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The Map of Enough: One Woman's Search for Place
Molly Caro May grew up as part of a nomadic family, one proud of their international sensibilities, a tribe that never settled in one place for very long. Growing up moving from foreign country to foreign country, just like her father and grandfather, she became attached to her identity as a global woman from nowhere. But, on the verge of turning thirty years old, everything changed.
Molly and her fiancé Chris suddenly move to 107 acres in Montana, land her family owns but rarely visits, with the idea of staying for only a year. Surrounded by tall grass, deep woods, and the presence of predators, the young couple starts the challenging and often messy process of building a traditional Mongolian yurt from scratch. They finally finish just on the cusp of winter, in a below-zero degree snowstorm. For Molly it is her first real home, yet a nomadic one, this one concession meant to be dissembled and moved at will.
Yurt-life gives her rare exposure to nature, to the elements, to the wildlife all around them. It also feels contrary to the modern world, and this triggers in Molly an exploration of what home means to the emergent generation. In today’s age, has globalization and technology taught us that something better, the next best thing, is always out there? How does any young adult establish roots, and how do we decide what kind of life we want to lead? How much, ever, is enough?
Molly and her fiancé Chris suddenly move to 107 acres in Montana, land her family owns but rarely visits, with the idea of staying for only a year. Surrounded by tall grass, deep woods, and the presence of predators, the young couple starts the challenging and often messy process of building a traditional Mongolian yurt from scratch. They finally finish just on the cusp of winter, in a below-zero degree snowstorm. For Molly it is her first real home, yet a nomadic one, this one concession meant to be dissembled and moved at will.
Yurt-life gives her rare exposure to nature, to the elements, to the wildlife all around them. It also feels contrary to the modern world, and this triggers in Molly an exploration of what home means to the emergent generation. In today’s age, has globalization and technology taught us that something better, the next best thing, is always out there? How does any young adult establish roots, and how do we decide what kind of life we want to lead? How much, ever, is enough?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2014
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441 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
January 7, 2014
I guess I should specify first that I received the Map of Enough as an Advance Review Copy.
The Map of Enough details Molly Caro May's uneasy transition from her wanderlusting, globe-trotting childhood and adolescence to a more rooted, cozy little permanent home on 107 acres of Montana's beautiful and bucolic lands with her then boyfriend-now-husband. The author plays to her strengths when she writes about those 107 acres, which she affectionately calls "The Land" with a capital T.
Just a sample:
"When the farmer cut the field, removed the blanket of green, it lost its flatness and we could see how it rolled up and descended, made a shape like a human tongue caught in mid-sentence"
My god, that sounds beautiful. If the whole book were like that, I would have gladly given it 5 stars. But there is a reason why this book is receiving only one star from me.
The first few pages of this book and certain scenes are truly a joy to read. May writes about "The Land" with such love and with such evocativeness that I feared I too might be infected with the bug and run off to live in middle-of-nowhere wilderness. There are also some stunningly adorable and innocent little anecdotes from her childhood that touched me immediately in the first chapter. In fact, the first pages are written in the voice of her child self, which was why it was so easy and tempting to forgive her naiveté and humor her inane ideas that her worldliness and sophistication made her better than everyone else. However, as I continued reading and met her fully-fledged adult self, we are left with the disappointing reality that nothing has changed and she still harbors such deeply delusional and judgmental thinking.
May seems enamored with her own personal, nomadic creation myth. She moved heavily as a child and as a young adult from Mexico to Spain to New Zealand. And somehow all of these wonderful travels have made her into the this cosmopolitan, free-spirit, special snowflake who decides to build a traditional Mongolian Yurt on "The Land" because it just fits her aesthetic.
That sounds wonderful, dear.
Time spent not lionizing her own passport-stamping, worldly sophistication are spent denigrating those who have done the unthinkable and not traveled far from their hometowns or home countries. She pays lip-service to the fact that all her wonderful travels are the products of the twin catalysts for luxury and privilege: "class and education" (wholly gleaned from her parents mind you). But that is one sentence in a book of nearly 300 pages. "People on the East Coast are so set in their ways" whines her like-minded husband, May eagerly agrees. May gripes petulantly that she "craved movement , not the humdrum I associated with people living permanently." She complains too of her Montana neighbors, "old-timers who didn't like change" and is oddly defensive to their curious and innocent questions regarding building a Mongolian Yurt on "The Land."
