This is the story of the author’s life, her search to find some meaning, and the journey she embarks on to discover herself.
Elizabeth Gilbert, at thirty-two, had everything that would make life perfect, a successful career as a writer, a husband, and a house. At least, that was the way it appeared to others. But, she was unhappy and her marriage was not working.
After a messy divorce, she entered into a relationship with someone else, but that did not work out either. Gilbert then decided that she needed a break to sort out her life, and so, she spent the next year traveling around the world.
She spent four months in Italy, four months in India and finally, she spent the next four months in Indonesia. Each leg of the journey was devoted to a different experience and exploring a different aspect of life.
In Italy, she indulged herself in the pleasures of food and exploration of the country. In India, she plunged into a journey of spiritual discovery. After this, she went to Bali and discovered love.
In the preface, the author states that she has arranged the book like the Indian string of prayer beads, the japamala. The japamala traditionally has 108 beads in the string. The book has a total of 108 stories divided equally for the time that she spent in the three countries.
About the Author:
Elizabeth Gilbert is an American writer and a freelance journalist. She was born in 1969 in Waterbury, Connecticut. She grew up in a small Christmas tree farm, which was isolated, with no neighbors, no access to television, or any other form of entertainment, except for books. So, she and her sister read a lot and wrote stories and plays to entertain themselves.
Gilbert graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from New York University. After working as a cook, magazine employee, and a waitress, she turned to writing.
She wrote for various leading magazines like GQ, SPIN, The New York Times Magazine, and Travel and Leisure. Her first short story collection, titled Pilgrims, was published in 1997 and earned her the Pushcart Prize and was nominated for the PEN/Hemingway Award.
Some of her other books are, committed: A Love Story, Stern Men, and A Writer's Workbook: Daily Exercises for the Writing Life.
