So I finally read what everyone calls "The White American Woman's Bible." All about yoga and food and traveling and sex, right? 
 I am aghast at the reviewers who hate this book; my heart sank right into my stomach. I mean the hatred is absolutely tangible. From what I gather, most hate for this book comes from the fact that this woman is privileged, white, and gets to travel around the world carelessly as money is no object. Also, since it's a memoir/autobiography, it's all about her all day. Therefore she should be disallowed from placing pen to paper recounting her journey and talking so much about her life. Who is she to talk about how much fun she's having when everyone else is suffering? The nerve of this woman! 
 But wait. Is that really what we're judging books on these days? 
 Everyone wishes they could travel where they wanted without a care in the world. But... does that make this a bad book? I beg to differ, at least in this case. Usually, I would not read any such book about a woman who is unaware of the privilege she has. But that is not this woman. 
 I was hesitant to read this book for the reasons above from hearsay. I've dreaded it, scoffed at it, rolled my eyes at it. But I saw it on the thrift store shelf, and said what the hell. What I found was a something that I'd been looking for and wasn't at all expecting: a story about a woman who is reinvigorating her Christian faith in an unconventional way by exploring different cultures. I needed something like that. 
 Elizabeth Gilbert seems to be very aware of the fact that she is a privileged white woman. She expresses this repeatedly. She is at ease discussing other people, and she speaks of different people of all ethnicities and races and cultures with respect, honesty, ease, and good-natured humor. In appearances, she is exactly not like me in any way (I'm a young black girl with little money, never traveled out of the country, amongst other contrasts...) and yet... I was intrigued by her search for faith. 
 She writes with a frankness and honesty that is refreshing. Nothing purple in these parts, thank goodness. 
 Eat Pray Love is the story of a woman who has made a name for herself as a writer. She went from living on a farm to being an accomplished author and writer. 
 She finds that she doesn't love her husband all that much anymore, and in a moment of clarity, finds herself searching for God's voice again. On the bathroom floor of her house she asks for God's help, and her journey begins from there: Following the frightful divorce, and the diminishing of her self, she says "fuck it" and goes across the world to re-find herself. 
 I had a lot of fun traveling with her. I really grew to like her. She has a good heart, and seems like a lovely woman who's a lot of fun. She has some interesting views on religion and spirituality, that reminded me of Caroline Myss in Anatomy of the Spirit. Perhaps it was my having read that book that allowed me to see this book in a different light. 
 Let me end this by saying that I am kinda sad that so many people hate this book because their experience is so different from hers. I liked the book myself, although who knows about next week? If there's anyone's writing I hate for the aforementioned reasons, it's (view spoiler)[David Sedaris, who really doesn't seem to see or care about the privilege he has, talks to and about people from other cultures in an ignorant and dumb fashion, and is self righteous. I gather this from reading his later works, and cannot tolerate it. (hide spoiler)] 
 TL;DR 
 This is a great book written in a frank matter from a self-aware woman who does whatever the fuck she wants with her money and fixes herself rather than complain about her problems. She's self-made and religious, and goes on a journey to reaffirm and revaluate her relationship with her Christianity and God. There is food, prayer and love. And hardly any sex at all, but there be a little bit. :) 
 Go in with an open mind, and make your own opinion on this book.