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Unsettled: a memoir
At the age of forty-nine, driven by an urgent restlessness, Laurie Woodford rents out her house, packs her belongings into two suitcases, and leaves her familiar life in upstate New York to relocate to Seoul, South Korea to teach college English. What begins as an opportunity to explore Asia while receiving a nice paycheck, evolves into a nomadic adventure.
Working and volunteering across the globe, Laurie spoon-feeds orphans in Ethiopia, performs 108 bows at a Buddhist temple in the mountains, walks shelter dogs in Peru, milks 350 goats in Fuerteventura, and gets lost in Mexico, all the while navigating dating at midlife.
After four years of traveling, Laurie’s return to the U.S. becomes an unexpected adventure of its own when she ends up in Arkansas and meets Bruce, a bird-loving, bearded Quaker with a strong sense of home and penchant for stability. When Laurie finds herself falling for Bruce after years of living a life of fierce independence, she struggles to reconcile her need for freedom with her longing to feel settled and loved.
UNSETTLED is for anyone who has ever felt something missing in their life and sought to find it. It’s a story about yearning and seeking, backbone and adventure, stillness and discovery
Working and volunteering across the globe, Laurie spoon-feeds orphans in Ethiopia, performs 108 bows at a Buddhist temple in the mountains, walks shelter dogs in Peru, milks 350 goats in Fuerteventura, and gets lost in Mexico, all the while navigating dating at midlife.
After four years of traveling, Laurie’s return to the U.S. becomes an unexpected adventure of its own when she ends up in Arkansas and meets Bruce, a bird-loving, bearded Quaker with a strong sense of home and penchant for stability. When Laurie finds herself falling for Bruce after years of living a life of fierce independence, she struggles to reconcile her need for freedom with her longing to feel settled and loved.
UNSETTLED is for anyone who has ever felt something missing in their life and sought to find it. It’s a story about yearning and seeking, backbone and adventure, stillness and discovery
- GenresMemoirTravelNonfiction
244 pages, Paperback
Published January 2, 2024
2 people are currently reading
3556 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Woodford
3 books97 followersLaurie Woodford is a full-time author, writing workshop facilitator, and lover of all furry creatures (her husband included).
She's the author of THE HEART HITCH, which Kirkus Reviews calls, "...a straightforward road-trip romance, but also a thoughtful meditation on loss, growth, and the surprising ways that people can come into each other's lives at just the right time." She's also the author of the heart-tugging, LOL romcom ANITA FARLEIGH UNPACKS.
Before writing full-time, Laurie taught college English in the U.S., China, and South Korea and spent four years at midlife on a rather crazy-ass, nomadic global adventure, all the while looking for love. She tells all in her travel memoir, UNSETTLED, which Kirkus Reviews describes as, "An amusing and heartwarming memoir that shows it's never too late to begin an adventure."
Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in the outskirts of Austin, Texas with her amazing husband, Bruce, and wonder dog, Journey.
For more, visit her at: https://www.lauriewoodford.com/
or follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlauri...
or subscribe to her newsletter: https://lauriewoodford.substack.com/
She's the author of THE HEART HITCH, which Kirkus Reviews calls, "...a straightforward road-trip romance, but also a thoughtful meditation on loss, growth, and the surprising ways that people can come into each other's lives at just the right time." She's also the author of the heart-tugging, LOL romcom ANITA FARLEIGH UNPACKS.
Before writing full-time, Laurie taught college English in the U.S., China, and South Korea and spent four years at midlife on a rather crazy-ass, nomadic global adventure, all the while looking for love. She tells all in her travel memoir, UNSETTLED, which Kirkus Reviews describes as, "An amusing and heartwarming memoir that shows it's never too late to begin an adventure."
Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in the outskirts of Austin, Texas with her amazing husband, Bruce, and wonder dog, Journey.
For more, visit her at: https://www.lauriewoodford.com/
or follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlauri...
or subscribe to her newsletter: https://lauriewoodford.substack.com/
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 17, 2025
Fearless and inquisitive, Laurie Woodford, traveled the world to teach English and shares her adventures in this memoir. From China to Ecuador, her chronicle is packed with humor and intrigue as she navigates language and cultural barriers with finesse and grace.
In South Korea where she teaches in Seoul, she was Laurie teacher. In Ethiopia where she volunteers at an orphanage in Addis Ababa she is Ferengi –foreigner, and to the owners of the goat farm in the Canary Islands, she’s la mujer —the woman.
