Eat, Pray, Love

Last week, I ran into a friend at "the tree" where we wait for the kids to come out of school.

My friend said to me, "I have a great book for you! But I'm still reading it. I'll give it to you soon." Which you can't say to me, because it will burn in my bones until I get my hands on that book since I will now feel as if the book has been divinely sent to me.

So, it was, of course, no coincidence that the very next day I was at Costco and there it was: Eat, Pray, Love. I snatched it up, of course, and my Labor Day Weekend went like this: Saturday I Ate. Sunday I Prayed. And Monday I Loved. Mostly in the hammock overlooking the garden, where cool breezes blew and the temperature fell to a lovely 89 degrees (if you can believe that that is refreshing to us here in Atlanta) for the first time in two months.

Here's the premise of this non-fiction memoir: Elizabeth Gilbert, a writer from New York, comes off a bad divorce and toxic relationship weathered and worn. She somehow convinces her publisher to pay her an advance to travel around the world and find herself again--four months in Italy (Eat), four months in India (Pray), and four months in Indonesia (Love).

Although not a professed foodie or localvore, Liz does celebrate the unique beauty of local food throughout this book. The first question she asks in every town in Italy she visits is "Where can I get the best meal?" And it's always a celebration of local traditions and tastes, as well as a powerful way to connect with people. In India, she eats daily vegetarian meals at the Ashram at which she's staying, and Indonesia is full of healing food.

The food was so prominent in parts of this book (most notably, Italy) that, for the first time in five months, I questioned my commitment to vegetarianism. Not because I miss meat, because I don't. But because I consider myself an easy traveler and part of being an easy traveler is accepting the gifts of food layed before you through the generosity of the people you meet. And how do you do that if you have to wonder, "Is there chicken broth in this dish?" I debate this with myself right there in the hammock and decide that this is not a problem I need to worry about right now. I signed up for a year of vegetarianism and I don't have any worldwide trips planned during that time, so let it go, Pattie. Liz-in-the-Pray-Section would be proud of me.

Eat, Pray, Love is delicious for many reasons. If Like Water for Chocolate (one of my FoodShed Summer Reading Picks of the Week) didn't ignite your soul, then give this one a shot. It is bound to shake awake desires that you didn't know you had. And, if you can manage three days in the hammock, all the better.



For those of you who have read this book, check out Liz's website for photos of some of the key people mentioned and FAQs which truly are the questions that you will want to have answered!

Eat, Pray, Love