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Drinking the Rain: A Memoir
A memoir of spiritualism and self-discovery from the acclaimed, award-winning author
At fifty, Alix Kates Shulman, author of the celebrated feminist novel, Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen , left a city life dense with political activism, family and literary community, and went to live alone on an island off the coast of Maine. On a windswept beach, in a cabin with no plumbing, power, or telephone, she found that she was learning to live all over again.
In this luminous, spirited book, she charts her subsequent path as she learned not simply the joys of meditative solitude, but to integrate her new awareness into a busy, committed, even hectic mainland life.
“A ten-year voyage of discovery . . . Shulman's honesty and sense of inquiry carry us with her all the way--could even, if we were willing, change our lives.” ― San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle
At fifty, Alix Kates Shulman, author of the celebrated feminist novel, Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen , left a city life dense with political activism, family and literary community, and went to live alone on an island off the coast of Maine. On a windswept beach, in a cabin with no plumbing, power, or telephone, she found that she was learning to live all over again.
In this luminous, spirited book, she charts her subsequent path as she learned not simply the joys of meditative solitude, but to integrate her new awareness into a busy, committed, even hectic mainland life.
“A ten-year voyage of discovery . . . Shulman's honesty and sense of inquiry carry us with her all the way--could even, if we were willing, change our lives.” ― San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
40 people are currently reading
915 people want to read
About the author
Alix Kates Shulman
26 books61 followersRaised in Cleveland, Ohio, Alix attended public schools and planned to be a lawyer like her dad. But in college at Case Western Reserve University she was smitten by philosophy and upon graduation moved to New York City to study philosophy at Columbia grad school. After some years as an encyclopedia editor, she enrolled at New York University, where she took a degree in mathematics, and later, while raising two children, an MA in Humanities.
She became a civil rights activist in 1961 and a feminist activist in 1967, published her first book in 1970, and taught her first class in 1973--all lifelong pursuits that have found their way into her books.
Having explored in her novels the challenges of youth and midlife, in her memoirs she has probed the later stages in the ongoing drama of her generation of women, taking on the terrors and rewards of solitude, of her parents' final years, and of her late-life calling as caregiver to her beloved husband, with whom she lives in New York City.
She became a civil rights activist in 1961 and a feminist activist in 1967, published her first book in 1970, and taught her first class in 1973--all lifelong pursuits that have found their way into her books.
Having explored in her novels the challenges of youth and midlife, in her memoirs she has probed the later stages in the ongoing drama of her generation of women, taking on the terrors and rewards of solitude, of her parents' final years, and of her late-life calling as caregiver to her beloved husband, with whom she lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
November 17, 2009
When I read this book I was twenty years old and it had never occurred to me before but I realized it was quite true that I might live my whole life without ever being really on my own.
That year I drove south to Mexico and north to Idaho and then back home from Arizona to Boston - all three trips on my own (and very much over my father's objections) - and I was keenly aware of everything I had been taught to fear about being a woman alone in a strange place. Almost nothing happened to me that year that I had been warned about - most of my problems on the road were of my own creation (side note: never try to peel a grapefruit while driving on the interstate). But the fear that I carried around was monumental and facing it was both exhilarating and humbling.
Alix Kates Shulman's memoir of living on a remote island by herself and meeting that fear head-on meant so much to me that I wrote her a letter (a physical one on paper, I believe) and she sent me back a card.
I was floored.
An inspiring and honest book and a gracious and generous author.
That year I drove south to Mexico and north to Idaho and then back home from Arizona to Boston - all three trips on my own (and very much over my father's objections) - and I was keenly aware of everything I had been taught to fear about being a woman alone in a strange place. Almost nothing happened to me that year that I had been warned about - most of my problems on the road were of my own creation (side note: never try to peel a grapefruit while driving on the interstate). But the fear that I carried around was monumental and facing it was both exhilarating and humbling.
Alix Kates Shulman's memoir of living on a remote island by herself and meeting that fear head-on meant so much to me that I wrote her a letter (a physical one on paper, I believe) and she sent me back a card.