She checks out her neighborhood jimjilbang —the common Korean public bath—meditates at a Buddhist retreat (what does the word "home" mean to you?) and backpacks in South America through Ecuador to northern Peru, all the while exploring online dating opportunities—the results related with wry humor. Her teaching gigs are wide-spread and diversified. She fosters dogs and volunteers at an animal rescue center. She volunteers at a goat farm on the island of Fuerteventura, Spain where she’s under the assumption that her main job will be helping the family with their English, only to discover it’s milking their 350 goats. Where you have 350 goats, you have fleas.
From the goat farm she moves to mainland Spain to explore the cobbled streets of Grenada. Contemplating the isolation she has begun to feel, she decides to interview for a teaching position at the language school English Now! in Mexico for the opportunity to move to her home’s neighboring country. When she becomes disenchanted with the logistics of the school’s hierarchy, she seizes the opportunity to move back to the States and teach at the University of Toledo with a semester at the school’s sister university in Hangzhou China.
Perhaps her most rewarding experience was when, prompted by an interest in community service, she teaches a creative writing workshop at the men’s maximum-security prison in Toledo. “The men wrote with energy, rhythm, and raw description and unlike my university students, arrived each week with assignments thoroughly completed and read their work aloud with palpable passion.” For a few, the reading and writing offered some measure of escape— Gives me something to think about, something to concentrate my mind on. Better than thinking about bein’ here.
Throughout this tour-de-force, I was impressed by her courage to travel alone and navigate language and cultural barriers with aplomb. When she finally meets her star-crossed love in Oklahoma, of all places, she discovers what the word home means to her.
Heartfelt and humorous, Unsettled is a joy to read.
In South Korea where she teaches in Seoul, she was Laurie teacher. In Ethiopia where she volunteers at an orphanage in Addis Ababa she is Ferengi –foreigner, and to the owners of the goat farm in the Canary Islands, she’s la mujer —the woman.
She checks out her neighborhood jimjilbang —the common Korean public bath—meditates at a Buddhist retreat (what does the word "home" mean to you?) and backpacks in South America through Ecuador to northern Peru, all the while exploring online dating opportunities—the results related with wry humor. Her teaching gigs are wide-spread and diversified. She fosters dogs and volunteers at an animal rescue center. She volunteers at a goat farm on the island of Fuerteventura, Spain where she’s under the assumption that her main job will be helping the family with their English, only to discover it’s milking their 350 goats. Where you have 350 goats, you have fleas.
From the goat farm she moves to mainland Spain to explore the cobbled streets of Grenada. Contemplating the isolation she has begun to feel, she decides to interview for a teaching position at the language school English Now! in Mexico for the opportunity to move to her home’s neighboring country. When she becomes disenchanted with the logistics of the school’s hierarchy, she seizes the opportunity to move back to the States and teach at the University of Toledo with a semester at the school’s sister university in Hangzhou China.
Perhaps her most rewarding experience was when, prompted by an interest in community service, she teaches a creative writing workshop at the men’s maximum-security prison in Toledo. “The men wrote with energy, rhythm, and raw description and unlike my university students, arrived each week with assignments thoroughly completed and read their work aloud with palpable passion.” For a few, the reading and writing offered some measure of escape— Gives me something to think about, something to concentrate my mind on. Better than thinking about bein’ here.
Throughout this tour-de-force, I was impressed by her courage to travel alone and navigate language and cultural barriers with aplomb. When she finally meets her star-crossed love in Oklahoma, of all places, she discovers what the word home means to her.
Heartfelt and humorous, Unsettled is a joy to read.
December 29, 2023
Laurie Woodford's memoir is a funny, heartfelt, and punchy tromp through her mid-life adventures as an English teacher in South Korea, Mexico, and the US, as well as a couple of her international volunteer stints at an Ethiopian orphanage and South American animal rescue. Woodford delivers her accounts of each location with vivid, compelling detail, leaving the reader feeling as though we are right there beside her, laughing along with her moments of discomfort as she navigates language barriers and cultural differences. Her comparisons between her aging body and the cultural expectations, particularly in South Korea, are blunt and incisive. Throughout the work, we feel the pulse of what's beating at the core of Woodford's search - for home and for a partner. As so many of us can relate to, she pinpoints the irony of searching for home while longing for movement and change, eventually finding the balance that works for her. With its bright details and punchy, unexpected humor, this was a page-turner.
