Audiobook7 hours
All Over the Map
Written by Laura Fraser
Narrated by Kirsten Potter
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
On a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, to celebrate her fortieth birthday, Laura Fraser confronts the unique trajectory of her life. Divorced and childless in her thirties, she found solace in the wanderlust that had always directed her heart-and found love and comfort in the arms of a dashing Frenchman. Their Italian affair brought her back to herself-but now she wonders if her passion for travel (and for short-lived romantic rendezvous) has deprived her of what she secretly wants most from life: a husband, a family, a home.
When her Parisian lover meets her in Oaxaca and gives her news that he's found someone new, Laura is stunned and hurt. Now, it seems, she has nothing but her own independence for company-and, at forty, a lot more wrinkles on her face and fewer years of fertility. How is Laura going to reconcile what seem to be two opposite desires: for adventure, travel, great food, and new experiences, but also a place to call home-and a loving pair of arms to greet her there?
So she globe hops. What else is a travel writer to do? From Argentina to Peru, Naples to Paris, she basks in the glow of new cultures and local delicacies, always on the lookout for the "one" who might become a lifelong companion. But when a terrible incident occurs while she's on assignment in the South Pacific, Laura suddenly finds herself more aware of her vulnerability and becomes afraid of traveling. It seems as if she might lose the very thing that has given her so much pleasure in her life, not to mention the career she has built for herself as a world traveler and chronicler of far-flung places.
Finding herself again will be both more difficult and more natural than she imagined. Ultimately, Laura realizes the most important journey she must take is an internal one. And the tale of how she reaches that place will captivate every woman who has ever yearned for a different life.
When her Parisian lover meets her in Oaxaca and gives her news that he's found someone new, Laura is stunned and hurt. Now, it seems, she has nothing but her own independence for company-and, at forty, a lot more wrinkles on her face and fewer years of fertility. How is Laura going to reconcile what seem to be two opposite desires: for adventure, travel, great food, and new experiences, but also a place to call home-and a loving pair of arms to greet her there?
So she globe hops. What else is a travel writer to do? From Argentina to Peru, Naples to Paris, she basks in the glow of new cultures and local delicacies, always on the lookout for the "one" who might become a lifelong companion. But when a terrible incident occurs while she's on assignment in the South Pacific, Laura suddenly finds herself more aware of her vulnerability and becomes afraid of traveling. It seems as if she might lose the very thing that has given her so much pleasure in her life, not to mention the career she has built for herself as a world traveler and chronicler of far-flung places.
Finding herself again will be both more difficult and more natural than she imagined. Ultimately, Laura realizes the most important journey she must take is an internal one. And the tale of how she reaches that place will captivate every woman who has ever yearned for a different life.
Author
Laura Fraser
Laura Fraser is a San Francisco–based journalist and writing mentor whose latest travel memoir, All Over the Map, is a sequel to her 2001 New York Times best seller, An Italian Affair. She was the cofounder and editorial director of Shebooks.
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Reviews for All Over the Map
Rating: 3.5357142857142856 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
42 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have to admit, I fell in love with this story from the get go. All Over the Map chronicles the life of Laura Fraser, a freelance writer and journalist who is trying to answer one of life’s great questions; can a woman be independent and free spirited with a great career while at the same time establish and maintain a long lasting relationship? Her soul searching journey takes her to the four corners of the world and you’d be surprised with the answers that she finds. All over the map is the sequel to The Italian Affair, Fraser’s earlier work yet the book can easily stand on its own. There are many references to the latter story but this is only done to give the reader some perspective on where Fraser has come from. Some readers may also find this story a close resemblance to Eat Pray Love by Elisabeth Gilbert but my jury is still out on that matter. The story offers something for everyone. It’s devoted to those of us who wish we could “go there someday”. The reader lives vicariously through Fraser who, with each new location, does a great job recreating the sights and smells of the place in vivid detail. If that wasn’t enough to get your attention, foodies will be delighted to find out that their passion is given equal treatment. You can almost taste the meals as you read. Aside from the great locales, the story is a treasure trove of ideas, concepts and beliefs about life that is both relevant and pertinent to modern women. As a memoir, this story gives the reader a sense of being in the author’s head. It’s a great tactic for first person narration since in gaining the perspective of the author, you also begin to identify with her. Though the crux of the issue takes place in midlife for Fraser I couldn’t help but wonder if it possible for this juncture in life; finding a balance between being intelligent, successful and independent while finding and maintaining a great relationship, to come earlier? I think that most young woman of my generation are holding fast to those same feminist ideals that Fraser expounds in her book. The other advantage of the writing style is that you can look at her life from an outsider’s perspective. Fraser is most comfortable on the road, running from her problems and she at times refuses to face her reality. It’s funny because she always gets placed in situations where she has no other choice but to face the facts. I found great examples of this on the retreat and at her class reunion. The characters that we are introduced to the readers are just as rich and dynamic as the places that Fraser visits. Her inner circle stays true to her lifestyle and comprises of people from around the world. Though there was not a lot of emphasis placed on them at times, there present certainly made Fraser’s journey seem less lonely. There is truly no happily ever after except for the ones that we create and All Over the Map embodies that premise perfectly. I really enjoyed reading this book but I also came out of the experience much wiser about what I want and do not want in life. If you haven't read this book yet then you should. This book should definitely be in your to-read pile.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A wonderful tale about coming to terms with the choices we make along the way and living life to its fullest. Fraser may have traveled the whole world living her dream career as a travel writer, but she longs for the quiet stability of a family life in a place she can call home. Throughout her journey, she learns to view her life in a different light and appreciate the richness of the fruits of her decisions.