I was floored.
An inspiring and honest book and a gracious and generous author.
November 3, 2022
This author left her husband, her ( adult) children, her home, essentially her life in New York City, to live in a camp?cabin? cottage? Without plumbing, electricity, or a phone. That alone, ( no pun intended) captivated my interest. Her walks, her musings, her food scavenging and creating, tells her story.
If you want to sit and think a bit beyond whether your forgetfulness means dementia, or whether Harry Styles is a good actor, or whether Fox propaganda aligns with corporate CNN —-, this is a thoughtful read. You might not enjoy it but you won’t forget it.
If you want to sit and think a bit beyond whether your forgetfulness means dementia, or whether Harry Styles is a good actor, or whether Fox propaganda aligns with corporate CNN —-, this is a thoughtful read. You might not enjoy it but you won’t forget it.
May 20, 2011
This book doesn't inspire the reader very much; it's mostly self serving and superficial. Only the last few pages had any thing worthwhile to offer. I had trouble getting through the endless food reports, what she ate, how she prepared it, where the food came from, and on and on. (Why do women authors do this? Sorry, Ladies, but it's true. So many women authors feel the need to write about what everyone is eating and who spent how much time in the kitchen. Male authors focus on action, I guess, but women authors focus on food. Why? I'll bet I get some criticism for saying this.)
October 1, 2015
A tender, revealing memoir about a woman (a long-time feminist/pacifist activist) at mid-life, dealing with a divorce and a new lover and trying to find a place for herself in nature.
April 11, 2024
A great book from Shulman which covers everything from feminism to ailing marriages to back to nature to pollution and declining environments.
Shulman has a shack on the coastal shores of Maine where she escapes for some solitude, time to reflect, self-care and major introspection. Through the months that she is there, she develops the ability to slow time in a Thoreau manner, concentrating on the minutiae of everyday existence, foraging, preparing, co-existing.
I really loved this book. It was a slow read for me as I savoured the pages and carefully absorbed the words.
A much needed 5 star read.
Shulman has a shack on the coastal shores of Maine where she escapes for some solitude, time to reflect, self-care and major introspection. Through the months that she is there, she develops the ability to slow time in a Thoreau manner, concentrating on the minutiae of everyday existence, foraging, preparing, co-existing.
I really loved this book. It was a slow read for me as I savoured the pages and carefully absorbed the words.
A much needed 5 star read.
May 5, 2009
This is a beautiful coming-of-age (age 50, that is) memoir of a woman living on an inhabited Maine coastal island. Moving away from New York City for a while, Shulman learns to slow down, forage for mussels, and live life simply for a restorative spell.
June 16, 2014
If I could only own one book, it would be this. Alix Kates Shulman helped me discover the art of long, slow conversations; the abundance in solitude; fearlessness and resilience in reinvention; and the gifts of the natural feast. I discovered this book at a time when, like the author, I was approaching 50, wrestling with the death of a marriage and a restless hunger to reinvent myself (or perhaps actually meet myself for the very first time). Reading it is like immersing in a love letter that you would write to yourself a handful of years and "Aha!" moments after taking this in. It's brilliant comfort and an incantation to that courageous part of ourselves that secretly knows the wisdom of simple pleasures, and of our own company. I read it again and again.
March 26, 2009
Keeping with my current "back to basics" theme, in books, I am reading this. The woman of privilege heads to Maine to live in a cabin alone. And finds her food on the ground and in the water. Okay, so there are flaws. But it's a placeholder, for when my hold books come in. Why do they torture me and make me wait? It is detestable.
Okay, so only the first third of this book is actually compelling. I enjoyed the writing about discovering that nature isn't so bad after all (I might be coming around) -- even thinking about getting a compost bin (don't tell anyone). But the rest, it was a chore, I found myself skipping chunks. She lost focus, and not in a delightful way.