Laurie Woodford's memoir is a funny, heartfelt, and punchy tromp through her mid-life adventures as an English teacher in South Korea, Mexico, and the US, as well as a couple of her international volunteer stints at an Ethiopian orphanage and South American animal rescue. Woodford delivers her accounts of each location with vivid, compelling detail, leaving the reader feeling as though we are right there beside her, laughing along with her moments of discomfort as she navigates language barriers and cultural differences. Her comparisons between her aging body and the cultural expectations, particularly in South Korea, are blunt and incisive. Throughout the work, we feel the pulse of what's beating at the core of Woodford's search - for home and for a partner. As so many of us can relate to, she pinpoints the irony of searching for home while longing for movement and change, eventually finding the balance that works for her. With its bright details and punchy, unexpected humor, this was a page-turner.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Laurie Woodford's memoir is a funny, heartfelt, and punchy tromp through her mid-life adventures as an English teacher in South Korea, Mexico, and the US, as well as a couple of her international volunteer stints at an Ethiopian orphanage and South American animal rescue. Woodford delivers her accounts of each location with vivid, compelling detail, leaving the reader feeling as though we are right there beside her, laughing along with her moments of discomfort as she navigates language barriers and cultural differences. Her comparisons between her aging body and the cultural expectations, particularly in South Korea, are blunt and incisive. Throughout the work, we feel the pulse of what's beating at the core of Woodford's search - for home and for a partner. As so many of us can relate to, she pinpoints the irony of searching for home while longing for movement and change, eventually finding the balance that works for her. With its bright details and punchy, unexpected humor, this was a page-turner.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 25, 2024
"Unsettled: A Memoir" by Laurie Woodford is a poignant exploration of personal experiences, offering readers a glimpse into the author's life journey. The book stands out for its candid storytelling and the emotional depth with which Woodford shares her challenges, triumphs, and reflections.
One commendable aspect of the memoir is Laurie Woodford's ability to convey her experiences with vulnerability and authenticity. The author navigates through the highs and lows of her life, providing readers with a sincere and relatable account. The narrative is enriched by the author's introspective reflections, adding depth to the emotional resonance of the memoir.
Woodford's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the book relatable for a wide audience. The author's narrative flows smoothly, creating a compelling reading experience. The memoir's organization allows for a chronological exploration of the author's life, providing readers with a coherent and immersive journey.
However, some readers may find certain sections of the memoir emotionally intense, as the author delves into personal challenges. While this emotional depth contributes to the authenticity of the narrative, individual reactions to such content may vary.
In conclusion, "Unsettled: A Memoir" is a touching and well-crafted exploration of Laurie Woodford's life journey. The memoir's strength lies in the author's candid storytelling and her ability to connect with readers on an emotional level. While certain sections may be emotionally intense, the overall impact of the memoir is its capacity to resonate with readers through its sincerity and relatability.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
One commendable aspect of the memoir is Laurie Woodford's ability to convey her experiences with vulnerability and authenticity. The author navigates through the highs and lows of her life, providing readers with a sincere and relatable account. The narrative is enriched by the author's introspective reflections, adding depth to the emotional resonance of the memoir.
Woodford's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the book relatable for a wide audience. The author's narrative flows smoothly, creating a compelling reading experience. The memoir's organization allows for a chronological exploration of the author's life, providing readers with a coherent and immersive journey.
However, some readers may find certain sections of the memoir emotionally intense, as the author delves into personal challenges. While this emotional depth contributes to the authenticity of the narrative, individual reactions to such content may vary.
In conclusion, "Unsettled: A Memoir" is a touching and well-crafted exploration of Laurie Woodford's life journey. The memoir's strength lies in the author's candid storytelling and her ability to connect with readers on an emotional level. While certain sections may be emotionally intense, the overall impact of the memoir is its capacity to resonate with readers through its sincerity and relatability.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 7, 2025
Some essays are well structured, others are somewhat disjointed. An interesting life that's worth reading about, but there are loose threads which make me wish there was better connectivity throughout the different sections. I would have liked to see more structural work, more through lines. So many of the essays introduced half-formed ideas, only to end abruptly. Also structurally, the blurb advertises heavy on the adventure aspect, but the country-hopping is barely half of the story! While the relationship development is nice, the travel essays speed past in the rush to meeting Bruce.
I wonder: what if instead the novel was in five parts, five continents or five countries, tying in some way back to the US (the last part) in an overarching way for each section. Tying one section back to her prior romance/dating life (Asia, chapters on China and Korea), one section back to her father (Spain, she already does this somewhat), one section to her mother (Ethiopia maybe, as there is a lot of toe-in with caretaking and seeing generation to generation), one section to her education and teaching and past jobs (Peru and Mexico, technically North America but go with it), and one section to Bruce (America). This approach would help develop the personal growth and effort to ground herself that the author undertook.
