Tapestry of a Life: A Modern Odyssey Spanning Three Continents

by Nora Curran

Not many have had the rare experience of a passenger airplane turn back in mid-flight to pick them up from the Gobi desert, come close to arrest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, gone searching in the wilds of Yunnan for rabies shots, lived through the SARS pandemic in China, or been evacuated from a war zone in an aircraft with standing room only.

Former BBC journalist Nora Curran vividly describes these and other extraordinary events in TAPESTRY OF A LIFE. Beginning with her childhood on a Greek island, she takes readers on a modern odyssey that spans three continents. Her observations along the way show how people from different backgrounds, and cultures interact, often in amusing and surprising ways. Curran's account follows historic changes and customs, as well as human behavior, with the analytical eye of a seasoned observer. It promises an interesting ride and it does not disappoint. TAPESTRY OF A LIFE is a page-turner from beginning to end.

252 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2020

Reviews

[Tina Tamman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This to my knowledge is the first memoir by a person who has worked at BBC Monitoring, so I was disappointed that Nora Curran did not describe much of what to her was a dream job. BBCM is still a little-known part of the broadcasting empire and deserves to be better known. By my calculation she worked there for seven years but she has not described her job or any of her colleagues. I am surprised.
Maybe I am altogether unclear why she decided to write the memoir and who it is for. She does not seem to have feelings for Cyprus (Greek or Cypriot seems to be the same to her) or England, and yet she spent her younger days in these two countries. I would have wanted to know what she remembers of Cypriot and maybe even of English food. As the memoir stands, only her father comes very much to life.

[Vicky Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a timely book for March which is International Women’s Month. The book describes the coming of age of a young girl whose father told her “Education is wasted on a woman,” and who managed to overcome social, cultural and religious straightjackets and break free. An inspirational book and a page turner, spiced with wit and humor.

[Susan Bodinet · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read. From her troubled childhood to world citizen, I find the author is an acute observer in different international surroundings. Her fascinating personal experiences swing from intriguing to entertaining, adding expression to her memoir with both introspective and witty comments.

[Sue Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir and loved the author's descriptions of various cultures. Although her father's ideas that an education would be wasted on a girl, Norah was not to be beaten down. Her time in Hong Kong and China are particularly interesting. A good read about a woman who has lived a full life.