What first attracted me to this book was the sub-title: The Travels of an Independent Woman. Fancying myself an independent woman, and one that likes to travel, I thought I had made an excellent choice as I paid for the book. I was pleasantly surprised to discover what a gentle, well-written book it turned out to be. Without Reservations is rich with observations, reflections, and philosophy.

With Eudora Welty’s attitude of: “All serious daring starts from within,” a woman of a “certain age” decides to embark on a journey alone. Partly to prove that she has the strength to do so, and partly to have one last grand adventure before life takes over. She took a leave of absence from her job as a reporter for a newspaper and leaving her two grown sons, cat and friends behind, she heads for Paris and beyond.

The book is in journal form, each chapter begins with Alice writing herself a postcard. We are with Alice as she discovers that she is strong and capable, not a woman lost in time but rather one full of life. She reawakens memories long forgotten but also ignites her independent spirit, her sense of adventure and observation.

Without Reservations is part travel commentary, the style showing, rather than telling us about Milan, Venice and London. There are ideas for many garden walks, museum finds and cafes for watching the locals live. But truly, what this book invokes is a sense of seeing the world in the moment, much as a child does: appreciating a rain storm on a terrace, seeing the light filter through a chapel, or tasting the local lemon curd.

Alice Steinbach makes you want to hop on a plane, see for yourself if you are able to capture the moment, seize the day, reinvent yourself. She makes us feel that if she can, we can. One warning: you too will want to escape, run, fly, and challenge yourself once you are finished.