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Wandering Canalside
"Holland," she said, "is where my heart lies..."
When the going gets tough, the tough get going and sometimes going foreign is just the way to go—a “non-American dream,” perhaps.
Following in the footsteps of a rogue great aunt, Clara recovers from hurt by flying across the world to spend some time in Amsterdam. She takes a shot at the language, tastes her way through every type of cheese, and finds out the hard way that the Dutch are direct. Slowly, Clara begins to feel like she’s alive again, and soon she realizes that just because you’re from somewhere doesn’t mean that’s where you are meant to be.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going and sometimes going foreign is just the way to go—a “non-American dream,” perhaps.
Following in the footsteps of a rogue great aunt, Clara recovers from hurt by flying across the world to spend some time in Amsterdam. She takes a shot at the language, tastes her way through every type of cheese, and finds out the hard way that the Dutch are direct. Slowly, Clara begins to feel like she’s alive again, and soon she realizes that just because you’re from somewhere doesn’t mean that’s where you are meant to be.
366 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2013
1 person is currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Willers
2 books3 followersPatricia Willers is the author of "Case by Case Basis," a book of short stories (April 2016) and "Wandering Canalside" (2013). Her writing includes fiction, short stories, travel writing, beer writing and more. Currently, she writes and teaches in Davis, California.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2021
Wandering Canalside by Patricia Willers is a story of a woman finding herself after an unexpected divorce. I really enjoyed the pop culture references (right in my age-range). Also really liked the idea of picking up and moving some place new to start over. Oh wait, I already do that!
August 11, 2016
original review found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received this novel as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I must admit that this book frustrated me quite a bit. I will start with what I did not particularly like and then move on to what I did like.
I found that as far as the actual plot of the story there was a whole lot of nothing. I know that the underlying theme was about Clara discovering who she was and becoming independent however I felt like all that occurred throughout the story was a whole lot of wallowing followed up by a whole lot of eating. Clara's journey did not seem realistic nor did her family's. As a result I felt the story was 100 pages too many.
On the flip side this story painted a brilliant picture of Holland. I have never been however it is on my list of places to go and I felt that Willers was able to give me the next best thing. The way she described the people, the landscape and the food made me feel like I was there. I could smell and taste the food as she was describing it. I give credit to Willers for her wonderful descriptions. It is clear that she has a great love of Holland and/or fantastic research skills.
To sum it up, although I was not terribly impressed with the actual story, the portrayal of Holland made up for the gaps. The true hero of the story was Holland and I am glad that I could experience it through the pages of this story
I received this novel as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I must admit that this book frustrated me quite a bit. I will start with what I did not particularly like and then move on to what I did like.
I found that as far as the actual plot of the story there was a whole lot of nothing. I know that the underlying theme was about Clara discovering who she was and becoming independent however I felt like all that occurred throughout the story was a whole lot of wallowing followed up by a whole lot of eating. Clara's journey did not seem realistic nor did her family's. As a result I felt the story was 100 pages too many.
On the flip side this story painted a brilliant picture of Holland. I have never been however it is on my list of places to go and I felt that Willers was able to give me the next best thing. The way she described the people, the landscape and the food made me feel like I was there. I could smell and taste the food as she was describing it. I give credit to Willers for her wonderful descriptions. It is clear that she has a great love of Holland and/or fantastic research skills.
To sum it up, although I was not terribly impressed with the actual story, the portrayal of Holland made up for the gaps. The true hero of the story was Holland and I am glad that I could experience it through the pages of this story
January 20, 2014
I received this in a First Reads giveaway, this has not influenced my review at all.
This is chick lit at its best for me - a stunning location, no "romance", a woman becoming her own, & food!
It made me long for Europe - the individual cultural complexities, language struggles, & new, glorious food.
Clara is a character I could easily relate to & instantly liked.
I would have liked to have known a bit more about the family situation that involved Great Aunt Ilse remaining in The Netherlands.
A few very minor editing errors - a repeated explanation & some confusing punctuation (when characters were speaking, not clear if it was the same character or someone else).
Would love to read more from Willers.
This is chick lit at its best for me - a stunning location, no "romance", a woman becoming her own, & food!
It made me long for Europe - the individual cultural complexities, language struggles, & new, glorious food.
Clara is a character I could easily relate to & instantly liked.
I would have liked to have known a bit more about the family situation that involved Great Aunt Ilse remaining in The Netherlands.
A few very minor editing errors - a repeated explanation & some confusing punctuation (when characters were speaking, not clear if it was the same character or someone else).
Would love to read more from Willers.
September 5, 2015
I received this book from Goodreads giveaways. This review reflects nothing from being selected to read it.
I appreciated this book and I was able to feel a strong connection to the the main character Clara because I am finding my artistic life just like she does. She is struggling to figure out who she is after a difficult time was forced upon her. Travelling to a new country and going through the ups and downs to find her place in the world...her home.
I appreciated this book and I was able to feel a strong connection to the the main character Clara because I am finding my artistic life just like she does. She is struggling to figure out who she is after a difficult time was forced upon her. Travelling to a new country and going through the ups and downs to find her place in the world...her home.
July 28, 2016
I loved this book! It was a beautiful portrait of expat life in the Netherlands, and an excellent tale of self discovery. I found it uplifting and engaging, and loved the focus Clara had on her needs and her journey. It made me homesick for the time I spent in the Netherlands, and had me cheering for Clara every step of the way!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews