Tales of a Female Nomad -- Book Review

Living at Large in the World; A Travel Memoir by Rita Golden Gelman

Mar 29, 2009

When a marriage ends, Rita Golden Gelman rediscovers herself and the beautiful people in the world through her journeys and adventures as a female nomad.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, one of the definitions of a nomad is “a person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer.” In this travel memoir, writer Rita Golden Gelman details her journey around the world as finds the nomad within and connects with people, animals, and cultures in many countries.

As she states herself, “I am a modern-day nomad. I have no permanent address, no possessions except the ones I carry, and I rarely know where I’ll be six months from now. I move through the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.”

A Female Nomad is Born

The book doesn’t begin with Gelman as a nomad — it begins with Gelman as a wife, a mother, and a writer living a glamorous life in California. She is yearning for something more than parties a small talk, however, and when her 24-year marriage dissolves, Gelman finds herself with a freedom to make her own choices she hasn’t had in a very long time.

An eight-week “break” sends Gelman to Mexico to connect with local families, learn Spanish, and experience life outside the comforts of home. She discovers how to eat alone, how to meet fellow travelers and expatriates, and just how much she loves the lifestyle.

A Female Nomad Continues

When her marriage officially ends, Gelman decides to continue her nomadic lifestyle and her adventures lead her to the dangerous borders of Sandinista Nicaragua, a stay with a conservative family in Mea She’arim, the Orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem, Israel, a deep connection to a royal Indonesian family, and nights spent studying the boobies in the Galapagos Islands, among many other adventures around the world.

In each place, Gelman is focused on connecting with the locals—she finds that through music, smiles, and children’s books, she is able to find friends, understanding, and a new appreciation for the world and her role in it:

“Wherever I am and whatever the length of our relationship, connection is what I seek. Whether we share a language or simply a shape, I reach out to each individual with love and trust, with a smile, and 100 percent of my attention. Communication is not difficult because we all share the sensations of human emotions, the need to affirm our sameness, and the universal capacity to laugh.”

A Female Nomad Shares

Although Gelman finds adventure and deep connections throughout her journeys, she honestly shares the difficulty of a nomadic life in this memoir including the loneliness that comes with a nomadic lifestyle, the guilt of living far away from her adult children, and the difficulty of being in a very different culture.

A Female Nomad Inspires

Anyone looking for the inspiration to travel, who loves adventure, or who wants to learn more about other cultures will enjoy Gelman’s ability to share details with a sense of humor and an honest approach.

Book Information

The copyright of the article Tales of a Female Nomad -- Book Review in Travel Writing is owned by Jennifer L. Price. Permission to republish Tales of a Female Nomad -- Book Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.