Two thirds of the way into the book, she experiences a mildly humbling moment and places one cautionary toe off her pedestal. I trudged on through reading the last of the book, but it was definitely a chore.
The Map of Enough details Molly Caro May's uneasy transition from her wanderlusting, globe-trotting childhood and adolescence to a more rooted, cozy little permanent home on 107 acres of Montana's beautiful and bucolic lands with her then boyfriend-now-husband. The author plays to her strengths when she writes about those 107 acres, which she affectionately calls "The Land" with a capital T.
Just a sample:
"When the farmer cut the field, removed the blanket of green, it lost its flatness and we could see how it rolled up and descended, made a shape like a human tongue caught in mid-sentence"
My god, that sounds beautiful. If the whole book were like that, I would have gladly given it 5 stars. But there is a reason why this book is receiving only one star from me.
The first few pages of this book and certain scenes are truly a joy to read. May writes about "The Land" with such love and with such evocativeness that I feared I too might be infected with the bug and run off to live in middle-of-nowhere wilderness. There are also some stunningly adorable and innocent little anecdotes from her childhood that touched me immediately in the first chapter. In fact, the first pages are written in the voice of her child self, which was why it was so easy and tempting to forgive her naiveté and humor her inane ideas that her worldliness and sophistication made her better than everyone else. However, as I continued reading and met her fully-fledged adult self, we are left with the disappointing reality that nothing has changed and she still harbors such deeply delusional and judgmental thinking.
May seems enamored with her own personal, nomadic creation myth. She moved heavily as a child and as a young adult from Mexico to Spain to New Zealand. And somehow all of these wonderful travels have made her into the this cosmopolitan, free-spirit, special snowflake who decides to build a traditional Mongolian Yurt on "The Land" because it just fits her aesthetic.
That sounds wonderful, dear.
Time spent not lionizing her own passport-stamping, worldly sophistication are spent denigrating those who have done the unthinkable and not traveled far from their hometowns or home countries. She pays lip-service to the fact that all her wonderful travels are the products of the twin catalysts for luxury and privilege: "class and education" (wholly gleaned from her parents mind you). But that is one sentence in a book of nearly 300 pages. "People on the East Coast are so set in their ways" whines her like-minded husband, May eagerly agrees. May gripes petulantly that she "craved movement , not the humdrum I associated with people living permanently." She complains too of her Montana neighbors, "old-timers who didn't like change" and is oddly defensive to their curious and innocent questions regarding building a Mongolian Yurt on "The Land."
Two thirds of the way into the book, she experiences a mildly humbling moment and places one cautionary toe off her pedestal. I trudged on through reading the last of the book, but it was definitely a chore.
April 22, 2014
Meh.
Too much twenty-something angst for me.
But liked the descriptions of nature.
Too much twenty-something angst for me.
But liked the descriptions of nature.
June 3, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! I read it at such a vital time in my life and it really touched my heart. Molly Caro May sounds like a wonderful person, someone I'd love to meet and call a friend.
June 10, 2014
a memoir and study in place (sw montana) by a peripatetic and smart college couple facing the first world questions of what-do-we-do-now and which options, of the myriad we have, should we pick?
dull? could be, oh the poor poor white upper middle class world travelers, what, just what should they do? but then, molly may caro does something in this telling, she tells herself the truth. and that truth is pretty hard to take. her myth of herself was just that, and really, when you start telling the truth to yourself it can get pretty ugly. and it's not easy either, as humans are the best at this,to ignore and gloss over what is 'real'. even to our outer reality. ok, so a test: what were those birds singing outside this morning?
it was reality, did you miss it?
or, how much do it rain this week? oh, that much?
so author starts paying close attention, a thoreau attention sort of, to her outside and her inside. so much so that she and her partner decide to not take all those options due to usaers, but rather stay on a little place in backwoods montana, live in their homemade yurt, and watch the cottonwoods, and see what THEY do.
no pics, no maps, no index, no bibliography. book needs all that really. maybe next time.
dull? could be, oh the poor poor white upper middle class world travelers, what, just what should they do? but then, molly may caro does something in this telling, she tells herself the truth. and that truth is pretty hard to take. her myth of herself was just that, and really, when you start telling the truth to yourself it can get pretty ugly. and it's not easy either, as humans are the best at this,to ignore and gloss over what is 'real'. even to our outer reality. ok, so a test: what were those birds singing outside this morning?
it was reality, did you miss it?
or, how much do it rain this week? oh, that much?
so author starts paying close attention, a thoreau attention sort of, to her outside and her inside. so much so that she and her partner decide to not take all those options due to usaers, but rather stay on a little place in backwoods montana, live in their homemade yurt, and watch the cottonwoods, and see what THEY do.
no pics, no maps, no index, no bibliography. book needs all that really. maybe next time.
