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London Sojourn: Rewriting Life After Retirement
For fans of Eat, Pray, Love and Without Reservations, a captivating memoir of one woman’s bold leap into reinvention—trading academia for adventure, storytelling, and self-discovery in the heart of London.
What happens when a burnt-out professor trades academia for a fresh start in the city of her dreams—only to find reinvention far tougher than she imagined?
At sixty-five, Rebecca Knuth walks away from the security and status of academia, determined to reimagine herself in London. She craves more—more creativity, more stories, more life. Immersing herself in the city’s literary and cultural world, she enrolls in a creative nonfiction masters program, trains as a guide, joins the prestigious London Library, and reclaims her voice as a writer. London becomes her muse, a place of transformation where shedding her old identity is inseparable from rebuilding herself as a woman. But change is never simple.
Her mother’s health declines. Rebecca lands in intensive care. She’s harassed on the Underground. Exhaustion takes hold. Doubt creeps in—about her ambition, her motivation, even her sense of belonging. Where exactly is home?
A memoir of reinvention, resilience, and self-discovery, London Sojourn speaks to retirees, creatives, and seekers longing to step beyond certainty into something new.
What happens when a burnt-out professor trades academia for a fresh start in the city of her dreams—only to find reinvention far tougher than she imagined?
At sixty-five, Rebecca Knuth walks away from the security and status of academia, determined to reimagine herself in London. She craves more—more creativity, more stories, more life. Immersing herself in the city’s literary and cultural world, she enrolls in a creative nonfiction masters program, trains as a guide, joins the prestigious London Library, and reclaims her voice as a writer. London becomes her muse, a place of transformation where shedding her old identity is inseparable from rebuilding herself as a woman. But change is never simple.
Her mother’s health declines. Rebecca lands in intensive care. She’s harassed on the Underground. Exhaustion takes hold. Doubt creeps in—about her ambition, her motivation, even her sense of belonging. Where exactly is home?
A memoir of reinvention, resilience, and self-discovery, London Sojourn speaks to retirees, creatives, and seekers longing to step beyond certainty into something new.
- GenresMemoir
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2026
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11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 16, 2025
A compelling and wonderfully written memoir about an academic woman reinventing her life after retirement. The London setting and the honest assessment of how hard it is to change at this time of life drew me to the engaging story. Recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Perhaps my current quest is in part an attempt to return to an imagined home and put down roots, and I am searching for something that feels like home or trying to create it. from London Sojourn by Rebecca Knuth
At sixty-five, Rebecca Knuth left academia and relocated to London to reinvent her life, hoping to revive the “shiny girl who wanted joy and a larger life and got a little lost over the years.”
She planned to stay in London for two years and reinvent herself as a writer of creative nonfiction. Academic writing had become a cage and she wanted to find her voice, a way to connect with readers.
This book tells of her journey, both outward and inner, almost a diary of her daily life, interspersed with thoughts about literature, writing, work, and books.
Creative writers are witnesses who approach their subjects and humanity imaginatively. They illuminate. Academic writers deduce….Objectivity is favored over subjectivity… from London Sojourn by Rebecca Knuth
This memoir will appeal to those who seek to change their lives or careers.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing and the publisher for a free book
At sixty-five, Rebecca Knuth left academia and relocated to London to reinvent her life, hoping to revive the “shiny girl who wanted joy and a larger life and got a little lost over the years.”
She planned to stay in London for two years and reinvent herself as a writer of creative nonfiction. Academic writing had become a cage and she wanted to find her voice, a way to connect with readers.
This book tells of her journey, both outward and inner, almost a diary of her daily life, interspersed with thoughts about literature, writing, work, and books.
Creative writers are witnesses who approach their subjects and humanity imaginatively. They illuminate. Academic writers deduce….Objectivity is favored over subjectivity… from London Sojourn by Rebecca Knuth
This memoir will appeal to those who seek to change their lives or careers.
Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing and the publisher for a free book
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews