The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree

by Evelyne Fallows

"Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't want the story to end!" - 5-star Goodreads review"An exceptional story filled with lovely characters, vivid scenes and exciting locations." - 5-star reader's review"Grab this book, enjoy reading it, and look forward to the author's next offering!" - 5-star Goodreads reviewA story of friendship beyond age and borders, of self-fulfillment and happiness, the Polar Bear and the Palm Tree will take you from the sandy dunes of Saudi Arabia, the Desert Kingdom, to the icy floes of Norway and the Arctic. Be prepared to escape, laugh, reflect, learn and be moved by Ingrid and Mikio, two very different personalities who were never destined to meet. And yet...The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree is a beautiful story of an unlikely friendship that takes you from the Saudi Desert to the Arctic via Las Vegas. If you enjoy reading about exotic places and exciting adventures, you should definitely check this out!"Engaging and thought-provoking story. With the exception of multiple POV's, I found the Polar Bear and the Plam Tree to have a Gentleman in Moscow-like style of storytelling."- 5- star Amazon review

Genres: Fiction, Middle East

160 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2017

About the author

Française de naissance, Américaine par alliance, expatriée par choix, globetrotteuse littéraire par passion, j’ai été tour à tour interprète de conférence, coach fitness et auteure de romans, nouvelles et scénarios, en anglais et en français.

Avide amatrice de musées et de kickboxing (l’un n’empêche pas l’autre !), j’aime les vins fins et les cuisines du monde.

Après 20 ans en Asie et au Moyen-Orient, je vis aujourd’hui à New York.

Pour plus d’informations, je vous invite à consulter www.evelynefallows.com


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

French by birth, American by marriage, expat by choice, global citizen by heart, I am a conference interpreter turned fitness trainer turned fiction writer and screenwriter.

I am an avid museumgoer, amateur kickboxer, chocolateaddict, wine taster foodie and mostly, a world-traveler.

I love and live drama (on and off Broadway), they say I'm funny and charming but sometimes impatient.

After 20 years living and traveling around Europe, Asia and the Middle-East, I live now in New York City.

Join me, in English and French as I take you along my journeys.
Find out more: https://evelynefallows.com/

Reviews

[Jean Saintfort · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’avais envie de vous partager mon retour sur « The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree ». Oui, oui, je sais c’est en anglais, mais attendez de voir la suite.

Une jeune femme aux origines multiples. Un vieil homme japonais un peu mystérieux. Une rencontre improbable. Et pourtant, l’amitié naît, par petites touches, par approches ténues, par confidences au détour d’une phrase... ou d’un vin exquis. C’est toute la délicatesse de l’auteure de nous montrer la naissance d’une belle amitié.
Ce que j’ai aimé chez l’auteur, c’est qu’il n’y a pas de présupposé, pas de jugement. « L’autre », tous les autres sont acceptés comme ils sont. Chaque pays, chaque personne est une chance de rencontre.
Mais pour rencontrer l’autre il faut oser faire un pas. L’amitié, comme l’amour, est un risque, une chance… qu’on saisit… ou pas. Parce qu’on est prêt à s’ouvrir ou pas.
Et puis, au-delà des voyages, des paysages et des intérieurs étonnants où l’auteure nous emmène, il y a… les rêves d’enfant. Ceux qu’on garde enfouis depuis tellement d’années. Non, il n’y a pas d’âge pour réaliser ses rêves.
Merci Evelyne Fallows de nous rappeler cela. Je crois bien que je vais continuer à vous suivre.
Au fait, je suis français, et je lis l’anglais comme un français, c’est-à-dire imparfaitement. Aussi, ami(e)s français(es), soyez sans crainte. L’écriture est accessible et la poésie des mots nous emporte. N’hésitez pas.

[Sylvia]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and Ms. Fallows' writing style. I didn't want the story to end! Looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