Okay, so only the first third of this book is actually compelling. I enjoyed the writing about discovering that nature isn't so bad after all (I might be coming around) -- even thinking about getting a compost bin (don't tell anyone). But the rest, it was a chore, I found myself skipping chunks. She lost focus, and not in a delightful way.
January 31, 2009
While the world was on an Eat, Pray, Love craze I found this gem of a memoir in a small bookstore on Cape Cod. I have since lent it out to some of my favorite people and almost everyone has loved it. Although the author seems a bit self serving at times, and that can be a huge turn off, her story is fascinating and brave-and quite funny at times. This is a book that proves the power of overcoming your fears and flaws and learning to live again mid-life.
June 18, 2011
One of my favorite "coming of age, surviving divorce" books ever!
January 31, 2017
Memorable. I especially like her wildcrafting her food on the island.
She has a second book about her "husband". Did she really get a divorce or is this a second husband?
She has a second book about her "husband". Did she really get a divorce or is this a second husband?
June 26, 2020
Solitude
This teaches about solitude and finding what really matters. I was there on the island. I could see nubble. The author bright the string alive.
This teaches about solitude and finding what really matters. I was there on the island. I could see nubble. The author bright the string alive.
October 16, 2023
This book is in 3 sections. The first I read a couple years ago, spellbound because it took place in my home “bay”. I loved the summer of solitude to completely connect with the rhythms of the island and becoming self sufficient. I have always fantasized about this. I kept thinking about this book over the last couple of years but the second section seemed like a mishmash of being lost in her new life with the island calling to her. Perhaps this is a reflection of how I read it. Today I read the entire third part and loved it. The interconnection of life- the destruction wrought on the world by humans mixed with the time out that being in nature gives you cane through at a deep level.
May 9, 2025
A rare DNF. I tend to take finishing a book as some kind of personal challenge, but I just could not see my way through this one. There were elements of her writing that were good, but the descriptions of food just went on and on and on. I kept hoping that it would get better because I felt like the underlying story was probably good, but at 50-some percent I threw in the towel.
May 17, 2015
I struggled thru this book at times and came away with mixed feelings. The author has great ability with expository writing, but left me swimming at times thru too many repetitive details. However, it was still a really good book.
The downside is that by book's end, I had tired of reading overly specific listings of wild foods harvested and descriptions of foods prepared. Editing towards this end, I think, would have raised this book from 4 to 5 stars for me.
Detail is crucial in fine writing, but so is the ability to summarize and do without, and knowing when to do which is quite often what elevates the really good to the superb. Despite this criticism, I greatly admire this book, and enjoyed it very much.
It resonated with me for many reasons. One being that I'm about the age she was when she embraced a life of isolation and simplicity (partial life - during warmer months primarily) on the coast of Maine. Secondly, I admire her pursuit of a simpler, solitary, more meditative life. Third, she is a skilled and interesting writer, though prone to including too many details as already noted. Fourthly, I appreciate her insights into her life and our life at large, especially with its many inconsistencies and comic/tragic complexities.
Lots of good stuff here. Here are a few quotes I marked while reading that struck me as illustrative and significant (wish I'd marked more):
"How can one live without rancor in a world steeped in suffering and injustice -- or live without contentment in a world bathed in birdsong at sundown?"
"She (Sappho) is out to break records, I to establish mine by discovering how little I need in order to have everything, how much awaits me under the tide, how long I can stretch the season without freezing or cracking. My new rules are few and simple: follow my interest; go as deep as I can; change the rules whenever I like."
"The very separation and compartmentalizing I escaped by coming to the nubble now reproduce themselves inside my garden as I reintroduce waste and trade my continuous harvest for rare, chancy joy."
Note "the nubble" is how the author refers to her reclusive, island retreat. The name is a reference to the little island off Cape Neddick, called the Nubble. Various islands off the coast of Maine are similarly suited to being called the same, which is presumably how the name arose for her own island retreat. (I apologize if I missed where she explained this. I read this over about a 6 week period since I preferred to savor it and read it more slowly.)
