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Across the Pond by Storyheart (Barry Eva) review copy
The Cat's Book of Romance by Kate Ledger personal collection
The Dragons of Spratt Ohio by Linda Zinnen library book
Frog on His Own by Mercer Mayer library book
Gravitation Volume 1 by Maki Murakami personal collection
Harriet and the Roller Coaster by Nancy Carlton library book
Heat Wave by Richard Castle bookcrossing
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond library book
Into the Volcano by Don Wood personal collection
Polar Bears Past Bedtime (Magic Tree House #12) by Mary Pope Osborne
So B. It by Sarah Weeks library book
Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison personal collection
There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer personal collection
Waterwise by Jeff Orff library book
Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf library book
Whoo-oo Is It? by Megan McDonald library book
Frog Goes to Dinner by Mercer Mayer library book
Ghost Town at Sundown (Magic Tree House #10) by Mary Pope Osborne library book
Harriet Beecher Stowe by Suzanne M. Coil library book
If You Can't Say Something Nice, Say it in Yiddish by Lita Epstein personal collection
Incubus, Succubus by Neil James Hudson review copy
Journey Around the World by Sarah Albee personal collection
King Ottokar's Scepre by Georges Remi Hergé library book
Mrs. Muffly's Monster by Sarah Dyer library book
Operation Starseed by JM Snyder personal collection
The X in Sex: How the X Chromosome Controls Our Lives by David Bainbridge
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss personal collection
You Had Me at Halo by Amanda Ashby personal collection
Can Kittens Take a Catnap? by Clair Palfreman-Bunker personal collection
Halfway to Each Other by Susan Pohlman review copy
I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears by Jag Bhalla library book
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond library book
Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha-ha!by Barbara Park personal collection
Junie B., First Grader: Boo and I Mean It! by Barbara Park personal collection
Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #11) by Mary Pope Osborne library book
Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali library book
Max's Christmas Stocking by Rosemary Wells library book
Me, Myself and I by Jane Louise Curry library book
Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival by Michael Bond personal collection
Where Are Maisy's Friends? by Lucy Cousins library book
The Divorce Party by Laura Dave review copy
Sarah Whitcher's Story by Elizabeth Yates personal collection
What Happy Working Mothers Know by Cathy L. Greenberg review copy
The Witches of Worm by Zipha Keatley Snyder library book
Murder in the Magick Club by Byron A. Lorrier review copy
Wolf Song Visions by Scott and Linda Reade review copy
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Halfway to Each Other: 12/27/09

Susan and Tim Pohlman were on a business trip to Italy, their last trip together before they had plans to divorce. Both realized they were enjoying their trip and their time together. They decided to give their marriage a second chance by selling their home and living in the Rivera for a year. Half Way to Each Other is the memoir of their year in Italy.

The Pohlman family ended up living in an out of the way village. Since it was small and not especially touristy they had to learn how to live like Italians. The memoir covers many of their failures and later successes as they learned how village life works.

Many times throughout the book they are the typical ugly Americans: not bothering to learn how anything works before just jumping in and assuming that everything would be like their pampered life in Los Angeles. They've never made anything from scratch; they expect American style grocery stores; they're afraid of Gypsies and so on. The parents whine as much as the children do when things do go their way.

This sort of journey of rediscovery through a life abroad only works if you have tons of money to spend in the first place. How nice for them to have that ability. I'm not sure they realized just how fortunate they are in that regard.

I enjoyed learning about village life in Italy and when the Pohlmans weren't being stereotypical Americans they seemed like lovely people. I would have preferred to learn more about Italy and less about the state of their marriage but in all fairness, Halfway to Each Other isn't a travel memoir.

Comments (2)


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Comment #1: Monday, December, 28, 2009 at 15:23:59

Kristen

I hadn't heard about this one and it sounds interesting. I'd ask if they manage to stay married but don't want to ruin it for myself if I do end up reading it!



Comment #2: Friday, January 8, 2010 at 17:23:12

Pussreboots

The book is upfront about them still being married by the end of the book so you're not spoiling anything by asking. The memoir is more about their year there than their actual marriage.



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