Description
This New Yorker was forced into a type of isolation when she moved from Italy (a beautiful but still strange place) to Germany on the outskirts of a military base in the middle of nowhere for a four-year period. She found the cultural differences to be challenging, as well as highly entertaining, but she found a savior, and his, her, its name was podcast.
REVIEWS
Anyone who has felt out of place and mystified by the otherness of their surroundings will love this book. New York to Italy, Italy to Germany, this is a wonderful chronicle of cultural confusion, heartfelt and very funny. Then there’s the children – the author spins from mothering to over-mothering to worrying about over-mothering. Her one escape route is through listening to podcasts, finding solace through the voices she chooses to hear. Like any good friend, the reader will be on her side – at least mostly, she does admit to doing some crazy things! – David Britton. Director of Creative Writing, Swansea University.
Funny, sharp, and observant, this balances homesickness and cultural curiosity with a hilariously frank and honest charm. Well worth lending an ear to. – Alan Bilton. Head of Creative Writing, Senior Lecturer, Swansea University.
Self-deprecating and irreverent, Rosamaria Mancini, who pitches up unexpectedly in provincial Germany, charts the loneliness of young motherhood in a foreign land where she understands little of the language and has only fellow military wives from the nearby NATO base for friends. Some chapters are pure stand-up comedy, on why she hates German Christmas markets or her in-laws’ preference for drafty rooms, others, such as that on the death of her father, are poignantly moving. Rosamaria approaches each new challenge with the straight-faced aplomb only a New Yorker abroad could possibly muster but explains how she finds inner strength when she retreats to the world of podcasts. – Julian Preece. Chair in Modern Languages, Swansea University.
Read a sample – click on the image below
David Britton, Director of Creative Writing –
Anyone who has felt out of place and mystified by the otherness of their surroundings will love this book. New York to Italy, Italy to Germany, this is a wonderful chronicle of cultural confusion, heartfelt and very funny. Then there’s the children – the author spins from mothering to over-mothering to worrying about over-mothering. Her one escape route is through listening to podcasts, finding solace through the voices she chooses to hear. Like any good friend, the reader will be on her side – at least mostly, she does admit to doing some crazy things!
Alan Bilton, Senior Lecturer and author –
Funny, sharp, and observant, this balances homesickness and cultural curiosity with a hilariously frank and honest charm. Well worth lending an ear to
Julian Preece –
Self-deprecating and irreverent“ Rosamaria Mancini, who pitches up unexpectedly in provincial Germany, charts the loneliness of young motherhood in a foreign land where she understands little of the language and has only fellow military wives from the nearby NATO base for friends. Some chapters are pure stand-up comedy, on why she hates German Christmas markets or her in-laws’ preference for drafty rooms, others, such as that on the death of her father, are poignantly moving. Rosamaria approaches each new challenge with the straight-faced aplomb only a New Yorker abroad could possibly muster but explains how she finds inner strength when she retreats to the world of podcasts.”
Dawn Colclasure. Reader Views –
An informative and enlightening memoir. It captures how the author relied on podcasts to help her survive some major life transitions, and how it helped her to find the courage and wisdom to embrace the future and chart a path through the unknown.