Non-fiction
Recommended for: Young Adults
I wish Giovanni would kiss me.
Oh, but there are so many reasons why this would be a terrible idea. To begin with, Giovanni is ten years younger than I am, and — like most Italian guys in their twenties — he still lives with his mother. These facts alone make him an unlikely romantic partner for me, given that I am a professional American woman in my mid-thirties, who has just come through a failed marriage and a devastating, interminable divorce, followed immediately by a passionate love affair that ended in sickening heartbreak. This loss upon loss has left me feeling sad and brittle and about seven thousand years old. Purely
as a matter of principle I wouldn’t inflict my sorry, busted-up old self on the lovely, unsullied Giovanni. Not to mention that I have finally arrived at that age where a woman starts to question whether the wisest way to get over
the loss of one beautiful brown-eyed young man is indeed to promptly invite another one into her bed. This is why I have been alone for many months now. This is why, in fact, I have decided to spend this entire year in celibacy.
To which the savvy observer might inquire: “Then why did you come to Italy?”
To which I can only reply — especially when looking across the table at handsome Giovanni —“Excellent question.”
I am not someone who enjoys non-fiction books. The only non-fiction books I have read (and enjoyed) prior to this were Julie&Julia and Marley&Me (ha, ha. See the similarities in the titles?). And even in those books I recall skipping through excessive amounts of text that had no relevance to the story and--frankly--bored me to death.
But, this. I had to literally peel myself away from the book to go and study (note: not a good book to indulge in during the exam period). And it was hard.
Gilbert writes... well, beautifully. Her book is divided into three parts, each for a different country she had travelled to during her 'year of self-discovery'. Each part is further divided so that there are 108 little chapters in all, which i think is just genius. I loved every word of it. Sometimes i read a paragraph a second time round just because i loved it so much.
She made me go to Italy. She took me to the temples of India and the streets of Bali.
I was inspired by the movie to get the book, and I don't regret a single dollar i spent on it (darn, books are getting expensive).
Elizabeth is in her mid-thirties, trying to get pregnant, when she realises that she doesn't want a family. A bitter divorce and a rebound fling later, Liz decides to take a year off and travel to discover herself.
She learns pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and balance in Indonesia (Note the 'I's).
Each word is so exquisitely written, and the story flows like magic.
I don't want to spoilt it for you, i really don't. Get this book now. A magical, enlightening book about self-discovery that will definitely change you and nourish your soul!
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