Book Review: Traveling the Two-Lane, Marilyn Berman

it took me a long time to read this book because it was so rich, I often couldn’t absorb more than one or two chapters, or even one page, at a time.

In her 60s, tightly wound, and a life-long closeted lesbian, the author decided to break free of her own shackles and go on an extended road trip.  She bought a van, had it retrofitted for the road, and charted a strict itinerary, heading for Alaska.  To her credit, Dr. Berman decided it was about the journey rather than the destination.  It was about seeing sites, experiencing new things, meeting new people, and reconnecting with old friends.  She drove in a somewhat haphazard manner around the United States and Canada for eighteen months, giving the reader insightful descriptions of her travels and what she took with her when she moved on.

Counterbalancing this exceptional travel writing is the author’s remembrances of painful or embarrassing moments in her past that still plagued her.  I was rooting for her to feel better about herself, and by the end of the book, I felt that she had reached this.  This book is not just a fascinating, wonderful, travel read, it’s also a keeper, because I’m betting that I will want to read it again sometime.

I am grateful to an agent of the author who offered me the opportunity to review this book.

Amazon U.S. Link