A Pink Suitcase Book Review – Empowering Stories from Women Who Dared

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Category: Books

Published on Monday, 28 March 2016 18:25

Written by Janet Walker

A Pink Suitcase, from World Traveler Press, presents twenty-two provocative individual stories of empowered woman who dared to fulfill their dreams of global expedition, from hiking the Appalachian Trail to entering Gutsy Gal adventures.

A Pink Suitcase bound a compilation of engaging, interesting and challenging exploits. Each story is as unique, interesting and diverse as the women who write them. While are all acclaimed in their chosen fields none possess name recognition at the glance.

Most are published authors, readers of A Pink Suitcase would  gravitate to the short story that first highlights an area of interest, hiking through Bilbao, Spain at first light or tackling the Jasper Trail in Canada’s Jasper National Park.

The story are excerpts of days, times, seasons and events of lives, well lived and in shambles, recovery or solid, in stride or in question, the women, each one except for destination choices are each of us. Anonymous, really, against the backdrop of humanity, able to chisel out a small corner, a recognized life, if that is the choice or a quiet steady existence.  

The empowered women of A Pink Suitcase tell of shattered pieces, hurdles, physical and mental challenges, ever incapacitating fear and the strength to meet it head on and move forward. Oddly the fear seems to be the least remembered detail as the women, each, conquer.

Some of the explorations have me shaking my head, no, not that brave as the author describes the guide on Gutsy Gal Adventures being handed Grizzly Bear repellent. I think I‘ve seen one too many movies to chance running into a bear of any kind.

Needless to say, she was specific when she described what bear spray really does. An FYI Bear spray is MACE for animals. Better be able to run very fast because you have really made something very angry.

Not all the stories were grueling physical challenges, the Everest of one’s life, some held the weight of 1000 souls as a reporter told her story of interviewing child prostitutes in Thailand.

Other stories tell of achieving a lifelong dream, against all odds accomplishments, finally getting the one stamp in the passport that had always remained an empty place, a longing in the soul.

A Pink Suitcase, is almost a journal, a journal for me, and for every reader everywhere, journal entries from those who have gone before us, stumbled, enjoyed, met, bypassed, or found oneself. Essentially the landscape of foreign countries, mountains, monuments and lifestyles will remain exactly as written throughout time unless a natural disaster, in an instant changes the topography.

A Pink Suitcase joins twenty-two adventurous women as they venture into the world with courage, humor and hope.

Chapter titles include: Our Life Afloat – South Pacific; Tumbleweed – Around The World; Million Dollar Questions – Cambodia; Thread to the Past – China; Here WE Are – France and My Own Two Feet – USA.

Authors include: Bernadette Murphy, Katie Hammel, Nadine Michele Payn, Janna Garber, Mary Ann Sternberg, Amy Laughinghouse, Diane Selkirk, Maggy Whitehouse, Maya Kroth, Devyani Borade, Nancy McCabe, Jasalin Saffer, Gabriella Brand, Celeste Brash, Sandell Morse, Dorothy Maillet, Gina Kremer, Sally Wendkos Olds, Suzanne Kamata, Leslie Stainton, Jill Boyles, Claire Ibarra.

A Pink Suitcase provides the opportunity to travel vicariously and encounter the unique and unusual and honestly comb through the details of why these destination, some in the imagination for decades, became to be pivotal.

A Pink Suitcase is available through the standard online retailers and at most major bookstores.