I wonder: what if instead the novel was in five parts, five continents or five countries, tying in some way back to the US (the last part) in an overarching way for each section. Tying one section back to her prior romance/dating life (Asia, chapters on China and Korea), one section back to her father (Spain, she already does this somewhat), one section to her mother (Ethiopia maybe, as there is a lot of toe-in with caretaking and seeing generation to generation), one section to her education and teaching and past jobs (Peru and Mexico, technically North America but go with it), and one section to Bruce (America). This approach would help develop the personal growth and effort to ground herself that the author undertook.
January 10, 2024
One person's story of finding herself other than lost as she travels the world. The adventures and places Laurie went as she traveled the world is inspiring and brave. The story was easy to follow and flowed nicely. I enjoyed that each chapter was titled and that her memories and experiences were organized with the title of each chapter.
As I was reading her memories I felt lonely and fulfilled at the same time. I was shocked to find out at the end that Laurie has a daughter as she wasn't mentioned at all in any of her stories as she traveled. I'm glad she found her happiness at the end.
Thank you to Book Sirens, Laurie, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.
As I was reading her memories I felt lonely and fulfilled at the same time. I was shocked to find out at the end that Laurie has a daughter as she wasn't mentioned at all in any of her stories as she traveled. I'm glad she found her happiness at the end.
Thank you to Book Sirens, Laurie, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.
December 18, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed the traveling stories, especially the ESL teaching, but found they were lacking. Just as I was getting into a chapter and having taught ESL myself in Russia, the chapter ended and it was onto a new travel experience. I found the chapters to be way too rushed, characters underdeveloped and you went away with so many unanswered questions and wanted to learn more.
Overall, it's a beautiful story, but I found its lacking heart. I feel the author could've spent a lot more time on the book developing her story and characters.
I enjoyed the traveling stories, especially the ESL teaching, but found they were lacking. Just as I was getting into a chapter and having taught ESL myself in Russia, the chapter ended and it was onto a new travel experience. I found the chapters to be way too rushed, characters underdeveloped and you went away with so many unanswered questions and wanted to learn more.
Overall, it's a beautiful story, but I found its lacking heart. I feel the author could've spent a lot more time on the book developing her story and characters.
January 15, 2024
This is a memoir following the adventures of leading a nomadic lifestyle. The story is explicit and details are shared, demonstrating the escape of a midlife crisis by travelling and working abroad. The stories are non-linear and go back and forth between timeframes. This makes for a complex read. Nonetheless, this is a good casual read to learn about juggling various activities and finding relationships.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2024
For any woman who’s ever thought in midlife (and who hasn’t?), “Is this all there is?” Laurie Woodford’s book Unsettled may conjure up secret fantasies. Chuck it all. Pack light. Try anything. Woodford’s account of her four-year-long adventure traveling the world and performing jobs as conventional as English teacher in South Korea and as remarkable as goat-milker in Spain is enthralling. Each undertaking is described with equal parts hilarity and the utmost honesty. For the author, this book is not so much a story of finding herself as it is a story of searching for home, something every reader will find fulfilling.
December 14, 2023
Unsettled by Laurie Woodford
This memoir is unique. Quirky, unusual, authentic, original, and brutally honest.
The writer doesn’t spare anyone, including herself while describing her footloose adventures from one end of the world to the other.
I liked her writing style. The honesty seeps through the words and grabs your heart.
When a 49-year-old, single, divorcee Laurie, realised that her life was almost at a standstill, she decided to take on an English teaching assignment in South Korea on a whim, she did not have any idea what it would entail. But she manages the cultural, societal as well as linguistic challenges swimmingly. Her experiences come through with naiveté and her longings are endearing.
She dives into one adventure after the other when a normal urban American woman would have returned to her homeland after the assignment and breathed a sigh of relief, Laurie takes on multiple unimaginable journeys where she takes care of orphans in Ethiopia, manages an animal shelter in Peru single-handedly, takes up a challenge of working on a goat farm in Greece, then goes and plunges into another English teaching opportunity in Mexico.
Her bizarre experiences with diverse human beings, some really nice-hearted, some terribly dishonest, and yet some cold and mean ones leave you wondering why this wouldn’t be the last of her discovering phases and why would she accept yet another unknown change instead of returning to the familiarity of home.
I need to absolutely mention that I loved the way she talks about her father, his personality, his near-death accident.. the father-daughter relationship made my heart melt.
During all these challenges, she does make desperate attempts to find a bond with the opposite sex only failing sadly each time until finally one day she meets her soulmate.