February 14, 2017
This book jumped off the library shelves at me and I'm so glad it did. I immediately related to the author's struggle of finding her place in the world... is it in one place or many? "This is absurd. Woman drives three exits on Highway 90 to feel like she's going somewhere." I've done that! I adored her descriptions of her new homeland and the constant introspection: "What would the narrative of not holding on look like?" and "You can't truly see a thing if you're pressed up against it all the time."
Ultimately, she discovers her place can be both, both in Montana and abroad.
I was surprised to read reviews that were less than complimentary, and it's a good example of mismatches of the book to the person. I identified wholeheartedly with May and this book was definitely a perfect match for me. Great read!
Ultimately, she discovers her place can be both, both in Montana and abroad.
I was surprised to read reviews that were less than complimentary, and it's a good example of mismatches of the book to the person. I identified wholeheartedly with May and this book was definitely a perfect match for me. Great read!
July 17, 2014
There were things I really liked about this book, but on the whole I have very little patience for extended naval-gazing. Sorry, Molly, your life is interesting, and I'm glad you've gotten to a good place through all that contemplation. It is pretty interesting to see how people grow, and there were some lovely moments.
August 27, 2017
An interesting book that spoke to my conflict with my wanderlust and my desire to be part of one place.
March 23, 2018
Yep. I can dig it. I also grew up in various places around the world, and therefore am from Nowhere. And whenever I feel the need for a change, I also seek 'reinvention by relocation', because it's the only thing I know.
June 28, 2015
To be fair I really disliked the wordiness. I assumed it would be a narrative of a journey but it felt so bogged down by details that the story didn't move forward. Having lived in Montana for twenty plus years I didn't find the joy in her experiences that she did and I think that it is good to see people who genuinely enjoy their situation. Also, regarding the narrative part, I realized that a lot of this book is an allegory for her settling into marriage and maintaining herself in settling down. Once I understood those themes I spent a lot more time skimming than absorbing the book.
February 18, 2017
Molly has this way of using specific phrases or observations that feel like they've been pulled directly from my own mind, from the fuel of my worries, from the consistent reflections of how the world appears to me. It was beautiful to share her experience of building a yurt, living on The Land, exploring in a way that requests that we stay still for a while instead of moving. I've left her book with more questions than answers, about her narrative and about my own life and experience. And I feel the richer for it.
June 6, 2015
I think I came across this book because it was recommended in a recent Nature Conservancy newsletter. I did not expect to find so many parallels in the author's story as my own. The book was poignant for me primarily for those reasons. "You've always needed nature... It calms down that fire in you."
April 29, 2019
What Today Brings
By
Erin Chandler
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest of wilderness.” – John Muir
Molly Caro May wrote a wonderful book called The Map of Enough. The beautifully written true story is about place, finding a place to settle, finding a place that is Enough. The author lived in many different countries growing up, Australia, Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and spoke several different languages. Fancying herself a free spirit who would never settle down, she developed an idea about herself as a mythical girl who could never be happy in one place.
That is until she and her fiancé decide to move to a piece of land in the mountains near Bozeman, Montana, owned by her parents. She shares in poetic detail how the land changed her life, the Land as she calls it. Taking the reader a full year from season to season, she presents a man, woman and dog creating a home for themselves from the ground up. We begin their journey just before winter as they build a yurt to live in, near her parent’s cabin. The yurt becomes the center of a universe now populated with wide open fields, snow, trees, an owl, a lion, grass, mud and fresh air. As Vincent van Gogh said, “I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?”
Molly May frets over the imminent travel bug that may creep up on her again. With so many insights gained, threatening her mythical self, she questions everything she once believed. Like any good heroes’ journey, her ego eventually lost to the bigger picture of self. Through physical labor and the unyielding power of mother nature and her brutal insistence that she was small compared to this rich life, Molly chipped away at the cocoon she had wrapped herself in. Only then was she released from the prison of thinking she would always need more. At one point the Land asked the author, “Do you think you are better than this?”
She writes, “Standing near the firs, surrounded by stones, cooled by the wind, in the middle of an American state less populated than almost anywhere, I imagined what would happen if every single human, in one collective moment, revealed the impulses within that didn’t match the image we each show to the world. Texture. Complexity. Necessary collapse.”
