A
title as alluring as Wonderlust
can't help evoking fantasies of the author's recollections, taking the reader floating across the world in luxuriously reflective repose or exciting adventure. Unfortunately, Kuyper (101 Ways to Be a Great Mom
) does not quite deliver on the book's titular promise. Though her many vignettes tell of travels as far and wide as Machu Picchu in Peru, Assisi in Italy and the wilds of the Amazon, these are usually too short to suggest much sense of place and each ends abruptly with a laundry list of textbook like questions that attempt to shepherd readers through a similar revelatory spiritual moment. Though perfect for the morning commute, these short chapters won't satisfy the traveler who's settled in for a long trip. Rather than trust readers to “journey toward” the various chapter themes (Healing, Identity, Integrity, among others) on their own, she interrupts with awkward questions like “What has God used to 'warm' you toward being more 'positively' pious in your life?” For readers who can forgive the short chapters and ignore the textbookish style, rewards do await: though too hastily recounted Kuyper's travels (to 40 countries on five continents) are adventurous and fascinating on their own. (Sept.)