[France-Michèle Adler · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much in The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree : Riyad, Las Vegas, the Arctic and some very deep friendships. What swept me away was a world I know nothing about : Saudi Arabia. We follow Ingrid to Riyad where she works and lives in the palace of a Saudi Arabian princess. Ingrid loves the palace, the gardens, a way of life. She has her own staff and her own chef. But a beautiful world is not always everything. The encounter with the religious police chills you to the bone.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book accompanied my last solo euro-trip. I really didn't want the flight home to end until the book was over.
Besides being a review, this is a message of gratitude for this delightful story that made my travel more interesting and curious. Now, I feel closer to Ingrid and Sigrund as two friends I know somehow from somewhere around the globe.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I was gifted a copy of the Kindle edition of The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree in exchange for a fair and honest review. What a pleasant surprise this book was. I normally would not have thought to read a book like this, as unfortunately, my world travels have been fairly limited, but The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree opened up worlds of possibility to me. It is the story of Ingrid, who lives in Saudi Arabia during her younger years, tutoring the daughter of a Saudi prince and Princess. In the present, Ingrid travels to conferences to lecture and in the course of her travels, she meets a Japanese man, who she befriends. The stories of both characters are interesting and well-versed. I have a family member living in Saudi Arabia due to her husband's job and I felt very familiar with the landscape and the terminology of the region, which also helped me enjoy the book. The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree is truly a story of friendship, travels, adventures and pursuing a life a lot of us will never get to experience. Kudos to Evelyne Fallows for bringing these worlds together for a very interesting read.

[John Tilstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyne Fallows debut novel is excellent. It intertwines the stories of a developing friendship and finding fulfillment later in life with flashbacks to experiences in Saudi Arabia. Both stories are interesting. For those interested in what life is like for expats and Saudis alike, this is an insightful read. Similarly, the character development and story of stepping into one's calling at any stage in life is poignant. Grab this book, enjoy reading it this winter, and look forward to the author's next offering!

[Michele Janka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Polar Bear and the Palm Tree by Evelyne Fallows

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this short novel. The author sets the scene slowly, develops two very different characters over glasses of Barolo but in Las Vegas.. I loved the contrast of sophistication against the lewd background. The very well captured details of Ingrid's life in Saudi Arabia contrasted against Mikio's hesitancy and restraint keep you wanting to learn more. Then the shift to Norway could not be more of a contrast again.

[Justin W · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Polar Bear and The Palm Tree, Evelyne Fallows vividly describes a land many of us will never see – the deserts and palaces of Saudi Arabia –– weaving a compelling story from Las Vegas to the aforementioned “Sand Pit” and ultimately Norway and the Arctic Circle. Ms. Fallows’ novel demonstrates the author’s intense interest in and compassion for characters both major and minor, building a sense of place and driving a timely story towards a finale that will stir your heart.

[Sue T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is a charming story about a gradually tender and sweet friendship that grows between two unlikely people: a young European female scientist with a history of time spent in Saudi Arabia before she followed her passion that led her to the Arctic; and an older Japanese widower who in retirement has become a gifted photographer (and opera singer!). Through their dinners together in the unlikely meeting place in Las Vegas, they get to know each other's past, and we get to go on their affectionate journey together. I loved learning what life for a young women is like in Saudi, especially as we see interactions among females behind the scenes where they can take off their abayas and let their hair down. This solidified my own hopes to visit Svalbard one day, too. Ingrid and Mikio are wonderful people, and I didn't want the story to end. Enjoy it yourself.

[Michael Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle says it all: a delightful story of friendship and entertaining adventures from Saudi Arabia to Norway. Fallows introduces us to two "strangers" from different countries, different backgrounds, and interests whose stories begin to overlap and develop in travels to the aforementioned countries and cultures of Saudi Arabia and Norway.

[Amritha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the style of writing. And being an expat woman living in Saudi Arabia, there were so many things I could connect to.

[Beverlee Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll enjoy this one!

The characters are very interesting. I enjoyed their life stories and learned so much about countries I will never see.

[Juliette Triozon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about friendship, an unusual one between an older Japanese traditional man turned photographer and a younger German-Lebanese woman who is traveling the world giving conferences on the topic of Polar Bears. Ingrid, the main character has also lived in Saudi Arabia and there met Sigrund, a Norwegian woman who became her best friend.
The author makes you travel from the Saudi Desert to the Arctic via Las Vegas where she met her Japanese future friend. It's quirky, well written with lots of interesting description about the daily life of both very different cultures.
The characters are endearing, I fell in love with them. How they meet and how they weave their friendship makes me think :"This is how we humans should be, interact with one another without judgement, find the best in one another, help one another."
The ending is unpredictable and made me feel good and happy!
It's an easy 'make feel good' type of book, perfect on any trip, I highly recommend it for I have enjoyed it a lot!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely debut, chronicling an unexpected friendship that arises between a Japanese man and a German-Lebanese woman. The woman's backstory in the Saudi desert is riveting and richly detailed - it leaves you wanting to dive in to those stories. Lovely, likeable characters.