Marilyn Berman received her PhD in Communication Disorders from the University of Michigan. She was a faculty member at Indiana University before accepting a position as Supervisor of Speech Language Pathology at the VA Medical Center in Atlanta and, later, as Chief of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology at the same hospital. She also taught part time at Emory University and Georgia State.
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A very small Jewish woman recounts her life as a lesbian. She knows as a small child that she is different than her class mates. In her early teens she realizes she is a lesbian but is never able to discuss this with her parents. She goes away to college and earns advanced degrees and later holds down responsible positions. She has short term relationships and many friends. When she is in her 60's she decides she needs to get away to a less stressful life. She purchases a van and equipes it to live in for a long trip. She keeps notes as she travels and often stays for longer periods of time in different towns and cities. She reflects on her life and her friends and lovers. Her life is so different from what it was. She lives a slower life, stopping when she wants to explore. She goes hiking or other activites in her travels. She makes many new friends.
I can't yet whittle life down to one van and go see what I want to when; Marilyn's travelogue scratches that itch. I have only recently delved into friendships with non-heterosexual people; Marilyn's autobiography gives me insights. My childhood wasn't white picket fences, apple pies and roasts, and a mom in an apron; Marilyn's coming of age experiences show that hers weren't either. This is definitely worth a second read.
This is a wonderful read on three levels, as a travelogue by someone with insatiable curiosity and openness to local history and custom; as a historical record from someone who was on the front lines of the protests against the vietnam war, the civil right struggle, and the fight for gay rights; but mainly as a wrenching story of one woman's search for her own sexual identity and the courage to accept it and to eventually allow herself to receive the love of other women. It is a memoir of an honest, (and refreshingly,) emotionally healthy individual. No "poor me's" from this writer.
I thought this book was very well written and very informative and entertaining. When I bought it I didn't read the entire description so went back to read it afterward. I didn't realize she would share so much of her life as a lesbian. I don't have a problem with it but I really bought it because I thought she might give me some ideas about traveling. And she did. I really enjoyed reading about her travels.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a woman's trip through North America. I felt as though I were right there with her on her journey. Her insights about her life were very meaningful and insightful. One suffers with her about the secrets she must keep and the insecurities they fostered. An overall very enjoyable memoir of a road chosen.