Official Review: Circling the World to Find Myself
- RachelEmmanuel
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Official Review: Circling the World to Find Myself
A middle-aged woman with a degree in Food Science decides to run away from her unhappy marriage by applying to be a diplomatic consultant in the country of Kyrgyzstan. In a world completely unfamiliar to her and assigned to a job very different from the one she had applied for, she finds purpose and a new zeal for life.
Circling the World to Find Myself by Jeri Rutherford is the true-life story of the author's travels to Kyrgyzstan during the Bush presidency. The book is a fast-paced read, full of adventure and some close calls. From the moment she steps off the plane in Kyrgyzstan, Rutherford finds herself in one crazy situation after another, and I credit her ability to think on her feet for being able to survive the many challenges that were thrown at her.
From her inability to communicate to the fact that the job they assigned her needed an entirely different skillset from hers, Rutherford tackled each situation with remarkable calmness. Her enthusiasm for understanding the culture and for seeing and experiencing as much as possible during her time in the country is admirable, even though they did put her in some amusing and sometimes dangerous situations. Her experience at the public baths, which were meant only for men, had me laughing out loud while I held my breath at some of her more dangerous adventures.
The book also provides a lot of information about the way NGOs and government aid operations function in foreign countries. It brings to light the lack of understanding that these large organizations have of the actual needs of the people they are meant to be serving. Physically being among the people of Kyrgyzstan gave the author a better understanding of their needs, their ideas about America, and the amount of tax-payer money that is wasted on programs that don't really help the people of these countries in the ways they need it.
The book is fast, funny, and well written. It is short enough to finish in one sitting but is packed, from start to finish, with a whole lot of adventure and information. It could, however, do with another round of editing; I found a fair amount of typos and missing commas. There is some sexual innuendo but nothing too overt, so the book would be suitable for older teens to read. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes adventure stories and learning about other cultures. Because of the large number of typos, I feel compelled to rate it 3 out of 4 stars even though it was a thoroughly enjoyable book and one well worth my time.
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Circling the World to Find Myself
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