Autumn Cornwell

I agree with community reviewer Kara that this is a book you can't judge by the first bit. ?áDon't give up on it too early. ?áI disagree with her about the final rating. ?áUltimately, it's as superficial as chick lit, and really should have a pink cover accessorized by symbols of Vassar's rich, planned, Western life contrasted with symbols of her quest for a sense of a spiritual identity and a global perspective in rural SE Asia. ?á

I picked it up because of the title and cover. ?áI wanted a story that was powerful enough to hit home, to help me act more boldly and spontaneously. ?áBut this disappoints. ?áIt's not a bad book for a casual reader, but it's not what it could have been.… (more)

Carpe Diem turned out to be a surprisingly good read about travels in Southeast Asia (where, according to the book, rolls of toilet paper are placed on restaurant tables to be used as napkins). This is one of the few times I've read about the Hmong since The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, and I found the contrast between the happy family and the drug den very interesting. Ultimately it's a YA novel with the requisite teen age love story, and the worst possible narrator, Lynde Houck on the audiobook, and alas a really stupid christian miracle (what do you expect from the daughter of missionaries?). But it's worth a read for the very interesting details of travel.… (more)