I thoroughly enjoyed thumbing through Pennsylvania Wilds and in fact looked through it several days before writing the review. My only complaint is that some of the scientific fact included in the book is evolution-based and not creationism.

Included at the back of the book is a CD with more information about Pennsylvania and even more pictures, though some are the same as in the book. Although the price is a bit high, I recommend this book for those interested in Pennsylvania and photography.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are just an armchair traveler, this book is sure to fill some travel needs.

I loved this book because it shows some beautiful areas of the country that alot of people may never get to see. Me, I just have to go outside my cabin and I'm there!! The photography is great, showing me areas that I haven't even seen.
Time was taken in putting this book together and it shows!!!

"Beauty," says the poet, "is a joy forever." That being said, beauty alone might be incentive for buying this book.

The photographs in "Pennsylvania Wilds" are, indeed, beautiful. And the accompanying text is equally attractive. You might purchase this book and return to it time and again and find much enjoyment in its contents--more than might be found in your ordinary coffee table book.

But there's much more to this book than just something nice to peruse.

It's a tribute to the Allegheny National Forest, the only one in the commonwealth and a genuine treasure. Established in 1923, the 513,000 acre forest is a monument to conservation and a source of pride for all Pennsylvanians. It's a boon to recreation, tourism and the economy.

For those who haven't visited, or are unable to, this book offers a wonderful introduction to the area's history and attractions. And, after viewing the images and text, there are undoubtedly going to be more people including it in their travel plans.

There are gems of history in this book--about the Seneca, the lumbering and oil booms; Thomas Kane, reputed to be the first Pennsylvanian to enlist and who organized the famous Bucktails regiment in the Civil War; the legacy of the nation's first tree plantation and environmental pioneers like Joseph Rothrock and Gifford Pinchot.

Ed Bernik, a veteran commercial photographer, has captured an outstanding collection of images of the forest and its inhabitants. Lisa Gensheimer, a documentary producer and writer whose work has appeared nationwide on public television stations, lucidly outlines the history and color of the region.

As an added bonus, purchasers of the book also receive a Forest Companion CD complete with map, travel guide and additional reasons to visit the region.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06)

This beautiful coffee table book, with narrative by Lisa Gensheimer and photographs by Ed Bernik, takes the reader/viewer on a spectacular journey through the Allegheny National Forest from its creation to the present. Both the author and the photographer capture the mystifying world of nature and people, not only the wonders of the landscape but the personalities of the inhabitants.

"Pennsylvania Wilds" gives a historical overview of the Allegheny National Forest beginning 375 million years ago when the area was a warm inland sea. Grensheimer explains the evolution from water to land that occurred over time as well as provides a map of glacial deposits. She also writes about the archaeological findings of pre-historic cultures as well as Native American inhabitants, the settling by Europeans, and the shift to modern times. Today's residents are "people who live in the shadows of the trees [and] are as strong and resilient as the forest itself. They are independent thinkers - creative entrepreneurs who find in the forest a source of sustenance, inspiration, and at the end of the day, quiet solitude." (p.37)

Greshneimer puts together the history and the present lives of people in a short, concise narrative interspersed with historical and recent photographs. However, this is just a prelude for what is to come in the rest of the book. The "Images from the Allegheny National Forest" are spectacular! Pages from 45 to 135 are filled with incredible photographs that the reader can get lost in for hours. From the weathered faces of the residents to the flora of the forest, from the debris left in the field to the places of worship, from paved roads to a heritage mural...it's all there. As a bonus, inside the back cover is a CD with a travel guide, map, screensaver, and more than 50 reasons to visit the area.

It's hard for me to put into words what I got out of this "Pennsylvania Wilds" because every aspect of it touched a different cord in me. First of all, I love the cover - I could almost smell the moss on the forest floor. Secondly, the feel of the pages were very inviting. The short history and transition into the present gave me a very broad overview of the area. And, then there were the photographs! Incredible!

A Southern California transpant, every time I pick up "Pennsylvania Wilds: Images from the Allegheny National Forest," I feel like I'm home again. What a wonderful tribute to the beauty of northwestern Pennsylvania. The photographs capture the heart and soul of the forest region, and the story gives the rich detail of area's history. This one is definitely a getter--and a keeper!

Yes, this book is very witty and very easy to read. I am en route to France for a year next year as an American exchange student, and I found this book to be very helpful for every aspect of the process--except I wish she added more information like "Why did she switch host families?" and about school. She barely mentioned anything about homework, the lycée, or anything like that. But I loved everything else about the book. It was intriguing and exciting. And also, it's a very nice quick read. If you are, going to be, or was an exchange student, this book is a must-have. Anther book I recommend is The Exchange Student Survival Kit. Au revoir!

I am planning on studying abroad to France in 2003 and this book has helped me out in many ways. It told me exactly what I need to know before I go, how the French people are, the school system, and it gave me encouragement. Just reading about how she doesn't regret going makes me want to go even more. I just wished she would have added more about how to handle so much school! Anyway, this book is great to read, even if you aren't planning on going to France. It has a lot of interesting facts that I could never imagine possible. Great book.

The author of Postcards from France, Megan Libby, was just 16 when she went to France in 1994 as your typical AFS student. But she wasn't typical: she had her eyes wide open and was able to record, in a series of letters and postcards sent back home, what a humbling experience it is to be a newcomer in another culture. By turns comedic, touching, insightful, and revealing, Postcards from France is always refreshing - and it's highly likely this talented young author will go on to write more books that will be a pleasure to read.

The moment I saw this book in the bookstore, I knew I had to get it because Megan did what I have always wanted to do: be an exchange student in another country. This book is just so charming, delightful, and cute. I finally was able to be an exchange student this summer in a Spanish speaking country, and while I was not gone a whole academic year but only for a couple of weeks, I always had this book by my side because so many things were the same. So if you have ever been an exchange student before/hosted one in America, or are going too I recomend this book right away, and if you are just looking for a good book to read you'll have a ball.

On the cover of this book, the publisher exudes, "A delightfully irresistible, charming account of a young American girl's year abroad." For once, this kind of description is actually an understatement. Yes, the book is in fact "delightfully irresistible" and truly charming. But the writing is also exceptionally limpid and evocative and betrays an exceptional maturity and talent. Megan McNeill Libby gives us beautifully impressionistic portraits of France, the French, and her very personal struggles, disasters, and triumphs. Her depiction of the French is extraordinarily perceptive and from my own experience living in France totally accurate. At times, I laughed until I cried; more frequently, I caught myself involuntarily smiling and nodding in agreement. But the deeper reward of reading this book is simply seeing the way that Ms. Libby writes and thinks. She is one of those rare authors with whom one falls in love after (no, during) a single reading. I am normally sparing with my praise, but I readily admit to being a gourmand for this book. Merci bien, Megan, and please give us more!