A Little
Taste of Italy
Let me
start by saying that I’m Italian, so my favourite part of the book was when Liz went to Italy. The way she
writes about the people, the food and even the vocabulary (the scene at the game was hysterical!) was spot
on. I felt like I was taking a trip back to visit my relatives in Rome, and I swear that some of the places
she pointed out sounded familiar. I’m sure I tried the rabbit dish at the very same restaurant. The other
sections of the book were interesting, too. I read it very like a travel diary, and although I couldn’t
relate to the marital problems and mid-life crises that she seemed to go through throughout the book, I liked
hearing about her journey. It was a great, easy read. I actually picked it up at the airport, and it made me
want to get right back on a plane to Rome. — Isabella
A
Soulful Indulgence
Loved
it! Honest and very personal. Every detailed experience told in her comforting self-deprecating humour was
fun to read. At times weepy, when most readers would wish she could just appreciate she was in Italy,
India or Bali and stop crying already, I understood Liz’s rush of emotions and self-doubt. Sometimes,
difficult life changes like divorce bring on a necessary journey of self-discovery. I identified with her
time in Italy when she was learning to be on her own. Eating everything in sight but she was still hungry.
She fed her soul with a new language and the simple pleasures in life. I too have been living overseas in a
similar experience. My pleasure didn’t start with a plate of pasta, but in an unforeseen addiction to Korean
rice and kimchi. The point is, everyone’s journey is different and on hers Liz learns to ask herself, “What
do you want to do?” This is a book I’d recommend to anyone because no matter where your life takes you,
you must not forget to ask yourself those six little words. — Tanya
A
Guiding Light
I
thoroughly enjoyed these memoirs. Liz writes like a poet and I appreciated her vivid imagery. As a teacher
myself I enjoyed the way that she guides her readers through her journey from country to country. Although I
found her chapter on Italy tantalizing, my favourite was certainly Bali. It was a unique glimpse into a world
I have little access to, with a guide who was as enamoured by the culture and spirituality of her
surroundings as I would be. The book was not only entertaining, it helped me to forge a stronger relationship
with myself — just as Elizabeth Gilbert does when she writes to her “inner Liz” on the bathroom floor. I
would recommend this to anybody; my 18-year-old daughter is currently enjoying my dog-eared copy. —
Joanne
