Reviews

REVIEWS FOR 100 Places Every Woman Should Go

“….A whirlwind of exotic escapades. The author gets a bikini wax in Brazil, drinks chocolate in Mexico’s Oaxaca, pats the belly of a manatee in Florida, and watches women dive for seaweed and shellfish in the East China Sea. Destinations in “100 Places” are logical (Seneca Falls, N.Y., birthplace of the women’s rights movement), remote (Rouen, France, where Joan of Arc died), sacred (Mount Kailash, Tibet, a pilgrimage point for Buddhists and Hindus) and virtual (the Museum of Menstruation at www.mum.org). The book also is a way to learn, briefly, about whirling dervishes in Turkey, flamenco dancing in Spain and the Holy Ganges in India. Less specific, geographically, but most poignant is the Motherlands chapter. “At some point in life,” Griest writes, “return to your ancestral home, be it a specific neighborhood or an entire continent, to learn from the roots within you.”

– The Capital Times (of Madison, WI)

“For many women, the open road beckons. But where — they might wonder — can they find adventure, inspiration, empowerment, and renewal? Stephanie Elizondo Griest’s new book, 100 Places Every Woman Should Go (2007, Travelers’ Tales), reveals treasures far and near. Griest suggests female travelers try seeking enlightenment in any of the 66 temples of Luang Prabang, Laos; race yaks across the Mongolian grasslands; or pay homage to pharaoh Hatshepsut, who Griest writes, “is widely regarded as history’s ‘first great woman.’” The book also offers tips on safety, how to fend off unwanted male advances, and, perhaps most importantly, the advice to support fellow female travelers and local sisters abroad. “Your money will almost certainly go where it is needed most.”

– The Utne Reader

“100 Places offers tips for traveling women, and is chock full of useful Web sites and recommended readings. In the chapter on Lesbos, Greece, we learn that poetess and lyricist Sappho, often assumed to have been a lesbian because she came from the island of Lesbos (from where the term lesbian comes from), was, in fact, married to a man, although she dedicated much of her sensual words to women. Regardless of orientation, Sappho was the first Greek poet to write in the first person.
Ms. Elizondo Griest’s book visits the cobalt blue home of artist Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan, Mexico, (”For the Frida Kahlo look, fly to Oaxaca, Mexico, where you’ll be greeted in the street by women carrying mounds of rebozos, or shawls, slung over their shoulders) and tells how to apply for a job in Antarctica, because that is the best way to visit it. There’s even a chapter on the Museum of Menstruation, although these days it exists only on the Web, and one on lingerie shops in London, Rome, Paris and New York. In the end, if you can’t hit all these wonderful international destinations (including Beirut and New Orleans), the author recommends visiting New York City where you can experience them all, including soaking in a banya with a room full of sweaty Russian women in Brooklyn. Ms. Elizondo Griest quotes a New York cabbie: “Anything you can’t find anywhere else in the world, this city has two of ‘em. And if you can find it somewhere else, we’ve got five of ‘em.”

– The Princeton Packet

[“100 Places”] is the brain trust of an intrepid traveler who lashed on her estro-lens, filled a few passports, and is now handing over all the juicy liner notes so others can engage the world in a similarly spirited, pro-woman way.

— Holly Morris, author of Adventure Divas

Amazing. Reading the book is like catching the colors of a tropical sunset, a whiff of an almond tree in bloom, a hint of a melody from a late night jazz bar. My only complaint? I will never get to go to all of these alluring places!

— Elizabeth Lesser, cofounder of Omega Institute

PRAISE FOR Around the Bloc:

“Around the Bloc is not only superb travel writing, it is also a beautifully
written story of self-discovery.. imbued with the high spirits, good will
and openness of youth.”– New York Times

“As with truly successful travel writing, Around the Bloc suggests that our
best journeys often lead to discoveries within ourselves.”
– Washington Post

“This book fairly brims over with a refreshing zest and sparkle, which, one
imagines, is probably an apt description of its author, as well. Full of
humour, compassion and a great degree of personal candour, Around the Bloc
is clearly just the beginning for this gifted young writer.”
– Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

“A stunning first. Stephanie Elizondo Griest’s memoir is a coming of
age odyssey every American should read. It vibrates with humor, insight and
honesty — a rare gem.”
– Anchee Min, author of Red Azalea

“Plucky young Texas journalist eager to see the world decides to make
Communist countries (current and otherwise) her terrain. Adventures ensue:
vodka-soaked parties in Moscow, a forbidden gay bar in Beijing, rumba
sessions in Havana. It’s a zesty expedition through three wildly different
cultures, each in strikingly similar predicaments.”
– Conde Nast Traveler

“Stephanie Elizondo Griest has the soul of an adventurer, the heart of a
child, the wit of a jester, and the mind of a wise old woman. Lucky for us,
she also has a pen.”
– Deborah Copaken-Kogan, author of Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War

“Armchair travelers have rarely had it so good as they do with Texas native
Griest’s memoir of her jaunt from Austin to Moscow to Beijing to Havana and
beyond, which reads like one part informative history lesson on the People’s
Revolutionary struggle and one part Hope ‘n’ Crosby road movie.”
– Austin Chronicle