The downside is that by book's end, I had tired of reading overly specific listings of wild foods harvested and descriptions of foods prepared. Editing towards this end, I think, would have raised this book from 4 to 5 stars for me.
Detail is crucial in fine writing, but so is the ability to summarize and do without, and knowing when to do which is quite often what elevates the really good to the superb. Despite this criticism, I greatly admire this book, and enjoyed it very much.
It resonated with me for many reasons. One being that I'm about the age she was when she embraced a life of isolation and simplicity (partial life - during warmer months primarily) on the coast of Maine. Secondly, I admire her pursuit of a simpler, solitary, more meditative life. Third, she is a skilled and interesting writer, though prone to including too many details as already noted. Fourthly, I appreciate her insights into her life and our life at large, especially with its many inconsistencies and comic/tragic complexities.
Lots of good stuff here. Here are a few quotes I marked while reading that struck me as illustrative and significant (wish I'd marked more):
"How can one live without rancor in a world steeped in suffering and injustice -- or live without contentment in a world bathed in birdsong at sundown?"
"She (Sappho) is out to break records, I to establish mine by discovering how little I need in order to have everything, how much awaits me under the tide, how long I can stretch the season without freezing or cracking. My new rules are few and simple: follow my interest; go as deep as I can; change the rules whenever I like."
"The very separation and compartmentalizing I escaped by coming to the nubble now reproduce themselves inside my garden as I reintroduce waste and trade my continuous harvest for rare, chancy joy."
Note "the nubble" is how the author refers to her reclusive, island retreat. The name is a reference to the little island off Cape Neddick, called the Nubble. Various islands off the coast of Maine are similarly suited to being called the same, which is presumably how the name arose for her own island retreat. (I apologize if I missed where she explained this. I read this over about a 6 week period since I preferred to savor it and read it more slowly.)
August 28, 2019
I read this book soon after it came out in 1995. I loved it then, but I appreciate it even more on this second reading. Beautifully written, almost poetry, it recounts the author's time seeking solitude and a better connection with her self on an island off the coast of Maine as she turns fifty. She lived for part of each year following, in an undeveloped cabin, securing most of her food from the surrounding earth and sea, discovering the abundance of nature in the mostly overlooked plants surrounding her home and from which she concocted delicious meals. But the book moves beyond that island to her life in New York City as an activist for women's rights and writer, a woman in a marriage that has died, a mother of two grown children who don't entirely approve of this new phase in their mother's life. And it takes her to Boulder, Colorado, where she spends two years teaching at the university and writing, while also exploring a terrain new to her ... the mountains and forests. She also engages in a protest of the nuclear weapons at Los Alamos. And always back again to the island nubble ... after ten years very much changed since her initial trips.
In addition to being a fine writer, Alxx Kates Shulman is a wisdom woman, extracting the rich marrow from her experiences, reflecting, and offering it up for others to partake at the table she sets. It's a feast. Along the way we meet Margaret, ten years older than Alix, and also a wisdom woman, and Charles, Alix's found again lover ... both richly steeped in life on their own terms. But what made this book especially poignant for me at this particular time is Shulman's reflections on climate change, on the destruction of the Amazon rain forest through fires set by farmers clearing land, on the accident at Chernobyl, on the pollution of the seas and the killing of sea life, and on the use of pesticides. It's been over twenty years since Shulman wrote this book, and the world today is in worse shape that it was then ... because people don't listen and too many of us put short term profit ahead of everything else. This book is even more timely now than when it was written, and for those wanting to consider another way of being on the earth, living more gently and more intentionally, it is a wonderful guide, without setting out to be that. This book should become a classic.
