Digging for Spain: A Writer's Journey

by Penelope Todd

'There are two places for every The place we imagine and the one waiting for us when we get there.'Here is a portrait of the growth of a writer, of the challenges of faith, and the route one woman takes to reach a better accommodation with herself, and her family. It's heartfelt and lyrical narrative - as the author questions her closest relationships, and some of the stifling patterns she has fallen into. Yet it will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has ever tried to juggle relationships, the craving for solitude, and the urge to write or to devote oneself to a career which demands total focus.Delicately written, yet tough at the core, this memoir weaves together a journey to Spain with several years of internal change. Digging for Spain explores an intensely personal yet common rite of that of a woman learning to separate her identity from motherhood, marriage, and beliefs formed in youthful inexperience.

Genres: Travel, Memoir

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Todd, Penelope (1958- ) spent her first thirty years in Christchurch, and now lives in Dunedin. She works freelance as a manuscript consultant and editor.

Reviews

[Vanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that resonated with me in so many ways. Many of the questions Penelope was asking and beliefs she was questioning were those that had been banging away at me. This book has encouraged me to be brave and take a closer look at my own life.
The author is honest and opens her heart and feelings to the reader in a quiet, yet tough way. You're left with the feeling of being grateful for going along and observing the journey, and for the questions it triggers in you.

[Bachyboy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a frank, very personal and honest account of a writer's search for herself, probably one that most women could identify with. She is a very good writer and I read the book in one day, following her attempts to make sense of Spain and her life.