It is in our quietest moments that we can hear our true nature. What could be more important than hearing what our hearts call for us to do, to be? How brave to listen without judgement or fear that an unexpected realization might drive us in a foreign direction. In Molly Caro May’s case, the foreign direction was staying in one place. In the end, we are so glad that she recognizes the profoundness of the Land she comes to call home. Sometimes the most daring and unpredictable thing is not to move, to travel inward instead, with only the purity of nature to guide us.
By
Erin Chandler
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest of wilderness.” – John Muir
Molly Caro May wrote a wonderful book called The Map of Enough. The beautifully written true story is about place, finding a place to settle, finding a place that is Enough. The author lived in many different countries growing up, Australia, Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and spoke several different languages. Fancying herself a free spirit who would never settle down, she developed an idea about herself as a mythical girl who could never be happy in one place.
That is until she and her fiancé decide to move to a piece of land in the mountains near Bozeman, Montana, owned by her parents. She shares in poetic detail how the land changed her life, the Land as she calls it. Taking the reader a full year from season to season, she presents a man, woman and dog creating a home for themselves from the ground up. We begin their journey just before winter as they build a yurt to live in, near her parent’s cabin. The yurt becomes the center of a universe now populated with wide open fields, snow, trees, an owl, a lion, grass, mud and fresh air. As Vincent van Gogh said, “I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?”
Molly May frets over the imminent travel bug that may creep up on her again. With so many insights gained, threatening her mythical self, she questions everything she once believed. Like any good heroes’ journey, her ego eventually lost to the bigger picture of self. Through physical labor and the unyielding power of mother nature and her brutal insistence that she was small compared to this rich life, Molly chipped away at the cocoon she had wrapped herself in. Only then was she released from the prison of thinking she would always need more. At one point the Land asked the author, “Do you think you are better than this?”
She writes, “Standing near the firs, surrounded by stones, cooled by the wind, in the middle of an American state less populated than almost anywhere, I imagined what would happen if every single human, in one collective moment, revealed the impulses within that didn’t match the image we each show to the world. Texture. Complexity. Necessary collapse.”
It is in our quietest moments that we can hear our true nature. What could be more important than hearing what our hearts call for us to do, to be? How brave to listen without judgement or fear that an unexpected realization might drive us in a foreign direction. In Molly Caro May’s case, the foreign direction was staying in one place. In the end, we are so glad that she recognizes the profoundness of the Land she comes to call home. Sometimes the most daring and unpredictable thing is not to move, to travel inward instead, with only the purity of nature to guide us.
May 19, 2020
Hunker down for a slow, meditative read. Read it in the winter. This reflective memoir walks through the concepts of self-love (embracing your ugly), having a home base (where are you from?), rejoicing in the gifts that new adventures and new places have to offer in terms of growth and perspective, and rooting oneself in the mindful, quiet present--making friends with the journey and not focusing on the endgame (getting there versus almost there). The gorgeous picturesque setting of wild Montana land with all of its creatures is a pleasure to experience while Molly figures it all out. There were times in which you want to tell her "You're over-thinking all of this!" but then I suppose that's what a reflective book is all about. All the while, you'll be stopping to chew on who YOU are, what your personal dome looks like, and whether you're the anchored, the wanderer, or the bard. What does your map look like? What is enough?
June 7, 2018
I am giving this 3 stars even though I wanted to do 2. The 3rd star is for the basic concept of the book. I was recommended this book and was interested in it based on the love of the land and how the land has an a direct correlation to who we are and our happiness. I am one who always felt a strong connection while camping, hiking or just being outside. So in theory, I wanted to love this book. However, it is slow. Very wordy when not necessary and often actually put me to sleep. She is self-absorbed but it is supposed to be about her right? I was ok with the me me but wish there was more about the people who made her her. Our family and friends make up alot of who we are and she touched on it here or there but would always change the subject there. Overall, I stuck with it and I am glad I did, but it was painful at times.
October 14, 2023
I would describe this book as a type of coming of age book, but maybe more of a coming to one’s self book. It’s a personal memoir of Molly Caro May, the author of Body Full of Stars, one of my absolute favorite books. She is making the leap from her 20s to her 30s, and the experiences that come with settling into herself and the rhythm of adult life. Molly has a way of allowing you to live vicariously through her, to experience yurt life in Montana and to discover bits and pieces of yourself that have been lost in the bustling monotony of life. She asks hard questions that I’ve found inside myself, and the best part is, she offers no answers. Through her narrative she simply teaches to acknowledge them and to appreciate their importance, and then to let them be and to continue living as deeply as you can.