All in all, Laurie’s crazy and twisted journeys into the unpopular bits of our globe are sure to make the reader
1. Shake his/her head in disbelief,
2. Gasp with shock
3. Nod and agree
4. Clutch at his/her heart with compassion...
I encourage you wholeheartedly to dive into this quest for seeking, discovering, finding, and losing.
My rating: Four Chunky Shining Stars.
I would like to thank the team of Book Sirens for having given me the opportunity to enter Laurie Teacher’s world to see through her eyes what impressed her and how it changed her as a human.
This memoir is unique. Quirky, unusual, authentic, original, and brutally honest.
The writer doesn’t spare anyone, including herself while describing her footloose adventures from one end of the world to the other.
I liked her writing style. The honesty seeps through the words and grabs your heart.
When a 49-year-old, single, divorcee Laurie, realised that her life was almost at a standstill, she decided to take on an English teaching assignment in South Korea on a whim, she did not have any idea what it would entail. But she manages the cultural, societal as well as linguistic challenges swimmingly. Her experiences come through with naiveté and her longings are endearing.
She dives into one adventure after the other when a normal urban American woman would have returned to her homeland after the assignment and breathed a sigh of relief, Laurie takes on multiple unimaginable journeys where she takes care of orphans in Ethiopia, manages an animal shelter in Peru single-handedly, takes up a challenge of working on a goat farm in Greece, then goes and plunges into another English teaching opportunity in Mexico.
Her bizarre experiences with diverse human beings, some really nice-hearted, some terribly dishonest, and yet some cold and mean ones leave you wondering why this wouldn’t be the last of her discovering phases and why would she accept yet another unknown change instead of returning to the familiarity of home.
I need to absolutely mention that I loved the way she talks about her father, his personality, his near-death accident.. the father-daughter relationship made my heart melt.
During all these challenges, she does make desperate attempts to find a bond with the opposite sex only failing sadly each time until finally one day she meets her soulmate.
All in all, Laurie’s crazy and twisted journeys into the unpopular bits of our globe are sure to make the reader
1. Shake his/her head in disbelief,
2. Gasp with shock
3. Nod and agree
4. Clutch at his/her heart with compassion...
I encourage you wholeheartedly to dive into this quest for seeking, discovering, finding, and losing.
My rating: Four Chunky Shining Stars.
I would like to thank the team of Book Sirens for having given me the opportunity to enter Laurie Teacher’s world to see through her eyes what impressed her and how it changed her as a human.
January 13, 2024
This was an intriguing memoir, one that starts out as a sort of travelogue of a middle-aged woman trying to reinvent herself as she traveled to South Korea to teach English. Yet, while the 1st part of the book primarily focuses on how a single, American woman lives in a strange land, there is the underlying theme of someone trying to discover themselves. For someone who has significant international travel and living experience, she never seemed to find a sense of home. What separates this from your standard travel saga is that the final part of the book is set in perhaps the strangest land of all for the author: The United States. As one individual notes, she is trying to find herself, and eventually, she does. While Woodford is quite candid in her descriptions of life on the road, its seems like she struggles the most with what should be the most familiar, life in a place she can really call home.
The overall text is very readable and will prove quite engaging for many a reader. There is a sense of good description, personal anecdotes that plenty of readers can relate to, and good pacing to keep readers hooked to see just what happens. Granted, you could also just skip to the author's website (plugged in the book) and figure out how it will end, but this book is for those who want to experience the journey, external and internal. It may not be the book for everyone, especially if you expect this to be a travel memoir, vs a personal memoir of life-changing events.
This is not my usual reading fare, but it was an enjoyable excursion into something different. Probably not a book that you likely to spend real money and reread on a regular basis, but it is worth the time for reading at least once in your life. This one should be resonate with those with international travel experience, or those who are moving into the second half of life and wondering if there is a way to change or find something new in life.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The overall text is very readable and will prove quite engaging for many a reader. There is a sense of good description, personal anecdotes that plenty of readers can relate to, and good pacing to keep readers hooked to see just what happens. Granted, you could also just skip to the author's website (plugged in the book) and figure out how it will end, but this book is for those who want to experience the journey, external and internal. It may not be the book for everyone, especially if you expect this to be a travel memoir, vs a personal memoir of life-changing events.
