4 out of 5 stars
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3 Sisters 3 Weeks 3 Countries (Still Talking): A Humorous and Heartfelt Memoir is a book by Elizabeth Moore Kraus. The three sisters were Leslie, Les, Elizabeth, Liz, and Laurie, Rie. The Moore sisters traveled to three countries to explore new places. During their adventure, they learned more about themselves. The tour wasn't all rosy. Still, they strived to make sure the issues that came up didn't escalate. The memoir had themes of genuine love, forgiveness, tolerance, and acceptance.
The youngest of the sisters, Rie, convinced her sisters that they should embark on the sisters' trip she had been telling them about. After much convincing, they obliged. This led to the culmination of a three-week journey. The first country they visited was Ireland. They visited iconic places like Trinity College, a venue for public viewing of the Book of Kells, and Dublin’s medieval cathedrals. The trip wasn't bad, as they had fun moments and not-so-fun moments, an instance being when they were lost. The second country was England. The lodging wasn't so comfy, but Les, unwilling to lose her deposit and pay more, had to endure the one-room living arrangement. They visited Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, Paddington Underground Station, and other intriguing locations. Because they shared a room and neither had alone time, some issues arose, and a stowed-away grievance was brought to the surface. Would they be able to resolve them? The last country they visited was Scotland. Here, they discovered the history of war heroes.
I appreciated, to a large extent, that the author introduced her sisters and herself. She listed their qualities and the things they were capable of doing. This information made readers know what to expect from each of them and also be able to relate to them. I liked that all the chapters had titles tagged alongside them. This feature gave a summary of what would be discussed in the chapters, and as such, I found it enlightening. The book was quite engaging because, at some point in their travels, Liz would take time to narrate to the reader incidents that happened way earlier in their lives.
I learned from the three sisters how to endeavor to speak up for oneself. Their ex-husbands would always want to suppress their voices. Nonetheless, after some time, they didn't let them or anyone else stifle their voices. This serves as a reminder to readers that they shouldn't let their voices be taken away. It was encouraging to find the sisters always sticking together and looking out for each other despite their awkward moments on the trip. This perfectly depicted a worthy sisterhood. I liked their excellent communication. This allowed them to relay their fears and resolve issues.
Some parts of the books were humorous, and I found this pleasing. An instance was the period the sisters went on an extensive bus tour. The tour guide, Jack, instructed the tourists on when to return to the bus and where it would be packed so they would not get lost. However, despite his repetition of the instruction, a couple failed to adhere to it, and I found their action very amusing, coupled with how the author described it. Another illustration is how they effortlessly give people that they meet in uncertain situations names that fit the scene they encounter them in.
The memoir was a great read. Nonetheless, I would have loved it more if the author had incorporated pictures of places they visited between the texts. This would have created a more entertaining atmosphere for the book. Nonetheless, I didn't let this affect me much, as I made do with the pictures at the end of each trip to the three countries. From the photos, I must mention that I found the sisters beautiful, as well as their smiles. It was magnetic.
I encountered several errors, which indicates the book wasn't properly edited. I'll subtract a star and rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because of the errors, regardless of the positive aspects mentioned. I liked that the sisters were intentional about being good traveling companions, and this inspired me. The desire to explore new places was also instilled in me while reading, and I look forward to doing that. I recommend this book to fans of travel memoirs.
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3 Sisters 3 Weeks 3 Countries (Still Talking)
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