Review of Bluewater Walkabout

[joydee oyugie]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Bluewater Walkabout" by Tina Dreffin.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Tina Dreffin, an independent woman who likes to travel, believes that if more of our countrymen visited other countries and stayed a while, fewer wars would be started. She sets out on an epic South Pacific trip while both feeling excited and afraid. This book, BlueWater Walkabout is Tina's account of her trip, which she took with her husband Peter and their two sons, Adam and Warren.

With her husband, two teenage boys, and their two friends, the author embarks on a sea adventure from South Africa to the Caribbean. The trip was fraught with danger, including waves that might kill you and life-threatening marine creatures. The author did a remarkable job of demystifying the physical and psychological obstacles that she and her family encountered while traveling, particularly the difficult experiences they had in South Africa's dangerous and criminalized areas. However, despite overwhelming obstacles, this steadfast family persisted and succeeded in their ambitious goals. In addition, Tina revealed some depressing times in her life prior to her union with Peter, including instances of financial struggles and abuse. But this zealous family never budged before insurmountable challenges and accomplished their ambitious drive.

The fact that the author wrote this book as a dedication to her husband Peter and their two boys, Adam and Warren, struck a chord with me. In the preface, Tina, who was quite young, seemed to be on an endless treadmill to obtain a better career, a better automobile, and nicer quarters, but after meeting Peter, she realized that she had been approaching life incorrectly. I could identify with the author's experience since Peter was able to love Tina deeply enough to share her dreams.

Furthermore, I admire Tina's parenting; she wanted to improve their kids' cultural awareness, so she made a space for their sons to engage in life outside themselves by traveling and learning the customs of the places they went, allowing them to bring those impressions back with them. I also value Tina Dreffin's disclosure of some details about how she met her husband and their relationship. I find it incredible that she included a lot of details about her family and herself in the memoir and didn't simply concentrate on their experiences. She had numerous instances of sexual abuse, including when the interviewer drugged and raped her. As our society considers sexual abuse as something shameful, she was told not to include it in her writing. It took a lot of courage to be persistent, so her courage moved me.

Nothing about the book bothered me. The book had a wonderful flow and was a well-written memoir with both ups and downs as well as bravery stories, so it was worth the effort to read. I appreciate how the author encourages readers to travel and pursue their interests. I applaud the author for including actual photographs from the event in this book as well. I admire the images she chose; they made reading the book quite enjoyable. I give this book, BlueWater Walkabout, 4 out of 4 stars, since the editing was flawless.

I recommend this book to female victims of sexual abuse. I also suggest it to anyone who is reluctant to follow a long-held ambition or wants to go on an adventure but is hesitant to do so.

******
Bluewater Walkabout
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon