Female Nomad and Friends: Tales of Breaking Free and Breaking Bread Around the World

by Rita Golden Gelman

Overview

In 1987, Rita, newly divorced, set out to live her dream. She sold all her possessions and became a nomad. She wrote a book about her ongoing journey and, in 2001, insisted on putting her personal e-mail address in the last chapter—against all advice. It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. She has met thousands of readers, stayed in their homes, and sat around kitchen tables sharing stories and food and laughter.

In this essay collection, Gelman includes her own further adventures, as well as those of writers and readers telling tales of the shared humanity they experienced in their travels. The stories are funny and sad, poignant and tender, familiar and bizarre. They will make you laugh and cry and maybe even send you off on your own adventure. Also included are fabulous international recipes such as vegetarian dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), chiles en nogada (stuffed poblano chiles topped with a white cream sauce with walnuts and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds), and ho mok (an extraordinary fish-coconut custard from Thailand). Happy reading—and bon appétit, selamat makan, buen provecho!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307588012
Publisher:	Crown Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/01/2010
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Rita Golden Gelman is the author of more than 70 children’s books, including Inside Nicaragua, which was one of the ALA’s Best Young Adult Books of 1988, and More Spaghetti, I Say!, a staple in every first-grade classroom. As a nomad, Gelman has no permanent address. Her most recent encampments have been in Mexico and New York City.

Read an Excerpt

My Favorite Organization Ever
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Female Nomad and Friends"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Rita Golden Gelman.
Excerpted by permission of Crown/Archetype.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

How Female Nomad & Friends Came to Be and What It's All About Rita Golden Gelman 1

