WITHOUT RESERVATIONS- The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach

 Finished Fr 5/27/22

This appears to be one of the books that I got when I was a member of Quality Paperbacks many years ago. There is no indication when I got it or if I even read the book.

The book is a combination of 'memoir' and 'travel'.

An affluent, single mother of two adult sons decides that it's her turn to visit some of the places that she had always dreamed of seeing. She has taken a sabbatical from the Baltimore Sun where she worked as a Pulitzer prize winning reporter and columnist.  

The book is divided into sections: Paris, London, Oxford, Italy.

The book is a relaxing read and very engaging yet not in the least groundbreaking.

A positive review on Goodreads:

"Go on a trip through Europe without leaving your home with famed journalist Steinbach in this wonderful travel memoir. Steinbach does a fabulous job of not only setting the visual scenes of each locale, but also adding her own personal sensibility to each page. She did all of the traveling she talks about in this book all on her own so the stories are, in addition to being about European ways and customs, about the life of the single wanderer. Since this book is more about the author and less about the details of the cities she visits, it’s not for someone looking for in-depth information on Europe. Others wanting a general view of experiences waiting for them abroad will be pleased, though."

A more negative review at GoodReads:

I think I'm too cynical for books like this. I think I like the idea of them more than I like the reality. The basic premise - middle-aged divorced mother of two suffering from empty-nest-syndrome drops out of her life to travel around Europe alone and 'find herself' - is so overdone, so clichéd, that I almost found myself rolling my eyes on every page.

I found it an enjoyable enough read, don't get me wrong - it's always entertaining to see familiar places through others' eyes, and Steinbach is a lively, engaging writer - but I didn't find it inspiring or motivating, powerful or insightful. Taking six months' out to visit three countries, stay in fine hotels and eat out in restaurants and cafes for every meal is, to me at least, hardly bold or daring, hardly a radical change of life. It's basically the extended holiday we'd all love to take."