In addition to being a fine writer, Alxx Kates Shulman is a wisdom woman, extracting the rich marrow from her experiences, reflecting, and offering it up for others to partake at the table she sets. It's a feast. Along the way we meet Margaret, ten years older than Alix, and also a wisdom woman, and Charles, Alix's found again lover ... both richly steeped in life on their own terms. But what made this book especially poignant for me at this particular time is Shulman's reflections on climate change, on the destruction of the Amazon rain forest through fires set by farmers clearing land, on the accident at Chernobyl, on the pollution of the seas and the killing of sea life, and on the use of pesticides. It's been over twenty years since Shulman wrote this book, and the world today is in worse shape that it was then ... because people don't listen and too many of us put short term profit ahead of everything else. This book is even more timely now than when it was written, and for those wanting to consider another way of being on the earth, living more gently and more intentionally, it is a wonderful guide, without setting out to be that. This book should become a classic.
February 19, 2021
I didn't particularly enjoy this memoir because of her style of writing, a bit fluffy and pompous, but I can appreciate her spiritual trip in life to find herself, to find answers and solidity in what she actually believes and truly wants out of her life. She's very lucky to have been supported by her now ex-husband to go off on her own, and leaving the kids behind, to different remote places over the years for the self-feeding of her inner soul, and especially for going off alone summers at a time to their little shack on a small remote island off the coast of Maine.
Here she tested herself in living naturally and in oneness with nature by doing her very best to eat only what the earth provided in the way of weeds and berries for salads, and herbs growing around the cabin for seasoning, and mussels, crabs and clams for her food source. I love that she had great books on identifying wild weeds for her specific area on food sources that she could read and learn more about as the days passed.
But, she ended up divorced and mentally wondered about her sanity. Admitting to being a feminist activist, I believe she had her priorities all wrong in life. She was fighting for all the wrong things. But, I don't think she put the two together.
Only time alone on this island where she could think and live freely, was she finally able to separate the GARBAGE she had been indocrinated into from the real, God-given life she was meant to live. Now, this is only my opinion because I don't believe she actually saw how much happier she was to clear her mind of such self-absorbing thoughts while alone on the island.
Her attentions turned from self-centered and impowering herself as a woman to protecting nature and the foods we eat. She sets the best example that she can, never perfect. She sees how we humans are destroying this earth. So do I. But, since you can't control the whole world, you adapt to the changing times and you just do your best to leave a smaller footprint.
Here she tested herself in living naturally and in oneness with nature by doing her very best to eat only what the earth provided in the way of weeds and berries for salads, and herbs growing around the cabin for seasoning, and mussels, crabs and clams for her food source. I love that she had great books on identifying wild weeds for her specific area on food sources that she could read and learn more about as the days passed.
But, she ended up divorced and mentally wondered about her sanity. Admitting to being a feminist activist, I believe she had her priorities all wrong in life. She was fighting for all the wrong things. But, I don't think she put the two together.
Only time alone on this island where she could think and live freely, was she finally able to separate the GARBAGE she had been indocrinated into from the real, God-given life she was meant to live. Now, this is only my opinion because I don't believe she actually saw how much happier she was to clear her mind of such self-absorbing thoughts while alone on the island.
Her attentions turned from self-centered and impowering herself as a woman to protecting nature and the foods we eat. She sets the best example that she can, never perfect. She sees how we humans are destroying this earth. So do I. But, since you can't control the whole world, you adapt to the changing times and you just do your best to leave a smaller footprint.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2012
I have a pretty close connection to Long Island Maine and go there every summer. I know exactly the house she lived in and have stared at it from the beach below many an afternoon thinking two things: one, it had been abandoned and two who the hell would ever leave the most amazing and beautiful spot on earth or at least not spend every second of every summer there? My sister had told me about the writer that owned it- the story of her living in seclusion there and how she came to write "Drinking the Rain." This summer we both decided to read it, finally.
I really liked it! And most of the time, I liked the author. She's quite a bit older than me and as a woman, at times I could not relate to the disappointments and dilemnas of that particular generation- a second wave feminist in repose and all of that....I did relate to (and admire) her sincere quest of self-discovery and her desire to change her life and make those changes on her own, internally. It was slow in places and she is quite philosophical in her reflections but all in all I found the pace do-able. Her quest for solitude was admirable too and something I could totally relate to. There's enough flashbacks to her life back in Manhattan and her life-long relationships interspersed with digging mussels, and steaming dandelion greens to keep the story moving. They allow for a sense of the whole person. Not just a long internal meditation on nature and one's relationship to it- alone.
