Set in America after World War II, this book details an
Austrian woman’s adventures when she journeys to the United States as a
Fulbright scholar. She starts in Arizona, where she meets up with her beau and
has adventures in Mexico, Tombstone and the Grand Canyon. She then travels
around several States, including New York, Pennsylvania and California.
I was interested in reading this book because I was excited
to see what America looks like from a foreigner’s eyes. However, it is more of
a journal style play by play of where she went and what she did. It is not
really spiced up as much as it could be. I feel like she went to many interesting
places that could have been described in a bit more detail and with more
pizazz. I don’t mean to say that she needed to needlessly embellish something
that was nothing special, but I do think that more description was needed. I would have liked to hear more about her
impressions of where she went, and what it looked like for the first time.
I also felt like the man that she came to visit in the
beginning kind of disappeared all of a sudden. At first, I thought the book
would have more of a tale of what happened to them, but she kind of stops
talking about him and never really picks it back up. Also, the book was kind of
hastily wrapped up, without a lead in to the conclusion.
I was very interested in her tales of what it was like to be
a Fulbright scholar, as far as what she had to do. She had to do a lot of
public speaking, where she explained what life was like in Austria, to both
children and adults. She also talked a lot about the relationships she formed,
especially with the Native Americans, while she was traveling. I would have
liked to hear more about her adventures as a representative of her country.
I don’t want you to get the idea that I think this book was
bad. I just feel that it could have been more descriptive. I give it a 3 out of
4.
I received a
complimentary copy of A Touch of America: Memoirs of an
Austrian Fulbright Scholar as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.Visit dorrancebookstore.com
to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.
Interesting book... It's too bad it wasn't as good as it could have been, which is too bad. It's always disappointing when a book doesn't quite live up to its potential.
ReplyDeleteI met this couple on my plane ride to Seattle and their daughter was a Fullbright scholar. Kind of cool. I had never met anyone in that program or related to someone in that program.
I probably never intend to read this book, but I really like the way your review. You do it so well. Honest and to the point. :)
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