Book Review: Living Without Reservations: A Journey by Land and Sea in Search of Happiness by Barbara Elaine Singer

Living Without Reservations is a thoroughly enjoyable, highly readable book. It is a travel memoir that also just happens to be inspirational, as Barbara Singer learns to live her own authentic life.

Born into a large family on a farm in Pennsylvania, Singer spent years trying to achieve success in her marriage, her career as a gifted salesperson, and even in Ironman competitions. She appeared to have it all: the house, the husband, the career, the social connections, designer clothes, and money. But then she tore it all apart, had an affair, left her marriage and her successful career. Then, tragedy strikes and Singer must remake her life completely in her 40s.

Realizing that what she really wants is to travel, she embarks first on a journey across America and Canada to Alaska with her dad in an RV. Then, determining to live life on her own terms and with her daughter safely in college, no house, and some income from rental properties, Singer decides to just keep on going. She takes a job as crew on a 42-foot boat with a man she is not romantically involved with, and happily island hops around the Caribbean for four months, then takes off for Italy to live and travel for a couple of months, living in rented rooms, and hostels and yes, finding romance.

But the romance is not the point of this memoir.This book is about what can happen when a strong, healthy woman decides not to play by anyone's rules but her own, and to ask the Universe for what she wants and trust it to deliver. It is about being open to every positive experience, being brave, taking chances, and living, truly, without reservations.

You will enjoy traveling vicariously with Singer, and you will be inspired to look at your own reservations, and possibly find yourself more open to the possibilities in your own life. Either way, you will have fun with Living Without Reservations.

Article tags

Spread the word
Bookmark and Share
Profile image for rhetta-akamatsu

Article Author: Rhetta Akamatsu

Rhetta Akamatsu is an author and online journalist who writes about music, books, movies, and more. She is the author of The Irish Slaves: Slavery, Indentured Servitude and Contract Labor Among Irish Immigrants, Haunted Marietta, T'ain't Nobody's …

Visit Rhetta Akamatsu's author pageRhetta Akamatsu's Blog

Read comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own

Article comments

Add your comment, speak your mind

Personal attacks are NOT allowed.
Please read our comment policy.
Please preview your comment.