June 16, 2025
4.5 stars. I read this over the course of almost a month, mostly because it begs to be read slowly, in the same way that Shulman lived on her island retreat — carefully and methodically learning what was edible and how to prepare it and spending large parts of each day collecting, preparing, and eating that day's meals. At times the detail was a little too much, but on the whole I really appreciated her reflections. After a long period of feminist activism, she wrestles with whether living off the land in isolation is embracing her values or running away from the fight. She watches in real time as the relationship becomes evident between the destructiveness and pollution of human beings — even those she's gone a far distance from — and the animals and plant life she depends on. She wonders whether finding a lover means she's sacrificed the independence she gained or whether her time alone has better prepared her to be in relationship with others. It may not be the book for everyone, but for me — feminist, parent, newly divorced — it was an excellent read.
May 19, 2022
The author, a lifelong feminist, has written a memoir of her 50th summer, spent alone on an island off the coast of Maine, learning to enjoy the moment and living with the natural world. She explores James Baldwin’s paradox, “to hold in the mind two ideas which seemed to be in opposition. The first..acceptance without rancor, of life as it is and men as they are…the second…that one must never in one’s own life accept injustices as commonplace but must fight them with all one’s strength.” On this island, back in NYC and in her travels to Boulder, Colorado and Ukraine she writes of acceptance and struggle. She learns to love herself and the world, with hope without regrets, wherever she is, in that moment.
November 18, 2011
Easily one of this years favourites. I started out at only two pages a day as I wanted to enjoy the book as long as possible, yet soon squeezed in a few more pages every day. I liked the way the story built from experiencing the island and how to live on less and in solitude, to connecting those experiences to mainlandlife and it's noise and distraction, and in the third section to the world with it's waste and pollution, making it into a book in which all Shulman's feminist issues of years gone by are interconnected.
June 22, 2020
A little dated, but a lovely exploration of solitude in nature.
November 23, 2025
Wish I were as brave as the author--
Needed to reread this book at this time.🙏
Needed to reread this book at this time.🙏
April 23, 2025
I found this book in a Free Little Library. Part 1 of this book was excellent. She was truly telling a good story. Parts 2 and 3 were repetitive, long-winded, and contained too much detail for me.
January 16, 2022
The words Alix Shulman strings across a page voice a suspension of judgment by a mind, conditioned like mine, to ignore and dismiss wonders of the world outside it. The book, taken as a whole, is very funny. I can't remember laughing so happily uncontrolledly , actually slapping my knee, since James Thurber. Anyone who buys the book on the basis of that recommendation will feel duped . . . for a while. It hadn't occurred to me for quite a spell, that Shulman had a sense of humor at all.
The whole first part, before I started laughing, is wonderful in its own right. She shared minute discoveries. I was awed. I came to the computer to share this gem of a read after laughing so heartily. I'm dying to hint where and what she described so perfectly for my funny bone. Other reviewers have revealed the charm of a New Yorker meditating on a pool of blue mussels. Better, for me, than descriptions of sea shells by the novelist whose work forced the Senate to investigate migrant housing. I don't remember laughing while reading the Sea of Cortez or the Grapes of Wrath. But I'm not going to spoil it for you.
The whole first part, before I started laughing, is wonderful in its own right. She shared minute discoveries. I was awed. I came to the computer to share this gem of a read after laughing so heartily. I'm dying to hint where and what she described so perfectly for my funny bone. Other reviewers have revealed the charm of a New Yorker meditating on a pool of blue mussels. Better, for me, than descriptions of sea shells by the novelist whose work forced the Senate to investigate migrant housing. I don't remember laughing while reading the Sea of Cortez or the Grapes of Wrath. But I'm not going to spoil it for you.
