3 out of 4 stars
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Accidental Travels of a Single Woman by Terry Woods is a non-fiction book that describes the adventures undertaken by the author after discovering her incompatibility with the summer heat of her Las Vegas home. Luckily, she discovers travel clubs that are an affordable option for those looking to travel often. Some of the destinations captured in this book include Seattle, New England, Texas, and parts of Italy, France, Germany and Australia. The book contains thirty-nine chapters describing various trips and adventures the author embarked on over a sixteen year period, beginning in 2001.
The stories told within this book are sometimes humorous, sometimes moving, and always enjoyable to read. Each chapter is relatively short, none being more than a few pages long. The conciseness of each story created focus within the narrative; it never felt as though the author was rambling or veering off topic. Similarly, Woods’ tone is reflective and thoughtful, which made reading each chapter engaging. Moreover, this book is incredibly well written, making it easy to become absorbed in the narrative.
Many times, the author’s travel companions or host families from the travel club play an important role in the author’s stories. However, it often felt as though the stories were being relayed to people who were already familiar with these characters. I rarely felt a connection to these characters as they were never fully described, nor were their individual personalities ever fully developed within the context of the story. Generally, these characters were all missing something to bring their importance in the story to the forefront. There were a few exceptions to this, one being Joan, a hot-headed travel companion that the author managed to wrangle during their trip through New England one fall.
Similarly, although the author narrates each chapter, it isn’t until the second half of the book that her personality emanates from the pages. The first portion of the book felt more like a nice travel journal with some cute anecdotes that didn’t really provide a lot of information about the author's personality. However, in the second half, the author truly opens up, and the book becomes so much more than what one would expect from a travel journal. The second portion delves into the author’s reflections on love, faith, religion, independence, history and cultural differences. While the first part touches on some of these elements, the author’s voice and true character don’t really make an appearance.
Accidental Travels of a Single Woman was an easy, joyful book to read. By the end of the book, I felt a connection to the author, and it was easy to see how her adventures all over the globe helped shape the recent years of her life. However, I would have enjoyed knowing more about the many characters involved in her journeys. Further, I wish the first half of the book had the same intimate connection to the author as I found in the second half. Due to these factors, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. This book would appeal most to those who enjoy reading self-reflective books with a focus on traveling and personal growth.
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Accidental Travels of a Single Woman
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