Archive for the ‘Expat Books’ Category

Tina L. Quick’s Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition provides crucial guidance for Third Culture Kids (TCKs) who are moving to their passport country for higher education. As Quick explains, this is challenging as it involves a double transition; not only must TCKs adapt to their new university lifestyle, but they have to adjust to their “home” culture, which can seem very unfamiliar.

Rita, one of many Third Culture Kids (TCKs) mentioned in this guide, explains that her university transition was made difficult by the fact that she was unprepared and “didn’t expect […] challenges.” Quick comprehensively identifies the potential pitfalls of university transition and suggests how they can be avoided, in order to help readers steer clear of experiences like Rita’s. This guide is thoroughly researched and the American style and content makes it of particular use for a US audience.

As a mother of three TCKs who has a lot of experience when it comes to living a cross-cultural lifestyle, Quick’s knowledge of the topic is evident. Her current work advising international students and on the board of Families in Global Transition, means that the author is an expert in her field.
Her use of anecdotes, advice and exercises is helpful, as are the summaries at the end of each chapter, which make this guide incredibly easy to dip into. However, this does lend itself to a certain degree of repetition, which can be slightly frustrating for the reader.

The initial chapters of this guide deal with the five stages of the transition process; Involvement, Leaving, Transition, Entering and Re-involvement. The content is informative and nicely spaced, and useful for anyone planning on repatriating after a significant period of time. Moreover, the suggestions for further reading identify helpful sources of additional information for the reader. Subsequent chapters explore issues such as relationships and health and welfare, which provide practical information of use to anyone making the move to higher education.

Any teen planning to repatriate for college will find the process easier, smoother and less daunting with this guide by their side. Furthermore, the inclusion of a chapter dedicated to parents means that it is also a useful guide for the entire family.

Sian Witherden

I interviewed author, Pamela Abel-Smith, about her children’s book, Little Ed & The Rise of Grimehog, which is published by The Word Queen.

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Why did you decide to write this book?

I decided to write the book to help our grandson Eddie enjoy reading.

Can you describe the book in a couple of sentences?

The book is a story about three children who make friends with the gnomes in Gnomeland. The children help the gnomes, through magical stones by getting rid of a horrid goblin, who is making their lives miserable.

What kind of people do you think will enjoy reading your book?

It was written for a child, but all ages from 6 to 80 have read and enjoyed it.

What reader feedback have you had so far?

So far there I have received great comments about all three books from children and adults alike.

Have you plans to write any more books?

I have already written two other books and I’m now on the fourth one. They are all about Little Ed and his friends.

Little Ed & The Rise Of Grimehog is now available on Amazon.co.uk, or log on to www.theriseofgrimehog.com for more info about Pamela and her book.

Sol Searching – A Fun-Filled Tale of a Modern Girl’s Move to the Costa del Sol – tells of Keidi Keating’s quest to make friends, meet the man of her dreams and find a job (starting The Sentinella)!

Taken from the chapter entitled Moving Forward

My stomach wouldn’t stop dancing, as I was meeting Mr Money about the world’s longest job vacancy, at last! I was exuding excitement at the thought that my unemployment agony might be over by lunch time, but I desperately tried to retain a cool exterior. I pictured myself as a high profile magazine editor flitting between celebrity interviews, free lunches and designer shops. A chic Londoner living it up in the rich area of the Costa del Sol, with a job others would envy. Wealthy men. Yachts. Ferraris. Wealthy men. Yachts. Ferraris. Wealthy men. Yachts. Ferraris. The words bounced around my head, luring me to a new and pretentious life, like a conveyor belt on a game show, showing what I could win, if my luck was ripe.

I wondered what it would be like to have cash to splash; enough money to buy what I wanted, when I wanted, without having to worry about covering the rent each month. Mr Money told me I had the job in February and I assumed he had asked me to journey all the way to Marbella, to reveal a starting date. Why else?

My Dad drove the hour and a half slog. My head was like a washing machine, churning around at speed, while pondering over all the possibilities of the forthcoming meeting.

We had agreed to meet outside a café, beneath his office. He emerged out of a random door with a folder under his arm. He looked ‘wrong’. His eyes were bloodshot and baggy, his skin was dull and grey. If he was a piece of fruit one would have speculated that he was going off.

“Follow me” he said, leading me up some steps to his office.

There were two rooms overlooking a busy main road. I immediately observed that there was no furniture, no computer desks and no phones. No photocopier, no paper clip chains, no naked women calendars, nor any other tell tale ‘we work from here’ signs. Just one empty office, which clearly needed fitting.

Sol Searching can be purchased online via www.Amazon.co.uk It is also available from The Sentinella stall at the Tuesday farmer’s market, and from Arkwrights in Puente don Manuel.

See Keidi’s Sol Searching blog!