Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman

Loved her courage while relating with her on meeting people easier alone. She covers travel, history but also, the human condition in a grand way. Quite therapeutic though one problem: makes me want to travel but limitations restrain at moment. Ha or ah!

I’m not sure how I found out about this book. Only that the moment I did, I ordered a copy and I started reading it as soon as it arrived. For as much traveling as I do, I’ve never taken a solo trip. I either travel with friends or I travel to go see friends. I’ve long been inspired by people who travel by themselves. However, I’ve never particularly desired to do so myself. Perhaps because I’m single and get as much alone time as I want—traveling, for me, is about companionship and community. And yet, with my 40th birthday around the corner, I’m wondering if a solo trip might be the right way to welcome the next year in. And so I read this book.Steinbach took a four month sabbatical from work to travel to London, Oxford, Paris, and various parts of Italy when she was in her 50s. There’s a large amount of privilege associated with this trip and she unfortunately does not seem aware of it. I would not be able to take a break from work for that long, on top of paying for the trip itself, nor do I know many people who could. I don’t begrudge her the opportunity. It’s more like I’m impressed she could afford to do so on a reporter’s salary.That aside, Steinbach has no small amount of anxiety at the start of the trip as the enormity of what she’s doing sinks in. But from there, she is open to where the trip takes her and strikes up conversation with strangers wherever she goes. At times, she explores on her own and other times, she goes off on an adventure with someone she’s just met. This even leads to meeting Naohiro, with whom she has a love affair off and on throughout her trip. I’m envious of people who do this so easily and I did see somewhere that she’s an extrovert.While I wanted to read this memoir to help make sense of whether I should try solo travel, it is at its heart a memoir. It is Steinbach’s personal experience about what she learned about herself and her need for independence. I related to that latter part quite a bit. There are plenty of good takeaways, with relevance beyond travel, such as Steinbach’s new friend who asks her, “Why not turn this mishap into an adventure?” Wise words for us all. I also liked learning about the random history of places she explored, such as the Home of Rest for Ladies of Small Means in Surrey. It was a home for working women in need of a holiday. How amazing is that?While Steinbach had mostly positive experiences on the trip, she does not shy away from sharing about the negative. She delves into her sense of safety as a single woman and how that is altered when she’s almost mugged in Italy. She gets horribly ill while in London but her new friends take care of her and there were some really tender moments as she has to accept their help.The writing is lovely and I was quite engaged by her descriptions and experiences, with one exception. Steinbach’s father died when she was quite young and she describes aspects of her grief over losing him that I found confusing. Or at least they weren’t as well integrated into the narrative.She does not always talk about people in the kindest way. And it bears noting she’s a straight woman who released this book in 2000 and there are some dated elements as a result.CW: death of a parent, grief, divorce, attempted mugging

I absolutely loved this book! As a woman who has been to Europe several times and loved it, I was enticed by the cover to share Steinbach's adventure. I have never had the courage to travel alone but certainly have the curiosity to want to do so. Traveling with Alice was a delightful and safe way to fulfill those desires from my armchair. I loved the way in which she wrote and instantly felt a kinship with her. Many places were familiar and felt like meeting an old friend. Others were unfamiliar and yet equally enjoyable. After reluctantly finishing the book, I feel as if I too, have just returned from a trip. I can't wait to embark on another with Alice.

I wanted to like this book, but by the end, I had reservations and so, it turns out, did Steinbach. Despite the title, she never showed up in a city with no place to stay, nor did she spontaneously change the course of her planned journey to go somewhere else. What bothered me the most, though, was her utter blindness to the role played by her own privilege. She occasionally mentions worrying about money, but that didn't stop her from buying expensive face creams, a silk dress, or beverages that cost the equivalent of $5-10. Except for one scene in which she mentions seeing a beggar woman, she never seems to have spent any time with other people who weren't similarly well off. This reads more like the old-fashioned grand tour of Europe for wealthy young women than like an adventure story. I also would have liked her better if she'd given at least one example of the times (and she says there were some) when her attempts to form friendships with those she met didn't instantly succeed. It's not a bad book, but it wasn't what I was led to expect and therefore it was a major disappointment.

This is a book for women who are reticent to travel solo. I fall into this category and the author did a great job in allaying any fears I might have had. The main message is: there are no wrong turns, only opportunities!!

This travel memoir got off to a slow start -- it lacked the quirkiness & unexpected that I like in travel writing --food was "delicious", bells "tinkled." I felt like the writing was dry, predictable. Rather than experiencing the immediacy of her surroundings, Steinbach allowed them to send her back into the past, where she wallowed in memories of her ex-husband, her Scottish grandmother, her "former" life. About halfway through the book, about the time Steinbach hit the Imperial War Museum in London (one of my favorites) I became more engaged in Steinbach's journey. Although Steinbach is independent, she recognizes the importance of other people in her life. The most noteworthy aspect of the trip is how Steinbach manages to hook up with locals and fellow travelers --men and women of varied ages and backgrounds -- and describes them & their shared experiences in delightful detail (like the larger-than-life Australian psychoanalyst that she meets at the Freud museum, whose application of red-red lipstick only approximates the shape of her mouth, and the tweeded "spinster" who accompanies Steinbach on a lemon curd shopping expedition in the Cotswolds). Steinbach also strikes up a charming friendship with a Japanese businessman -- which keeps the reader guessing. This is more of a pleasant, reflective memoir than a traditional travel book. It doesn't detail many laugh-out-loud experiences, but it will make you smile.

What a treat this book is, beautifully written, did not want to finish it. Highly recommend.

This is not the type of book I usually read, but it was a well-paced, pleasant read. It is also really well-written. I’m goad I came across it.

I found this book while traveling for a year in Europe. I have read it a least three times

I’m so sad the final page has concluded as I have laughed & cried & sympathised with the writer in so many aspects of this story of life…

I found the quest of the author very moving. She never tries to lie about her weackness, lacks or fears. She has an eye on the environment, things and people sharp, poetic and deeply human. I liked very much also the references she mentionned, as well in litterature than in architecture or paintings. If you seek for rough adventures, don't read this book. She's doing a comfortable journey. But she found herself and made peace with her past. Everybody can learn and recognize.