I received a copy of Seeker: A Sea Odyssey in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are, of course, my own.
I’d like to thank Nicole Pyles and Women on Writing for allowing me to participate in this tour.
Title
Seeker: A Sea Odyssey
Author
Rita Pomade, an intrepid nomad originally from New York, now lives and writes in Montreal. Her work has appeared in literary magazines and poetry reviews, and her monologue for auditioning actors was selected for inclusion in the Monologue Bank. An excerpt from her forthcoming memoir Seeker: A Sea Odyssey was included in two travel anthologies.
Publication Date
May 1, 2019
Famous First Words
“A great sense of adventure and curiosity about other cultures brought Bernard and me to Mexico in the mid-sixties from different parts of the world.”
Book Description
Seeker: A Sea Odyssey is the story of two people who meet in Mexico and fall in love. Rita is an American part-time English language teacher and a freelance reporter for an English language tourist magazine struggling to raise two young boys on her own. Bernard is a French geologist under contract to the Mexican government to search for underground thermal springs. She dreams of finding Shangri-La after witnessing a bloody government crackdown from which she barely escapes. He dreams of having a yacht and sailing the world. Their dreams mesh, and they immigrate to Canada to earn the money to build their boat.
My Thoughts & Takeaways
Did you know my original start as a blogger is in the travel niche? Yep, it’s true! My main blog is actually Wild Hearted, a “Do No Harm Travel & Lifestyle” blog. So, to say that travel is a passion of mine is quite the understatement. Let’s ignore the fact that I haven’t done that in a long time at this point (part of the reason this blog was born so I guess silver lining) and for the foreseeable future and this book was just a tease.
Regardless, I was super excited to read Seeker because I love, love, love travel memoirs. The premise reminds me of one of my favorites too: Love with a Chance of Drowning.
And, boy did I think I was an adventurer until I read Rita’s adventures. Not only did she get on a boat for an indeterminable amount of time with no previous sailing experience but she did so way before the internet, social media, and roads (Errr, oceans) were well-traveled. I’d definitely call Pomade a truly intrepid traveler.
I’m already a sucker for a memoir but Pomade’s writing style, visual imagery, and unforgettable and, okay yes jealous-worthy, experiences, definitely are my cup of tea.
I also really loved that she included journal entries and photos to give an extra added layer to the personalization of her story. Makes me really wish that I would have kept a journal….like ever. I also loved the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
Pomade will draw you in immediately and won’t let go until the last page. Seeker showcases the power of travel and experiencing other cultures.
Favorite Quotes
“I never looked at the culture,” he told me later. I missed half my journey.”
“Her perception of the Taiwanese people reinforced for me the value of ‘slow’ travel with no agenda or time frame. Spending time in the countries where we dropped anchor brought home how much more alike than different people were, and made me sensitive to sweeping statements about other cultures.”