This is not my usual reading fare, but it was an enjoyable excursion into something different. Probably not a book that you likely to spend real money and reread on a regular basis, but it is worth the time for reading at least once in your life. This one should be resonate with those with international travel experience, or those who are moving into the second half of life and wondering if there is a way to change or find something new in life.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 14, 2023
Forty-eight years old, divorced and living in New York, author Laurie Woodford was having what some might call a mid-life crisis. Hungry for adventure, tired of the same old, or in fact a mid-life crisis, whatever you call it, it was the catalyst to what became a laugh out loud hilarious memoir, “Unsettled.”
Prepare to cry from laughing, live vicariously, and gain perspective of the world through the travels laid across these pages. With dating encounters that will have you belly laughing, like a gentleman with a wandering eye to the smooth, hairless complexion of someone entirely outside of Laurie’s self-described attraction to very hairy men. To travel adventures like caring for a seventeen-year-old dog in exchange for a free place to lay your head, or to coming home early from work to construction workers using your fridge and unit as their own personal lunchroom, the stories within are truly entertaining.
Asia to South America, Mexico to Arkansas and Oklahoma, “Unsettled” packs the true realities of adventuring, dating in your fifties, and working in foreign countries. Organized successively as a collection of experiences and events, author Laurie Woodford keeps readers coming back for more of her encounters and adventures. Detailing the lonely, the learning, the challenges with time differences, and moving on, this memoir provides the good, the bad, and the hilarious of Woodford’s unsettled adventures.
Aptly named, and expertly presented, “Unsettled” is quite the memorable collection of travelling escapades. Laurie’s hysterical antics and sidesplitting experiences made for an amusing and quick read.
Prepare to cry from laughing, live vicariously, and gain perspective of the world through the travels laid across these pages. With dating encounters that will have you belly laughing, like a gentleman with a wandering eye to the smooth, hairless complexion of someone entirely outside of Laurie’s self-described attraction to very hairy men. To travel adventures like caring for a seventeen-year-old dog in exchange for a free place to lay your head, or to coming home early from work to construction workers using your fridge and unit as their own personal lunchroom, the stories within are truly entertaining.
Asia to South America, Mexico to Arkansas and Oklahoma, “Unsettled” packs the true realities of adventuring, dating in your fifties, and working in foreign countries. Organized successively as a collection of experiences and events, author Laurie Woodford keeps readers coming back for more of her encounters and adventures. Detailing the lonely, the learning, the challenges with time differences, and moving on, this memoir provides the good, the bad, and the hilarious of Woodford’s unsettled adventures.
Aptly named, and expertly presented, “Unsettled” is quite the memorable collection of travelling escapades. Laurie’s hysterical antics and sidesplitting experiences made for an amusing and quick read.
January 15, 2024
Unsettled | Laurie Woodford | ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Uproarious, keenly observant and a reflective page-turner, Unsettled is essentially the chronicles of Laurie Woodford's adventurous journey through countries, cultures and life, in search of love, the true meaning of home and self.
It's her version of a hilariously decadent Eat, Pray, Love and if you are ever planning to write a memoir, you better have lived a life like Woodford. Because that's the new standard I will be judging biographies and memoirs by.
Originally from Upstate New York, divorced and restless at 50, Laurie Woodford sets out on a whirlwind journey of teaching English in Korea and China, caring for orphans in Ethiopia, working at a animal shelter in Peru, a goat farm in Spain, as a Director of Studies at a dubious establishment in Mexico, teaching at maximum security prisons in the USA; all the while in search of the sense of home and a companion with a "pulse and his own set of teeth".
While you need to read this to find out how things shape up for her, I can guarantee you this much that you will have more than a few laugh out loud moments, a few gut-punching epiphanies and you will revel in her treasure trove of anecdotes, reflecting on culture, human-nature, dating, finding love, gynaecological visits, milking goats, surviving tornados, rearing chicken and the true meaning of our existence.
I have hardly ever read across a piece so humorous yet so poignant and reflective.
If you are looking for a quick read which will stay with you long after the pages have stopped turning, you can't really skip out on Unsettled.
Uproarious, keenly observant and a reflective page-turner, Unsettled is essentially the chronicles of Laurie Woodford's adventurous journey through countries, cultures and life, in search of love, the true meaning of home and self.
It's her version of a hilariously decadent Eat, Pray, Love and if you are ever planning to write a memoir, you better have lived a life like Woodford. Because that's the new standard I will be judging biographies and memoirs by.
Originally from Upstate New York, divorced and restless at 50, Laurie Woodford sets out on a whirlwind journey of teaching English in Korea and China, caring for orphans in Ethiopia, working at a animal shelter in Peru, a goat farm in Spain, as a Director of Studies at a dubious establishment in Mexico, teaching at maximum security prisons in the USA; all the while in search of the sense of home and a companion with a "pulse and his own set of teeth".
