In preparation for Non-fiction November, I decided to review my pending non-fiction books before I start making lists for the next month.
This was a very unexpected book. I usually go into books with as little information as I can about the content, just enough to understand if it will be something I probably will be interested in or not. The way the story began and the turns it took were quite surprising.
The author has written another book about an adventure and life-reaffirming stay in a remote location. Although this does not follow it immediately, it builds on that same principle.
The author has decided to make some life changes and enrol in a fellowship. This part does not have much of an impact on what happens later, but it gives us time to get to know the key players in her life and how she sees things. I also suspect it might just be a filler.
The latter part of the book tackled a very different topic. They find out about a remote butterfly farm in Belize, and after a temporary visit, a longer stay is planned where Diana and her Partner plan to live and work there.
The work is not arduous. It is more supervisory (or so I felt). The initial reactions are quite frank, and the gradual ease with their surroundings and their new life was very entertaining to watch.
There is some back and forth in the time of narration, but for the most part, I really liked life in Belize. They learn from their life there and the local people. The lockdown and covid happen at the tail end of their stay, and it changes things quite drastically. It was informative to see how another country with geographic restrictions tackled the pandemic.
I liked one half of the book a lot and progressed quite quickly through it. I was not as attracted to the other half. I think it is a different view of a whole other country that I probably will never visit, and I recommend it to readers who like to travel through their books.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 