March 19, 2012
Both spiritual journey and romantic memoir, this book, named after the author’s popular blog, recounts Jenkins’s love affair with and eventual marriage to a Korean Buddhist monk. Traveling to South Korea on a whim to teach English, the author explored Buddhist meditation with the help of a young monk with whom her relationship deepened. Jenkins describes in detail her willingness to endure grueling living conditions, separations, and much travel in search of happiness based on her own knowledge: “I have to walk my own path and find my own wisdom through my own experiences,” she writes. Each chapter is couched as a life “lesson,” such as “trust your inner voice” and “you are more than the roles you play.” Jenkins’s writing is graceful and direct, and she isn’t afraid to reveal her initial naïveté. Her observations tend toward the superficial and clichéd (“I still didn’t fully trust the universe”), and the author is reticent about her reactions to the complexities of Asian cultures. Overall, romance overshadows spiritual wisdom in this gentle, earnest book. Agent: Tricia Davey.
April 15, 2012
Based on lessons learned from her own experiences, Jenkins, a blogger who spent more than eight years in South Korea, encourages readers to think for themselves, even as she acknowledges the significance of being inspired by others. In 10 concisely written chapters, she recommends lessons from letting go of expectations and trusting your inner voice to learning how to be happy alone. But first she tells her own story: starting with the study of Zen and reading Thoreau, which somehow leads to teaching English in South Korea. This gentle book is full of surprises. Traveling to Asia to discover answers to life's riddlesWhy am I here? What is the purpose of life?she meets a real live monk in, of all places, a bowling alley. Part memoir, part spiritual journey, thisis written in an accessible and conversational style that should appeal to a wide range of readers, as Jenkins and the Buddhist monk who becomes her husband learn to overcome physical distancesfor various reasons, they are separated from each other a good deal of the timeand the occasional culture shock.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)