While you need to read this to find out how things shape up for her, I can guarantee you this much that you will have more than a few laugh out loud moments, a few gut-punching epiphanies and you will revel in her treasure trove of anecdotes, reflecting on culture, human-nature, dating, finding love, gynaecological visits, milking goats, surviving tornados, rearing chicken and the true meaning of our existence.
I have hardly ever read across a piece so humorous yet so poignant and reflective.
If you are looking for a quick read which will stay with you long after the pages have stopped turning, you can't really skip out on Unsettled.
January 16, 2024
Hopeful, brave, determined.
Those are the three words I would use to describe Laurie Woodford's memoir "Unsettled." I suspect they apply equally well to Laurie herself, based on these snippets of mid-life in which she sets out to explore both the dating world and the larger world: backpacking at some times, accepting positions teaching English at others, interspersed with volunteer gigs in orphanages and animal shelters and prisons and goat farms, often in countries whose languages she did not know well.
This is the kind of book you could either devour in one or two sittings or savor section by section over a couple of weeks. With dry humor and a keen eye for detail, Woodford deftly sketches the settings and characters she comes across, portraying situations that range from touching to sad to hilarious to infuriating. It's apparent from the beginning that she is seeking...something...and that she doesn't know quite what.
I myself am a pessimist by nature, so I read this book with fascination. How did she, after repeated disappointments of various kinds, remain so hopeful? Towards the end I was afraid she was doomed to permanent disappointment and/or heartbreak, but she kept trying. Kept seeking until she found what she was looking for. And then kept working when new obstacles or uncertainties arose, until she had arranged a life that was just right-- a life into which she could settle comfortably at last.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this lovely book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and author. I am grateful I had the chance to read it and come away with a more hopeful attitude of my own.
5 stars
Those are the three words I would use to describe Laurie Woodford's memoir "Unsettled." I suspect they apply equally well to Laurie herself, based on these snippets of mid-life in which she sets out to explore both the dating world and the larger world: backpacking at some times, accepting positions teaching English at others, interspersed with volunteer gigs in orphanages and animal shelters and prisons and goat farms, often in countries whose languages she did not know well.
This is the kind of book you could either devour in one or two sittings or savor section by section over a couple of weeks. With dry humor and a keen eye for detail, Woodford deftly sketches the settings and characters she comes across, portraying situations that range from touching to sad to hilarious to infuriating. It's apparent from the beginning that she is seeking...something...and that she doesn't know quite what.
I myself am a pessimist by nature, so I read this book with fascination. How did she, after repeated disappointments of various kinds, remain so hopeful? Towards the end I was afraid she was doomed to permanent disappointment and/or heartbreak, but she kept trying. Kept seeking until she found what she was looking for. And then kept working when new obstacles or uncertainties arose, until she had arranged a life that was just right-- a life into which she could settle comfortably at last.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this lovely book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher and author. I am grateful I had the chance to read it and come away with a more hopeful attitude of my own.
5 stars
January 17, 2024
Laurie Woodford's memoir is a delightful journey through her mid-life escapades as an English teacher in various countries, coupled with her international volunteer experiences at an Ethiopian orphanage and a South American animal rescue. Brimming with humour, heartfelt moments, and a punchy narrative style, Woodford vividly recounts her adventures in each location. Her storytelling immerses the reader in the challenges of navigating language barriers and cultural disparities, fostering a sense of being right there beside her, sharing laughter during moments of discomfort.
Woodford's candid comparisons between her ageing body and societal expectations, especially in South Korea, are both blunt and insightful. The memoir pulsates with the underlying themes of her quest for home and a life partner. Through relatable reflections, she captures the irony of searching for a sense of belonging while yearning for movement and change, ultimately finding a balance that suits her. The memoir is a compelling page-turner, enriched with bright details and unexpected humour, making it a thoroughly engaging read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Woodford's candid comparisons between her ageing body and societal expectations, especially in South Korea, are both blunt and insightful. The memoir pulsates with the underlying themes of her quest for home and a life partner. Through relatable reflections, she captures the irony of searching for a sense of belonging while yearning for movement and change, ultimately finding a balance that suits her. The memoir is a compelling page-turner, enriched with bright details and unexpected humour, making it a thoroughly engaging read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 19, 2024
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was intrigued to read it because I enjoy travel memoirs (Eat, Pray Love anyone) and memoirs about women on a journey to find their authentic selves (Wild anyone). I found this memoir very similar to those two books, but very different in others. She definitely tells it like it is, no sugar coating for Laurie. Whether she's in South Korea, Ethiopia, Mexico or on a goat farm, you know her feelings about each situation she's in. At times I felt a little bit a whiplash, as she went from one country to another or one situation to another. However, as she travels to different countries, teaching ESL, sharing her experiences with us, you get a sense that she was unsettled, but needed those experiences. I'm glad she found what she was looking for in the end.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs.
