“Alice in Wonderland” would have been an excellent way to describe Alice Steinbach’s Without Reservations: Travels of an Independent Woman. It’s the story of a woman who takes extended leave from work to live abroad. Paris, Venice, Oxford, Rome, London, all provided a “home” to Alice during her adventures. Like Lewis Carroll’s Alice, Alice Steinbach is at turns delighted, confused, homesick, and adventurous.
She is a mature woman but not too much older than myself. We have a lot of things in common. I have raised my two daughters to adulthood, she has raised her sons. We both have successful, fulfilling careers. We both enjoy travel and literature and we both value our independence. Though she describes her experiences traveling alone, I feel like we were friends, traveling together. Yes, Alice and I could be good friends but just like friends that spend a lot of time together, she sometimes got on my nerves.
She made Paris delightful! I enjoyed every step we took shopping, visiting museums, coffee shops, and especially the trip to Giverny. Her love of Paris made her a joy to be around. This was my favorite Alice. When she was in the moment and embracing the wonderment.
Now, no one can be their best self all the time. and it’s not her fault she was sick in London. Maybe the classes she took at Oxford kept her too preoccupied to fully engage in all the pleasures of England. But there were glimpses of her true spirit there and I’m glad she had me along.
The Italian legs of the trip was where her mood seemed the most labile. Sometimes she was as adventurous and insightful as ever and other times she seemed preoccupied with her own private thoughts. But by this time, Alice and I were good friends. We trusted one another. She was comfortable opening up to me and I knew her well enough to be confident that this funk would not last. Sometimes, we must be patient with our friends.
In all honesty, I’m not sure a younger reader would have liked Alice as much. All memoirs necessarily involve a certain amount of personal introspection. If we cannot identify with the author’s personal situation or experience, it’s hard to engage in their story. But you can be sure that if you like Alice in Paris (not just Paris itself, but the Alice you are with) then you will like spending this book with her.
If you’re not sure Without Reservations: Travels of an Independent Woman is for you, then visit my friend the WanderShopper, Sarah Shaw. She is reading around the world with us and has a few suggestions that might interest you. Whatever your weekend reads, be sure to share them with us and let us know what you think!