Will I love Eat Pray Love?

I resisted reading this book – it sounded so soppy and girlie! But friends told me I must, and I loved it from the start. Gilbert is outrageously honest about gluttony, sex, religious longings, and all the deeper things of life. Yet she’s funny too, and in her search for happiness faces up to misery, divorce, rejection, and boredom without giving up. In the end she finds happiness is not what she thought it was and is not found the way she expected. I took away many life lessons from this romping story, and am grateful for them all.

This became iconic for a reason – because many of us have been there or nearby, and we can relate.

Divorce has demolished many a soul, but this woman had a three-point recovery plan many have aspired to. In Italy, she ate well and fattened up on ice cream. In India, she fed her inner self at a yoga and meditation ashram for spiritual nutrition. Then, with step three, the romantic full circle was complete when she met her new love in Indonesia. She is a fine example of how a woman can indeed undertake a journey to find everything.… show more.

This list wouldn’t be complete without Eat, Pray, Love, the quintessential memoir about going on a solo adventure after life upends on you. I loved following Gilbert on her adventures from country to country, rebuilding her sense of self after the catastrophic collapse of her last relationship. This memoir, in many ways, helped lay the groundwork for me when it came time to face my own relationship patterns and build up a version of myself that was separate from romantic entanglements.

I was frequently reminded that solo adventures—be it international or internal endeavors—do not mean shutting the rest of… show more.

Self-discovery after being brokenhearted from a love relationship is what I refer to as the dark night of the soul. We’ve all been there. There is no way out except to go in, which is what the main character did in Eat Pray Love. Eventually, she finds herself and gains self-love.

Miss Pink, my main character, does something similar. Her journey was going from living in a high rise with a great job to losing it all, including a cheating husband and eventually becoming homeless. What does she do? She starts to give to others who are far worse… show more.

This is a book that changed my life. In fact, I probably want to be Elizabeth Gilbert. Witty, wise, and wonderful, it made me want to go to Italy to eat, to pilgrimage to India to pray, to fall in love in Bali, and to write about that journey.

I read it nearly twenty years ago and it still inspires me today.

This book was revolutionary in its time because it was very rare at the time of publication that someone could go abroad to really discover themselves.

Gilbert forcing herself to focus on the absolute most terrifying thing–your own areas for growth–leads her into dark places, but also the bright light at the end of the tunnel that comes with doing this type of self work. It was quite enjoyable joining her on this journey and what each place she visited taught her.

This book is a captivating journey of self-discovery and inner strength that resonates deeply with anyone seeking meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

Through Elizabeth Gilbert's immersive storytelling, we are transported across three continents as she embarks on a quest for self-discovery following a difficult divorce. Her journey is both inspiring and transformative in a way that is very similar to my own memoir. 

What sets this book apart is the unwavering honesty and vulnerability. Another aspect that inspired how I wanted to write my story. She fearlessly confronts her fears, doubts, and insecurities, inviting readers to join her on… show more.

Of course, Eat, Pray, Love. This memoir is iconic and beloved; a book translated into more than thirty languages, and a bestseller with good reason.

Almost any woman alone and seeking “everything,” can find herself here. With humor and insight and damn good writing, Elizabeth Gilbert takes us along in her year-long search for herself and her desperate need for change. 

The questions: who am I and what matters to me echo loudest after a devasting loss. Gilbert’s losses were threefold: a divorce, a depression, and a failed love affair. Mine was the death of my husband and the discarding… show more.

Everyone has a story to tell, and most peoples’ stories contain some kind of heartache, loss, or moment when life smacked them in the face and left them reeling.

This is a book about what it takes to get back up and how to do it in style. 

I loved how this book struck the balance between the frailty of humanity and the inner knowing that you can transform your life and make it work for you. 

If you want to learn how to turn your life’s lemons into lemonade, grab and copy and dive in. You will be immersed… show more.

I’m afraid this one might have lost its luster after they turned it into a mediocre film. I think it is still worth all the hype it got when it came out! Elizabeth Gilbert has a warm, engaging writing style, and I love any writer (and person) who can be honest about the good, bad, and ugly of a human life. This is a wonderful story of self-exploration and the many paths available to grow our spiritual lives.