Always hard when you develop a dislike for the author early into an autobiography. Probably not fair, but I won't be reading this again. It was only half way into the book that it developed any clear theme. ( )

This book was beautifully written- the reader dives with Sarah, swims laps in the lagoon, and
encounters Polynesians and ex-pats in this somewhat isolated world. Her efforts to become pregnant dominate as she and her husband try once again to conceive through IVF. This is both a memoir and a book about place. Tahiti changes Turnbull as she adjusts to the very different
lifestyle that she led in Paris. After reading Almost French and All Good Things I look forward
to reading more of Sarah's keen observations of place, animals and people. ( )

Sarah Turnbull is such a great writer - its there in the way way she describes Tahiti, her relationship with her family, her observations about people and activities and environments. But for me, the sadness she experienced as she was trying to fall pregnant was pervasive and too too often this book read as a personal journal, not a memoir.

I really, really hope she's now working on some fabulous short non fiction pieces because her observations can be profound. Especially liked her observation (paraphrased) that whilst Australians are easy going, we're ferocious on petty rules and she described us as the Swiss of the South Pacific. This is the truth. ( )

All Good Things: From Paris to Tahiti: Life and Longing by Sarah Turnbull is a book given me by the Early Reviewer program. I don't know why it took me so long to read it, but probably I can chalk it up to eye surgery and recovery. My reading was definitely on and off this year. Selling my house and moving back to my "manufactured home" might have been at fault also.

She wrote Almost French also which I did read and enjoyed. I think I'm a little put off by what might be termed "rich people writing memoirs as if they were literature"..... and in both this book and the earlier one I did find spots where I felt ennui of reading about her "hard life in Paris, and Tahiti".

But she does write well, and I was curious about her life (which I'd love to try to live), so I carried on; and then, she did a switcheroo on me and began to plumb the depths of a personal challenge. I do not want to spoil the book for someone who might like to read it, but I was converted. I began to like Sarah, and care about how her life was turning out. So, I think I'll give her four stars and suggest people who liked Eat, Drink, Pray* will like this book.

*what was the name of that book??? I obviously have remembered the wrong title.

ETA: ha ha ha The book is Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ( )

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for a review. This book is a combination of travelogue, memoire, and history. If you like travelogues, you will like this book. The author describes Tahiti in very vivid and beautiful language, immersing the reader in the feeling and beauty of the islands. Swimming in the balmy lagoon and drift diving are described in rich and vibrant scenes. The author relates some of Tahiti’s history and, of more interest, stories of some of the famous painters who visited: Matisse and Gauguin. One learns of the warmth of the Tahitian people and a little of their customs, picking vanilla, family meals, and of the tensions in Tahiti between the traditional ways and modern ways introduced by the French. The saddest parts of the book were the descriptions of the author’s attempts at conceiving a child through IVF. “The mysterious science of creating new life,” as she described it, was filled with a roller coaster of more despair than hope, of dread and pain and clinical procedures. I kept looking for mention of the love between husband and wife, both emotional and physical, from which a child should be born, but such portrayals were sadly missing. Though there is no question that the child is loved, there is no love in the procedures that generated him. I do recommend this book, but travelogues are not at the top of my favorites list and it’s not one I couldn’t put down. ( )