I was intrigued to read it because I enjoy travel memoirs (Eat, Pray Love anyone) and memoirs about women on a journey to find their authentic selves (Wild anyone). I found this memoir very similar to those two books, but very different in others. She definitely tells it like it is, no sugar coating for Laurie. Whether she's in South Korea, Ethiopia, Mexico or on a goat farm, you know her feelings about each situation she's in. At times I felt a little bit a whiplash, as she went from one country to another or one situation to another. However, as she travels to different countries, teaching ESL, sharing her experiences with us, you get a sense that she was unsettled, but needed those experiences. I'm glad she found what she was looking for in the end.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs.
February 13, 2024
This book is categorized as a memoir, but I think that's a misnomer. Unsettled is a conversation with an old friend you've been waiting to hear from. This is Eat, Pray, Love with its feet firmly on the ground (is that a contradiction in terms?). Her warmth, humor, and surgically inserted insights left me thinking about my own journeys and where they are leading. Woodford brings you deep into her wanderlust, right before she shows you why she left it all behind. While Woodford is masterful at asking the why behind her decisions, she didn't have me flipping past pages of navel-gazing philosophical thoughts. Deep without being heavy, funny without being whimsical, timely and timeless, this is one that should be packed in your next suitcase...or picked up when you're ready to grow roots.
December 8, 2023
I was so excited to read this book as a world-traveler myself, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I was under the impression that this book would follow a story of travel, self discovery and love, but what I discovered was a book that contained random anecdotes that seemed bounce all over the place (in terms of location and time), and an angry narrator who constantly complained about her surroundings and the men that she went on dates with along the way, and felt unsatisfied and unsettled, wherever she was.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 18, 2026
It wasn’t a bad story, just wasn’t worthy of 4 stars.
December 20, 2023
To begin, by way of confession, I am the husband of the author. As such, I have read, and listened to, many versions of this memoir as it has wound its way through its edits. I have never tired of this memoir as you will see below.
Unsettled is a wonderfully quirky, incredibly humorous, and insightful story of one woman’s nomadic adventure at mid-life. Parts of this true story, namely four chapters, have earlier appeared in literary journals. That should give you a sense of the quality of writing and thinking that went into this memoir. The book takes you, as it took Laurie, from Rochester, NY to Seoul, South Korea, to Ethiopia, Peru, Fuerteventura, Mexico and China and Arkansas and Oklahoma (!). This is the story of a wonderful, independent woman who teaches overseas, searches to find herself and searches for ways to serve others, both animals and people. Throughout, these questions are in the foreground: Will she tire of traveling the world? Will she be able to quiet her restlessness? Will she find love?
Spoiler alert: Yes, she does. And I’m one very lucky guy.
Unsettled is a wonderfully quirky, incredibly humorous, and insightful story of one woman’s nomadic adventure at mid-life. Parts of this true story, namely four chapters, have earlier appeared in literary journals. That should give you a sense of the quality of writing and thinking that went into this memoir. The book takes you, as it took Laurie, from Rochester, NY to Seoul, South Korea, to Ethiopia, Peru, Fuerteventura, Mexico and China and Arkansas and Oklahoma (!). This is the story of a wonderful, independent woman who teaches overseas, searches to find herself and searches for ways to serve others, both animals and people. Throughout, these questions are in the foreground: Will she tire of traveling the world? Will she be able to quiet her restlessness? Will she find love?
Spoiler alert: Yes, she does. And I’m one very lucky guy.
January 18, 2024
Received a ARC copy of Unsettled in exchange for my honest review.
Well written and moves through her memories well. Enjoyed some of the tidbits of the travels. Didnt explore her insights to a deep level as I expect in memoirs. The general passage of time was interesting. Surprised to learn at the end in the acknowledgements that she has a daughter, a bit strange to not intertwine that relationship when one is feeling unsettled.
Well written and moves through her memories well. Enjoyed some of the tidbits of the travels. Didnt explore her insights to a deep level as I expect in memoirs. The general passage of time was interesting. Surprised to learn at the end in the acknowledgements that she has a daughter, a bit strange to not intertwine that relationship when one is feeling unsettled.
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