A remembrance that’s packed with adventure but feels unnecessarily drawn out.
A pair of newlyweds embark on an epic trip that takes them from California to India in this travel memoir by Lang-Slattery, author of Immigrant Soldier (2015).
In the late summer of 1971, the author and her new husband, mechanical engineer Tom Slattery, set off on what they called “the honeymoon trip.” Leaving Laguna Beach, California, in their Volkswagen Microbus, which they nicknamed “Turtle,” they initially headed south to Mexico in hopes of exploring Central and South America. After struggling to find a way to bypass the notorious Darién Gap, a roadless expanse of jungle between Panama and Columbia, the two decided to board the SS Donizetti and sail from Panama to Barcelona, Spain. From here, their trip took them through Western Europe and North Africa before they headed into Turkey, Iran, India, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. The journey, which comprised almost two years of travel, was a test of the young couple’s evolving relationship as they faced all manner of obstacles—including their own van, which was in regular need of repair. The author also includes photographs, maps, and sketches to illustrate the voyage. Lang-Slattery offers some evocative passages that capture her fascination with the ever changing landscape: “Clusters of dome-roofed, dry mud villages squatted among the rocks. A camel caravan, the beasts joined tail to nose, plodded forward, one after the other, at the side of the highway.” She also includes some illuminating asides, such as when she and her spouse were forced to find a library so that they could look up the word Zouave in an encyclopedia—a window into the world prior to the internet. This attention to detail can prove tedious at times, however; the author gets bogged down in recounting minutiae, as in a description of building a sofa for the Microbus: “The seat back hung from turn screws and was easy to take down at night so we could open up the bed. The padded seat, though heavy, lifted to provide access to the new storage.” This overly meticulous approach results in a narrative that many readers will consider long-winded.
A remembrance that’s packed with adventure but feels unnecessarily drawn out.Pub Date: July 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7342796-3-4
Page Count: 348
Publisher: PacificBookworks
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.
A former New York City dancer reflects on her zesty heyday in the 1970s.
Discovered on a Manhattan street in 2020 and introduced on Stanton’s Humans of New York Instagram page, Johnson, then 76, shares her dynamic history as a “fiercely independent” Black burlesque dancer who used the stage name Tanqueray and became a celebrated fixture in midtown adult theaters. “I was the only black girl making white girl money,” she boasts, telling a vibrant story about sex and struggle in a bygone era. Frank and unapologetic, Johnson vividly captures aspects of her former life as a stage seductress shimmying to blues tracks during 18-minute sets or sewing lingerie for plus-sized dancers. Though her work was far from the Broadway shows she dreamed about, it eventually became all about the nightly hustle to simply survive. Her anecdotes are humorous, heartfelt, and supremely captivating, recounted with the passion of a true survivor and the acerbic wit of a weathered, street-wise New Yorker. She shares stories of growing up in an abusive household in Albany in the 1940s, a teenage pregnancy, and prison time for robbery as nonchalantly as she recalls selling rhinestone G-strings to prostitutes to make them sparkle in the headlights of passing cars. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Encounters with a variety of hardworking dancers, drag queens, and pimps, plus an account of the complexities of a first love with a drug-addled hustler, fill out the memoir with personality and candor. With a narrative assist from Stanton, the result is a consistently titillating and often moving story of human struggle as well as an insider glimpse into the days when Times Square was considered the Big Apple’s gloriously unpolished underbelly. The book also includes Yee’s lush watercolor illustrations.
A blissfully vicarious, heartfelt glimpse into the life of a Manhattan burlesque dancer.Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-27827-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2022
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.
A carefully curated personal portrait.
First ladies’ roles have evolved significantly in recent decades. Their memoirs typically reflect a spectrum of ambition and interests, offering insights into their values and personal lives. Melania Trump, however, stands out as exceptionally private and elusive. Her ultra-lean account attempts to shed light on her public duties, initiatives, and causes as first lady, and it defends certain actions like her controversial “I REALLY DON’T CARE, DO U?” jacket. The statement was directed at the media, not the border situation, she claims. Yet the book provides scant detail about her personal orbit or day-to-day interactions. The memoir opens with her well-known Slovenian origin story, successful modeling career, and whirlwind romance with Donald Trump, culminating in their 2005 marriage, followed by a snapshot of Election Day 2016: “Each time we were together that day, I was impressed by his calm.…This man is remarkably confident under pressure.” Once in the White House, Melania Trump describes her functions and numerous public events at home and abroad, which she asserts were more accomplished than media representations suggested. However, she rarely shares any personal interactions beyond close family ties, notably her affection for her son, Barron, and her sister, Ines. And of course she lavishes praise on her husband. Minimal anecdotes about White House or cabinet staff are included, and she carefully defuses her rumored tensions with Trump’s adult children, blandly stating, “While we may share the same last name, each of us is distinct with our own aspirations and paths to follow.” Although Melania’s desire to support causes related to children’s and women’s welfare feels authentic, the overall tenor of her memoir seems aimed at painting a glimmering portrait of her husband and her role, likely with an eye toward the forthcoming election.
A slick, vacuous glimpse into the former first lady’s White House years.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781510782693
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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