Week 1 book 1 discussion here

So how many actually got to read all 88pages? To get the ball rolling what are your first thoughts reading this so far? Lets start the discussion here and then we will add questions.

So no one has any thought yet? Well I will say that I feel the book is slow for me. Lots of details, like watching the mind of someone work in slow motion.

Anyone else?

all I keep thinking is about the very first few pages where she is alone, all alone, completely alone in a tiny studio in Italy. Nothing sounds more dreamy to me at the moment.

and yes, I agree, this is a slow book for me too

Sorry it has taken me so long to get on this. I had to finish a book I was in the middle before I could start this one. I am already reading three, LOL!

For starters, I didn't really follow the hype about this book, to be honest. All I knew is she traveled alone b/c she got divorced so I thought it was all about divorce.

So, a few things surprised me

1.) She is pretty honest about herself and her relationship with her husband. I don't think a lot of woman would admit that they don't want to me married anymore and don't want to have kids.

I think as a society, we put soooooooooooooo much pressure on ourselves to conform into what we think society thinks we should be and do. For one...getting married and having children.

I know I felt this way for years. It was one of the reasons Brian and I had problems. I was never honest about what I wanted out of life. We got pregnant and got married ... I put so much pressure on myself to marry him b/c it was the right thing to do and I know I wouldn't have married him if I did not get pregnant....at least not at that point in my life. I cannot say that two years after that I would feel the same. But I understand where Liz is coming from b.c babies and husbands were never on my list of hopes and dreams.

And I struggle with that. Does that make me a bad person? At one point I even question my sexuality because I thought...well...I don't want a husband and a baby...what do I want? (please note this does not in anyway mean that I don't love owen and henry with ever bit of being that i have. I would never ever regret it, I am just saying that I can understand Liz's need for understanding on this).

I cried when I read about her on the bathroom floor b/c I, too, have been there less than a year ago. How could I have gotten into this relationship with just thoughts of..."one day it will feel right" It wasn't fair to brian.

But after some counseling on both of our parts, we are here now and doing wonderfully. I mean, I had to tell him all of this in counseling. It was awful but he never gave up on me and he realized he had some changing to do, too, but that is an entirely different book, LOL!

2.) I can also relate to her struggles with faith. What God she believes in and a non-traditional belief in the divine which I am sure we will get to later and I am excited for that.


Well..that is what I have so far. I hope it wasn't too much dishing on my part.

Although I don't relate to the part about her not wanting a baby at least at that time. I personally grew up in a christian home and there was no divorces, not an option in my minds. So to me I related as I had spent 5 years quitely in my bed with tears dripping morning the loss of my marriage piece by piece and feeling guilty and couldn't figure out how else to fix it. How was my mom going to react? what was I doing to do?

In the end our pressures from religion, family and the world can get to us. Luckily I had gone to lots of counseling and in the end I had done everything, you can't make someone else want to change or improve they have to want to. Through lots of prayer like her in the book I am at peace and my mom is at peace with it.

well I've gotten to the part where she's in India now, and while I respect this woman and all she's trying to find out about herself, she just bugs me. I am having a love/hate thing with this book.

although I really really want to learn Italian now, and I want to see Italy!!!

no desire at all to see India.

I too was raised where there simply was not divorce, and I'm glad for that- and I'm so with you on the pressure thing from all parts of life. for 14 years of marriage, I simply did NOT want children. I wasn't ready for them. but you would not believe the comments and tsk tsk's and head shaking I got from other women. like I was selfish and irresponsible for not having kids. one old lady even called me lazy. I felt awful, like there was something wrong with me- and this is how I can relate to this book.

Kristi I sit here and read some of her thoughts and think "come on women get a grip pull yourself together" It isn't all going to figured out, just pull your big girl panties on and move on. But that is me being nonsensitive at the moment.

yeah, I feel the same way. Especially when she's having lunch with her mom and her mom tells her that she's wanted all those things too, and its like, such a revelation to her. I sort of laughed a little at her there.

my goodness, I have so many wants and desires.... but you know, when I need a break from my life (and my brain and emotions for that matter) I get a babysitter and party on.

that said, I am glad to read of her adventures and travels! I'm not kidding - I think I'm going to add Italian to my homeschool curriculum here.

I do know what you mean about her being frustrating. And what are the chances of that guy that read her palm saying that to her? I was like, "yeah right" but that is me.

Kristi, my sister and her husband are not having kids and you should see the reactions. And ppl she barely knows ask her why. She gets so mad...it's no one's business, really. I mean personal friends and stuff I can see but not strangers.

Ellen, you can be absolutely anything at all and people will accept you- if you are a good PARENT. somehow in our society, a non-parent is a non-person. For me, it got so bad that I actually started lying to people to shut them up- telling them I had a miscarriage and it was too painful to bear, just couldn't go thru it again. you should have seen the change on a few faces from looking down at me disdainfully to such pity. that was almost worse! and it was bad of me I know.... I'm terrible!

but then, after being married 14 years, I don't know if my man and I were just so comfortable with our marriage or what, it just felt RIGHT. and there is no other reason in my book to have kids- pressure from other people is truly not the reason to have babies. your sister is a good woman to listen to herself and do what is right for her own life.

well I've finished this book - anyone else?

and by the way

I feel bad that I shared here about my lie.... that is bad of me but it was only to two people, and one of them was this stinky old lady that told me I was lazy. the other was a total busy body all up in my business and I was sick of her and her interrogating questions.

not that it makes it any better but they deserved it. at the time.

has anyone else gotten through this book?

looks like I totally killed this here thread

I think this book killed the thread LOL. I couldn't finish it. I think we need to pick the next person below me on the do you want to start a book club thread and let them start us with a new book. It has to be better.