“Who goes to Scotland for two weeks with a stranger they met over the internet? I did.”
With that setup, it’s time for the “Wednesday Bookmobile” to head to Scotland – and a journey of self-discovery, thanks to a terrific new memoir!
Here’s how Author Ninya herself sets up her story:
At forty-three, Ninya was depressed, out of shape, and filled with crippling anxiety after addiction, cancer, and divorce had destroyed nearly everything. One day, she received a message from a stranger. This woman offered to lead her on a self-healing trip hiking through the Scottish highlands.
It seemed like a sign.
And so, even filled with much guilt, Ninya took a major step forward in healing herself.
Eat. Pray. Hike.
While “Scotland With A Stranger” is a terrific travel memoir, filled with interesting history and observations, the first observation you get is Ninya’s – of herself…she herself makes reference to another famous memoir of self-discovery – so, you could call hers:
“Eat. Pray. Hike.”
As Ninya writes early on in the book:
“Fear just sucked the life out of me. It forced me to play small and shrink myself, to minimize my talents and gifts.I yearned to break out of that self-imposed prison in the worst way, and Scotland was going to do that for me.”
In the vein of “Eat. Pray. Love”, the Author sets out on a hike that will be as spiritual as it is physical…
The book is candid, and at times painfully honest as Ninya looks at her life – and the issues she is still resolving with an ex-husband and two teenage children…and she shares it all, before coming to the conclusion, as we do as well, that the trip to Scotland is her chance to spend time healing herself…
I purchased a paperback copy from Amazon, and there are no photos in the book, but don’t worry – everything she discovers is easy to see, because Ninja has shared terrific photos from her journey on her website:
Here is how Ninya describes Stirling Castle:
“The stone castle is set on a cliff…the views were 360-degrees panoramic. I couldn’t wait to get out and explore my first castle in real life.”
But things are NOT that easy. The “Stranger” in the book’s title is Erika, Ninya’s new friend and expert guide to the country, who puts Ninya’s self-confidence to the test at almost every stop. Let’s just say that Ninya did NOT explore her first castle that day…
The book has a great deal to say about the “human condition”, so even her adventures have a universal story to tell.
I loved going through the photos from her website after reading about some of her incredible experiences…without a doubt, she has given me “wanderlust” to discover Scotland as well…
The incredible beauty she describes in the book is matched by the photography – and just as she is exploring this country, she is also soul-searching in the most inspiring way…a terrific memoir – see more about her book, plus her works of fiction and all the pictures from he trip by going to her website here:
I enjoy reading memoirs that let me discover a time and place as well – stories that are filled with insight and inspiration like this one…
Fiona Lewis was a successful Actress who ended up renovating an abandoned French Chateau – and the book is filled with great Hollywood stories as well as a look at life in the South of France….you can see more about this terrific memoir by clicking here!
This is a GREAT book!
I also shared a look at Susanna Moore’s new memoir about life in Hollywood as a woman in the 70’s – the best-selling Author of “In The Cut” shares her illuminating story here:
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Thanks so much for reading!
A big recommendation on this “Wednesday Bookmobile” for Ninya, and if you like the review, share it on social media!
Categories: Art, Books / Media, Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
This book sounds really interesting, John. I loved Scotland and think it has the most incredible places to visit. That on its own gives this book appeal, but the add on of the journey to healing undertaken by the author is definitely a great add on.
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It’s a very personal story she tells well, and the travel aspect gave it a terrific bit of framing for the story
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This looks like a great read, John. Thanks!
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It’s very good if you like this sort of story
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John, if you ever decde to follow in that author’s footsteps, be prepared for a lot of rain! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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She points that out throughout the book, Pete…crazy! Oh, and now I have a massive urge to eat fish and chips every day as well!
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They can be tasty, but vary greatly in quality around the UK. And if they ask if you want vinegar, it will be something called non-brewed condiment, so best look that up first.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-brewed_condiment 🙂
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