January 8, 2024
A profound and honest memior written by a feminist writer and ecologist who, in her 5th decade of life, seeks a new life void of the trappings of "sucess" that she has ascribed to all her life. Married young, having 2 children and focused on being the dutiful wife and mother, she seeks to define her "second act" when her adult children leave the nest to find their own lives and her and her husband ultimately divorce. She finds peace, solace, and meaning in her cabin off the coast of Maine-- a nubble with few luxuries but a world of beauty and delights.She learns most about herself in her moments of solitude on the island. I loved this book of existential self-discovery. Some parts were a little long but resonated with me, a person like the author who is seeking meaning and solitude after retiring and working on my next chapter as a writer. I too wish to leave behind the trappings of judgement and societal norms that define who we are as women and people. I'm so glad I read this book, as it was recommended in an article I read by Barbara Kingsolver--one of my author heros. I will seek out other works by Shulman. A thought provoking read of self-actualization. Thank you.
May 28, 2025
I have nothing but good things to say about this book. A stunningly well-written memoir that had me laughing and crying and led to deep understandings about some of the big questions of life. Shulman is such a beautiful writer -- the metaphors she uses melt in your mouth and the stories she tells dance in your brain. I wish I could meet the author and the friends she mentions and share some of those conversations with them.
In an odd way, I felt that Shulman's experiences she discusses in this book mirror some of what I'm going through right now. Even though we're at different life stages, I feel like I've been asking a lot of the same questions she had and wanting the same things she was chasing. I really connected to the theme of solitude as a blessing, something to be desired, and something that allows you to rid yourself of ego.
I have a feeling this is a book I'll be returning to again and again over the years. I feel like it's the type of book that will teach you something new about yourself each time you read it. 100% recommend! I can't wait to read what else this author has written.
In an odd way, I felt that Shulman's experiences she discusses in this book mirror some of what I'm going through right now. Even though we're at different life stages, I feel like I've been asking a lot of the same questions she had and wanting the same things she was chasing. I really connected to the theme of solitude as a blessing, something to be desired, and something that allows you to rid yourself of ego.
I have a feeling this is a book I'll be returning to again and again over the years. I feel like it's the type of book that will teach you something new about yourself each time you read it. 100% recommend! I can't wait to read what else this author has written.
June 23, 2024
This memoir addresses many issues and challenges that women face as they age through the life experience of writer, Alix Kates Shulman. The most important question is "Who am I"? Shulman explores this major question for herself by periodically living in solitude in a cabin on an isolated island in Maine. Since there is no running water, electricity, or an indoor bathroom, she "drinks the rain." Will total solitude help her find who she is? What does she do when her family and friends don't understand or like the way she's living and changing? When she finds her "new self," is she able not to slip back to her "old self" and sell out? Finally, is she able to live with her internal, and the external change in the world, to integrate opposing ideas and feelings? By exploring this memoir, readers are challenged to answer these questions for themselves.
February 10, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. I found it at a Little Free Library, and I loved the premise: a 50-year-old woman leaves her comfortable life in NYC to spend the summer in a small, remote Maine cabin with no running water, ostensibly to write. What really happens is that she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning that she's far stronger and more capable than she ever imagined. An early feminist, she finds that she actually enjoys tasks of domesticity. Good so far, right?! But then. Then the book starts to turn; the author seems to become more self-centered, and the pace really slows down. She gets divorced and manages to keep the cabin, while losing some of her relationships. It's still well-written and interesting, but I wouldn't rave about it.
August 5, 2018
Read this years ago when I was too young to appreciate it, but now, approaching fifty, I found it on my bookshelf and immediately wanted to re-read it. The author writes about spending summers alone on a remote island in Maine, finding herself at the age of fifty in simple pleasures like foraging and cooking wild foods, reading, and writing. During the rest of the year she continues to write and teach as a visiting professor in places like Colorado and Hawaii. I am so drawn to the idea that we can reinvent ourselves and I enjoy reading about the different ways that people do this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews