Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm not always taken in by non-fiction, but Eat, Pray, Love did, indeed, make for an enjoyable read. I don't think I quite understand the media frenzy around this book, though.

Gilbert documents her post-divorce journey though self-discovery via the settings of Italy, India, and Indonesia. She freely admits that she received a book advance to fund her journey and write about it. In return for the advance, she does an excellent job describing the sensory surroundings of each location. Her commentary is witty and self-aware, which also makes the book an enjoyable read. The ending is particularly satisfying.

However, I do feel like any woman who has gone through a divorce and taken the steps to re-balance her life could have written this book. I can't help but wonder--if there had been no advance and the memoir took place in Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois--would it still have been a bestseller?