January 12, 2018
I found the premise of this book appealing, as I live in the same town in which the author teaches writing classes (though I have yet to take one) and not too far from her property. I was also very interested in the yurt building since my husband plans to build one on our recently purchased land in the mountains. I couldn't relate to the experience of moving around all the time because I've only lived in two states (and they share a border), but I could definitely connect with the beauty and symbolism the author finds in nature. Her writing is so descriptive and easy to follow that I was quickly drawn in each time I sat down to read. Plus it was fun to read a local author's work!
June 29, 2022
I met Molly May at a writer's workshop in 2010, during the timespan covered by this book, and was taken by her engagement with both living and writing deeply. While I bought this book shortly after it was published in 2014, things got in the way from me reading it then, and then it drifted down to the bottom of my To Be Read bookshelf, but I'm so glad that I rescued it from that spot earlier this week. This book is beautifully written and a candid and honest look at May's relationship with place and herself during this time in her life. It was artfully crafted and I'm so glad this book is in the world.
April 7, 2020
I quite enjoyed this read, finding it relatable in many aspects. I liked how her writing flowed, between her current situation, memories of her childhood and always related back to her internal struggle to come to know and love herself. Deeply rooted in place, but ultimately rejecting the belief that place defines you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2017
Perhaps a new definition of "coming of age" or a new category of "emerging into adult" should exist for current 20-30 year olds reaching toward adulthood. Privileged children who are finally embracing reality and releasing idealism and doing so verbosely.
August 31, 2017
This was an enlightening look at one woman's acceptance of place after an early lifetime of moving around every couple of years with her family.
December 13, 2018
It was really beautifully written. Very evocative of the landscape and natural world she was living in.
July 29, 2020
The first 90 pages of building the yurt were not so interesting to me, but five stars for the poetic descriptions of living with the land in Montana and finding peace with oneself.
July 3, 2016
I had this on my to-read list and picked it up with the recent Kindle credits for reading on my beach vacation. While the premise was interesting, it turned out to be more "privileged woman navel-gazing" than I really expected, and as such I found it more of a slog at times than a good read. It's not nearly as bad as that ass who wrote about her half-assed attempt at the PCT that should've killed her, but it's not great either.
My main problem was that the author decided to move to Montana and build a yurt to live in with her fiance. Great, sounds neat! Well, her long-suffering fiance did about 90% of the work on the yurt construction while the author was busy complaining about things, near as I can tell. She pushed to finish the yurt and get it constructed after winter started, which was dangerous and stupid. I don't have a lot of tolerance for stupidity and whining, and there was a lot of it in this portion of the book.
The remainder of the book was slightly more interesting and at least wasn't a slog, as she explored what she dubbed The Land around her and worked on figuring out her life and what it meant to her. Lots of reminisces of her childhood spent as an expat with her family and what that meant for her now as an adult, and those were really the best parts of the book. The wedding and coda were good stories as well, though not enough to prop up the book entirely on their own.
I'd like to rate this 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 since it's not quite a 2 star level book.
My main problem was that the author decided to move to Montana and build a yurt to live in with her fiance. Great, sounds neat! Well, her long-suffering fiance did about 90% of the work on the yurt construction while the author was busy complaining about things, near as I can tell. She pushed to finish the yurt and get it constructed after winter started, which was dangerous and stupid. I don't have a lot of tolerance for stupidity and whining, and there was a lot of it in this portion of the book.
The remainder of the book was slightly more interesting and at least wasn't a slog, as she explored what she dubbed The Land around her and worked on figuring out her life and what it meant to her. Lots of reminisces of her childhood spent as an expat with her family and what that meant for her now as an adult, and those were really the best parts of the book. The wedding and coda were good stories as well, though not enough to prop up the book entirely on their own.
I'd like to rate this 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3 since it's not quite a 2 star level book.
December 8, 2014
I enjoyed this book overall, but did get bogged down with it at times. Some of the descriptive imagery was very enjoyable, and I can completely relate to it living in northern Idaho. What I struggled with with was the box Molly repeatedly put herself in (I am a world traveler who cannot and will not ever be happy in one place.) We all go through phases of self-discovery where we challenge what and who we think we are in our own minds, but this book almost provided too much of that repeated introspection for me. I felt Molly used it as a crutch to explain away character flaws.