As a fellow woman writer approaching midlife, I know from experience I cannot have it all at the same time. Having a family requires sacrifices most single people cannot appreciate, especially when those choices demand self-sacrifice for the benefit of children with special needs or a spouse who desperately wants to pursue a dream. On the other hand, Fraser may sacrifice the stability and security of a husband and children, but she gets to enjoy a spontaneous life full of travel and writing. I know if Fraser was living in my circumstances she would feel incomplete, dissatisfied, frustrated, and restless as a mother of an autistic child who only functioned in a rigid routine, could not fly in an airplane, and could not adapt to other cultural experiences.
Fraser understands the universe gives us what we need, not what we want. She has written a great, thoughtful read that will get you thinking about your own life in a new way. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5More of a 2.5 than a 3, but I'm rounding up because I'm maybe influenced by the fact that this woman's "poor me" life makes mine feel inferior.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Laura Fraser is 40 years old, recently divorced, a successful journalist who travels around the world writing magazine articles. Her lover, a European professor she met in Italy, and who has maintained an on-again, off-again relation with her for several years, announces he has met a woman with whom he can settle down in France, and have children. So "Ciao bella" it's been nice.In assessing her life she finds she has a tendency to be impulsive, drinks a lot, hops into bed with men she's just met, and regrets that her independent spunky lifestyle prevents men from forming lasting attachments to her. Well DUH! Who's going to 'settle down' with someone whose answer to a life crisis is to buy a plane ticket and go climb a mountain.She decides that she is going to make it her life's project to settle down, find a man, marry him, and have a child before her biological clock runs out. She has a series of meetings, relationships, trips, retreats, and other 'adventures' but no luck. We have to trek through this self-flagellation, revelation as she goes from Italy, to Mexico, to Peru, to Rwanda, etc etc etc.There is a hopeful ending and that has me saying "Thank goodness". I'm not sure the book could have been sold without some type of resolution, but it is one that may not sit well with many readers. Forty-something women who haven't "found themselves" yet, or who are in life-changing situations may find something of merit in this one. For those of us who are well past that stage, the angst is hard to swallow. I kept wanting to say GET A GRIP.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5All Over the Map By Laura Fraser Over forty, funny, smart woman works as a travel writer. Laura lives in San Franscisco and travels the world to exotic exciting locations to write magazine articles. She is multilingual, loves meeting new people and enjoys tasting interesting cuisine. Post divorce and turning forty she can no longer bare the thought of being alone and never having children as she grows older. Travel is her job and her escape. If you enjoyed Eat Pray Love, this memoir is comparable, perhaps better written. The reader must be able to tolerate incessant whining and complaining and just enjoy the beautiful detailed trips and witty commentary.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I enjoyed reading All Over the Map. It is written in the first person and is an autobiographical telling of a woman’s life after her divorce. She had a dream of finding a good man to marry, children, a house and a career that lets her travel. She already had the wonderful career but it didn’t seem like enough. She desperately wanted a man to have all attributes on her list. She felt that time was running out that the children she wanted so much may never be born. At the beginning of the book, I grew tired of her complaining and kept saying “Grow up” under my breath. But she actually did some major growing up and it was a great joy to read about that happening. What this book is to me is like a friend coming over to enjoy a great meal and a very long talk. .She describes what she ate with such great detail that it makes you want to stop everything and put together a mouth watering feast. Also, I love her description of the places that she went during that period of her life. Her descriptions of the Samoan beaches, the scenery and the local people in the towns and cities of Italy and Mexico were so real that you could imagine being there. But most of all, I appreciated her honesty in telling about her relationships with men, even the most difficult times.I would recommend this book to every woman who has ever been “dumped”, gone through divorce or would like to learn more about how to approach life in a more positive viewpoint. It should be required reading for all those women who have long lists of what their husband should be like too!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The relatively new genre of memoir of middle aged woman finding herself (usually after divorce) seems almost a second coming of age. These are women disillusioned by the whole struggle of balancing careers, families, and personal growth, looking to lead fuller, more meaningful lives, and always to find their one true love. Laura Fraser fits easily in this category and All Over the Map is the story of her second coming of age.Laura Fraser is a restless traveler with no roots, running away from the decisions she's made, when her 45th birthday approaches. She decides a man will fix everything and sets out to find the right one. Her travels are interesting and she describes the places she visits in tantalizing detail. I found myself marking places I want to see. Even Samoa, the scene of a life-changing disaster for Fraser, sounds appealing in her description. Still, I cringed every time she jumped into a new relationship and often found myself wanting to shake her. The ending saves the book for me. I won't give anything away, but I felt that Fraser did finally gain some insight.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a great book about a woman's attempt to rebuild her life after 40. Though she doesn't achieve all her goals, she has many fascinating travel experiences. I hope she writes more books about her life.