Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Great way to see the Caribbean from your couch, or to enjoy it more deeply if you get to visit in person.
My husband and I hope to sail for several years and possibly complete a circumnavigation, so I really enjoyed reading not only about their travels, but also how the author and her husband came to their decision to sail the Caribbean for 2 years and the planning that went into their journey. Now to try some of the recipes!
Ann and Steve work hard at their jobs in Canada. They like what they do and fortunately for them they get to work together as well as be married to one another. They have carved out a good life for themselves. However, they have come up with a plan that will change all that - they are going to escape wintery Toronto with a sailboat adventure.
This is the story of a dream. And it is a book for anyone who worries about whether they should attempt their dream. Without giving away the tale that Ann tells, I think she would say go for it.
I have no desire to do what Steve and Ann do in this book, but it was a fun read. For a couple of days, I got to visit the Caribbean and live the dream of sailing away from "regular" life.
This is the story of a dream. And it is a book for anyone who worries about whether they should attempt their dream. Without giving away the tale that Ann tells, I think she would say go for it.
I have no desire to do what Steve and Ann do in this book, but it was a fun read. For a couple of days, I got to visit the Caribbean and live the dream of sailing away from "regular" life.
Very much enjoyed this book about a couple who decided to leave their jobs and sail the Caribbean for two years.
Some sailing, some recipes, some colorful characters but mostly just some nice stories that really give the feel of island life.
I want to plan another vacation after reading it.
Some sailing, some recipes, some colorful characters but mostly just some nice stories that really give the feel of island life.
I want to plan another vacation after reading it.
By the end of the book I was visibly wincing every time the author used the word "cruisers". I don't know why that term really irritated me, but it did and she used it A LOT. Otherwise I found her and the book quite likable.
Ok, so I am deeply regretting that I merely borrowed this book instead of buying it. So much so that its getting bought fairly quickly. It was a pretty good book and I was sorry when it ended.
A nonfiction, it covers the two years that author Ann and her husband Steve go cruising in the Caribbean. They travel many places, weather many storms, and meet a lot of other cruisers and islanders. Some of the places they visit are the Dominican Republic, several towns along the Atlantic coast of the USA, and their favorite, Granada. All in all, they travel from Canada to the Caribbean and back again for quite a long journey. While Ann is not as thrilled about being on a boat at first, she soon takes to it, and she and Steve become pretty accomplished sailors and used to life on a cramped boat. Ann also does a lot of cooking with local ingredients.
I love the way Ann describes the people in this. She is always so positive about her experiences and you can tell she truly is a people person and enjoys interacting with everyone. I especially like the deep friendship she has with a woman on Granada and how they exchange food and advice and even go back to visit her after the trip is over. They also meet several other unique cruisers with personalities that range all around. Most notable is the guy who is the expert on Rum. I also like how she explained about being closer to her husband with living on the boat because it is pretty tight quarters to be in with someone. Even so, with as cramped as it was for them, I can't imagine how it was for my mom when she was little and she, my grandparents, and her two brothers lived on a sailboat for a couple of years. I'm not sure I could handle it myself.
Ann kind of bounces around in time with her travels and devotes more book time to some places than others. As said before, they really enjoyed Granada and this is where a good portion of the book takes place. Not that that's a bad thing, there was certainly enough to write about there. I have to say the only downfall to the writing was the amount of technical boat stuff that she wrote in. For those who like sailing or understand it this might have been ok, but I found it kind of boring. Luckily there wasn't too much of it in there. She more than makes up for it with her descriptions of food and cooking though. It made me want to quit my job and go to the Caribbean. Fresh conch, lobster, mangoes, etc. my mouth was definitely watering. And she included recipes too! The ultimate way to make me love a book (and want to buy it).
Great travel narrative, foodie book, and more. I highly recommend it.
An Embarrassment of Mangoes
Copyright 2004
300 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
More of my reviews can be found at ifithaswords.blogspot.com
A nonfiction, it covers the two years that author Ann and her husband Steve go cruising in the Caribbean. They travel many places, weather many storms, and meet a lot of other cruisers and islanders. Some of the places they visit are the Dominican Republic, several towns along the Atlantic coast of the USA, and their favorite, Granada. All in all, they travel from Canada to the Caribbean and back again for quite a long journey. While Ann is not as thrilled about being on a boat at first, she soon takes to it, and she and Steve become pretty accomplished sailors and used to life on a cramped boat. Ann also does a lot of cooking with local ingredients.
I love the way Ann describes the people in this. She is always so positive about her experiences and you can tell she truly is a people person and enjoys interacting with everyone. I especially like the deep friendship she has with a woman on Granada and how they exchange food and advice and even go back to visit her after the trip is over. They also meet several other unique cruisers with personalities that range all around. Most notable is the guy who is the expert on Rum. I also like how she explained about being closer to her husband with living on the boat because it is pretty tight quarters to be in with someone. Even so, with as cramped as it was for them, I can't imagine how it was for my mom when she was little and she, my grandparents, and her two brothers lived on a sailboat for a couple of years. I'm not sure I could handle it myself.
Ann kind of bounces around in time with her travels and devotes more book time to some places than others. As said before, they really enjoyed Granada and this is where a good portion of the book takes place. Not that that's a bad thing, there was certainly enough to write about there. I have to say the only downfall to the writing was the amount of technical boat stuff that she wrote in. For those who like sailing or understand it this might have been ok, but I found it kind of boring. Luckily there wasn't too much of it in there. She more than makes up for it with her descriptions of food and cooking though. It made me want to quit my job and go to the Caribbean. Fresh conch, lobster, mangoes, etc. my mouth was definitely watering. And she included recipes too! The ultimate way to make me love a book (and want to buy it).
Great travel narrative, foodie book, and more. I highly recommend it.
An Embarrassment of Mangoes
Copyright 2004
300 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
More of my reviews can be found at ifithaswords.blogspot.com
A book everyone needs to read once, filled with life lessons learned at sea. I adored these adventures and feel inspired and hopeful. This book even came with recipes from their travels at the end of each chapter- all books should do this.
This book had been on my GoodReads list for over 10 years!! I finally decided to read it. Generally I’m not a fan of many adjectives or detail but this author did a wonderful job using them! Her writing style made me feel like on was on the sailboat experiencing all the different cultures of the Caribbean with her and her husband. Two workaholics decide to embark on a 2 year sailing adventure leaving their stressful life in Toronto behind. If you like to sail and/or cook, this book is for you! The author shares several recipes at the end of each chapter. I did enjoy to book but found myself skimming in places. I think this would be a good winter read - it will make you feel as if you are in the middle of the ocean enjoying the sun, seafood and rum!
I absolutely LOVED this book. It's a great beach read and the recipes the author provides from her travels are incredible.