I felt it would be better to own the fact that she isn't a very patient person who especially struggles with doing tasks she doesn't find to be enjoyable, and sometimes these tasks make her snappy and irrational. Lots of people do this, we all find ways to cope. I don't think her reactions have anything to do with having been raised all over the world, and picking up and leaving whenever boredom set it. This is human nature.
I felt it would be better to own the fact that she isn't a very patient person who especially struggles with doing tasks she doesn't find to be enjoyable, and sometimes these tasks make her snappy and irrational. Lots of people do this, we all find ways to cope. I don't think her reactions have anything to do with having been raised all over the world, and picking up and leaving whenever boredom set it. This is human nature.
July 1, 2015
I heard the author talking about her experience on NPR and was really intrigued and interested in learning more about her experiences. Her tone in the interview differed from her tone in the book.
In the book, she is too in her head and self congratulating about her random ponderings and musings. She acts as if she's the only one who's looked at a tree before and noticed its beauty. Too often, I found the tone to be self important. I tried really hard to keep going because there are moments where her descriptions of the landscape are really poignant and beautiful, but I just lost interest. When she talks to the wind, it seems affected. When she described her menstrual blood dripping in the snow as a "contribution to the white expanse", and her "ancestry", I couldn't take anymore.
In the book, she is too in her head and self congratulating about her random ponderings and musings. She acts as if she's the only one who's looked at a tree before and noticed its beauty. Too often, I found the tone to be self important. I tried really hard to keep going because there are moments where her descriptions of the landscape are really poignant and beautiful, but I just lost interest. When she talks to the wind, it seems affected. When she described her menstrual blood dripping in the snow as a "contribution to the white expanse", and her "ancestry", I couldn't take anymore.
January 2, 2025
This book was such a treat to read. I’m feeling that rare excitement of “discovering” a writer who resonates so much with my current thoughts/being.
This memoir is a beautiful reflection on place/self-identity, taking place under the big skies of Montana. All of the descriptive imagery about The Land was just the right amount. It made her feel like a character I was meeting naturally, and never crossed over into overly decorative as some nature writing can seem to me. All the metaphors were spot on. So many lines that pack wisdom and made me pause.
Already have her second memoir on hold! Reading makes me want to move to Montana, live on the land, and attend May’s writing classes in town ;)
This memoir is a beautiful reflection on place/self-identity, taking place under the big skies of Montana. All of the descriptive imagery about The Land was just the right amount. It made her feel like a character I was meeting naturally, and never crossed over into overly decorative as some nature writing can seem to me. All the metaphors were spot on. So many lines that pack wisdom and made me pause.
Already have her second memoir on hold! Reading makes me want to move to Montana, live on the land, and attend May’s writing classes in town ;)
June 2, 2014
Can't decide if I really like this book or it was just okay. May writes well, the story was engaging...maybe I was trying to see more of myself in her situation. I could relate to the "where do I belong?" question, but that was about it. So really, it is a decent book, but did not live up to my expectations. That isn't the author's fault. She is who she is, and is unapologetic which I can whole-heartedly stand behind and support. We have different ways of handling situations, though - different perspectives - so parts of the book were difficult for me to read. The book was another nice reminder to "be what you are" (actually a quote from her husband).
June 11, 2014
After moving from place to place during her childhood, Molly and her fiancé decide to move to her parent's piece of land in remote Montana and build a yurt. So, during a cold and snowy winter, they construct their dwelling from the ground up. This is what I found to be the most interesting part of the book. Because Molly is wrestling with the concept of "belonging," much of the narrative is devoted to her going on and on about whether she needs a place to call home. Definitely enjoyed the yurt part, though.
June 30, 2014
The fourth star is for the memories reading this story generated. Having moved many times during my lifetime, I, too, have felt "placeless," and identified with many of the author's questions about identity. I lived in western Montana for eight years and grew to love it in the way May loves The Land. Her descriptions brought back wonderful memories. One reviewer used the phrase, "two much twenty-something angst," with which I agree, yet I still felt privileged to read this very personal, introspective journal.
May 25, 2015
Just ok. I enjoyed the parts about building the yurt and learning about the land, but was less enchanted by the personal journey, which is really what this book is about. It seems like it took an awfully long time for the author to learn that the big question of who you are is not determined by where you are from in the literal sense (i.e., global childhood) or where you are now (again literally, i.e., Montana), but rather where you are internally. By the end, it just felt like a very late arrival by the 30-something author to early adulthood.
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