Book: Holy Cow

A book review from last Fall…I apparently forgot to hit the “publish” button…

Title: Holy Cow
Author: Sarah Macdonald
Anna’s Rating: 3/5
Comments: Had a good amount of culture mixed in, but it’s more about spiritual exploration than travel, so it wasn’t what I was looking for.

Randomly on a quest for women’s travel essays, I picked up Holy Cow simple because it had a witty title.  (Note to self: when publishing, select witty title that will attract readers.)  A woman traveling about India seemed an exciting way to quench my wanderlust while I was stuck in America with a hectic schedule and an expiring passport.

Sort of.

It was an interesting read, and it delved deeply into the religions and microcultures that exist within India, although it wasn’t entirely satisfying to me.  I got bored with it a few times, so it took me months before I finally finished it.  My frustration came largely from the author’s own frustration and confusion.  I have enough problems of my own without taking on those of a stranger.

Where I wanted a vicarious adventure, I instead got inner turmoil.  Frustrated with a career stopped short, a love-life with a business wedged into it, and the absence of an inner, spiritual strength, Macdonald shares her adventures about trying to find happiness with her current situation in South Asia.

My favorite part of the book, I think, was when she visited Pakistan.  That offered more of the exploration I enjoyed, viewing a new place and a new culture with eyes opened anew.