Breaking Bread: About the Recipes Maria Altobelli 12

Connecting

My Favorite Organization Ever Rita Golden Gelman 17

Peeing, Drugs, and a School Maria Altobelli 23

A Pair of Shoes Janie Starr 29

Tower of Babel Kelly Hayes-Raitt 35

Connecting to Raymond Sally Brown 41

Mom and Trader Joe's Jo Giese 44

My Call of the Wild Barbara Ludwig 46

My Opinel on the Camino Ardyn Masterman 51

Breakfast in Malacca Wendy Lewis 55

Sharing Laundry Clare Beckingham 57

Kava and Trauma on Waya Island Danielle Richards 60

An Awakening Kim Bass 64

Mixed Messages

The Beauty Contest Rita Golden Gelman 69

A Long Walk Laura Fellman 73

Pickup in a Bar Jacquie 75

Curry Calamity Karen van der Zee 79

My Airport Pal Rita Golden Gelman 84

A Wet Shoe Story Carolyn Soucy 87

Million-Dollar Moment Bonnie Worthen 91

The Trip that Changed My Life Kelly Hayes-Raitt 97

A Stitch in Time Rita Golden Gelman 102

A Different Taste Caroline Mailloux 105

Southern Hospitality Leslie Berkower 111

Wild for Worms Karen van der Zee 115

Language

Patikami What? Maria Altobelli 125

A Desert Garden Tim Amsden 132

Train to Tithorea Jan Gelman 135

Tongue-Tied Kelly Hayes-Raitt 144

A Boat Ride Laurice Haney 147

A Great Mix of People Rita Golden Gelman 155

French Confusion Michael Worthen 159

Turkish Delight Kay Moody 164

A Rose and a Kiss Maria Altobelli 166

Master Kim Bonnie Betts 172

Passion

The Perfect Seatmate Rita Golden Gelman 183

In Search of a Familiar Soul Catherine Buchanan 186

Making the Move C.J. MacLeod 193

George Debra Unger 198

Fairy Godmothers ... Who Needs 'Em! Sandra Hanks Benoiton 202

Filipino Elvis Presley Jessica Bryan 208

What Happened for Chana Jan Bayer 212

Dance Class Maria Altobelli 216

The Drummer Danielle Richards 222

The Sweet Life Marcia L. Hannewald 224

Chapati Love Remembered Jean Allen 230

Food

The Ho Mok Story Rita Golden Gelman 237

Any Pan Is a No-Stick Pan If You No-Cook in It! Bobbi Zehner 244

Paneer Sailor Lily Morris 248

Bonjour, Friendship! Patricia Lundquist 254

Foreign Flavors Karen van der Zee 261

Cajeta and the Spirits Maria Altobelli 265

Thanksgiving: A Different Perspective Åsa Maria Bradley 271

Riding Out the Storm Victoria Allman 279

Just Call Me Garlic Carolyn McKibbin 287

The Café Chapín Janna Rudler 293

A Desert Mirage Maria Altobelli 298

Cow Feet Soup for Breakfast Karen van der Zee 305

Soul Food Melanie Ehler 311

Maasai Moments Rita Golden Gelman 319

Afterword Rita Golden Gelman 329

Acknowledgments 331

Reading Group Guide 333

Editorial Reviews

Rita serves up a tasty smorgasbord of stories—funny, heartwarming, and quirky. These tales remind us of what we seek in our own life's journey: a meaningful connection with people we meet and joy in finding new friends in unexpected places. Whether you choose to stay home or start packing, these stories will stir you."
—Maya Frost, author of The New Global Student
 
“Charming - a wonderful gift for your nomadic friends. The book will inspire you to travel, to cook, and, to get your own stories committed to the page!”
—Julie Conover, PassportToAdventure.com, Host & Producer
 
“Rita and friends take you on a virtual and culinary global adventure that is sure to evoke a range of emotions. A must-read for both the armchair and active traveler.”—Beth Whitman, author of Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers.
 
“Rita Golden Gelman’s book pulsates with life’s flavors—both in the stories and the recipes that accompany them. Remarkably, all royalties will be donated through two Rotary clubs to provide scholarships for young adults in a Delhi slum.    As a Rotarian myself, I salute Rita and savor her book. So will you.”
—Karin Treiber, PhD, Rotarian, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Thanks to Rita and her friends, the world just got a little smaller.  This inspirational book simultaneously illustrates how large and small our global community has become.  By sharing recipes, customs, and lives, we are ushered through an exotic world of experiences.”
—John O. Hishmeh, Executive Director, Council on Standards for International Educational Travel

“These wonderfully poignant stories speak to the inner-nomad in all of us, reminding us of the joy and warmth we feel when sharing laughter, tears, and meals across cultures.”
—Sara LaRosa, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Tonga 2006-2008

From the Publisher

Children's-book author Gelman (Doodler Doodling, 2004, etc.) follows up Tales of a Female Nomad (2001) with a collaborative collection of essays-and a smattering of recipes-celebrating travel, diversity and human connection. In the introduction, the author writes that she has lived without a fixed address and with minimal possessions, traveling the globe since 1987. While Female Nomad depicted the first 15 years of that unfettered lifestyle, the sequel is constructed of essays submitted to her website in response to an open call for stories about "connecting" and "risk-taking." The result is a mixed bag of (mostly Eurocentric) tales from around the world, which largely affirm a sense of human decency, generosity and community beyond the borders of language or political affiliation. Among other experiences, the stories chronicle bonding with Vietnamese women over primitive laundering techniques; sharing a boisterous, vodka-fueled breakfast of cow-feet soup in Armenia; considering a Ugandan's offer to cry with an American volunteer overwhelmed by the unfairness of life in the third world. Some of the essays are humorous, such as the recollection of dodging a potentially dangerous situation with a Peruvian enticed by a novelty "one-million-dollar bill." Some are melancholy, such as one woman's playful "marriage" to an Iraqi man shortly before the U.S. invasion threw the country into chaos. While most of the essays take place in exotic locales, some are domestic, with strangers lending helping hands or women opening themselves up to unexpected, unconsummated intimacies. The brevity of the pieces-most lasting only a couple pages-works for the simpler or funny stories, but the more serious ones feel stunted. The strength of the writing varies considerably, with the contributors a mix of amateurs and professionals, but all feature an appealing sincerity. Scattershot pieces held together by context and emotionalism. Tie-in with author's lecture schedule. Agent: Elaine Markson/Elaine Markson Agency

Kirkus Reviews