Once Upon An Expat

by Lisa Webb (Editor), Kristine Laco (Editor)

Whether you've made the leap abroad yourself, or you're simply curious about what it's like to set up life in a foreign country, Once Upon An Expat will not disappoint. With brave tales of life outside the comfort zone, the contributing authors will have you craving adventure as they share stories from their not-so-ordinary lives around the world.


These stories will transport you to the streets of Libya, boulangeries in France, a hospital in Kazakhstan, and a strange situation in a Saudi Arabian security office. Through the pages of this book, laugh your way through crazy family adventures in a tropical jungle and share in the sorrow of grieving from afar. Discover how to get a perfect Brazilian body, go falconing in the Middle East, and take away insight on being raised abroad from a Dutch doctor born in an African bush camp.

Join us on this journey and along the way meet a tribe of global souls who together make up this heartwarming and at times hilarious anthology.

Genres: Travel

301 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2016

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of the authors, I got an early copy of the book. It is amazing!

I would buy this book even if I wasn't part of it. The stories are moving - I laughed, I cried, I got scared, and I cheered.

I am honored to be included as one of these amazing expats.

[Linda Easthope · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of entertaining stories offering a window into women's expat life from a variety of perspectives. The book could have used a firmer hand on editing - lots of typos, grammar and punctuation errors. Overall positive, though. Easily broken into chunks - a great book to read when you only have a few minutes at a time.

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was pretty disappointing. Not for me.

[Jennie Goutet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book will appeal to three types of people - that is, to say, nearly everyone. There are those who have never (or rarely) left home, and who are happy to explore the world through reading the words of those who have done it. There are those who are about to embark on an expat life (it's not such a small number, after all) and who want to know how to handle it, what to expect, how to adjust. And then there are those of us who have been expats several times and want to read, in sympathy and curiosity, the experiences of others who have lived in the same country or one yet to be explored.

Jump into the lives of women who have outmanoeuvred people in the checkout line, who have gone into the "men's" tent in a Muslim country, who have fought life-threatening illnesses, who have stripped naked to have their blood pressure checked, who needed months to know where to throw the dead Christmas tree, who drank from faulty water filters, who were born of nomads and gave birth to nomads, and many more. You'll love their stories. I did.

* I was given a free copy in exchange for a review

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of ex-pat experiences. One story made me laugh and one story made me cry; some were interesting and some were tedious.
Average book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Too Relatable

This is a delightful, yet all too relatable read for expata. I recommend to anyone who lives or dreams of living internationally.

[Samantha Verant · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don’t have to be an expat to enjoy this book. All you need is a sense of adventure. We travel the world through the eyes of many women who have all triumphed in one way or the other. Some of the stories are hilarious (surprise naked manicures and doctor appointments). Some are downright scary (malaria). Some are romantic (a cute Italian in tight white pants). These stories are from women who dared to leave their comfort zones and carved out new lives...sometimes with unexpected challenges (language issues--smile and nod, smile and nod). Like I said, you don’t need to change countries to love this book. If you’ve ever moved house to a new neighborhood or a new city, if you’ve ever been forced into dealing with a situation that came from left field, and if you’ve ever just had to take the leap and say what the French kiss...this book is for you.

[Vicki Lesage · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and fun book about the lives of many different expats. As an expat myself, I could identify with a lot of the stories, though some of them have moved to far more exotic locations than I have! If you've ever lived abroad or are thinking about it, this book is for you.

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very relatable! If you're an expat, were an expat, know an expat… this is great book to get inside the life of what goes on.

[Aliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging anthology.......almost all stories are relatable, even if you're not an expat, and some writers are very funny.