A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean Melinda Blanchard Three Rivers Press

Jun 26

On a vacation with the family in Barbados, Mel and Bob Blanchard (of the Vermont-based Blanchard & Blanchard specialty foods company) stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach:

I marveled at the ingenuity of the set-up. A secluded spot, sand like flour, customers arriving in bathing suits. The guy barely lifted a finger, cleared at least $35.00, and gave us a lunch we’d remember forever…. The man had sold us a frame of mind.

So begins the Blanchards’ 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of “island time.” In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the “concrete jungle” that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla (“rhymes with vanilla”). Narrated by Mel Blanchard, A Trip to the Beach dispels tired notions of the Caribbean–the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees–and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely “flat, and scrubby” island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures–how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business. In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking–inspiring, colorful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichs and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions–”Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?”–discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island–a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of “island time,” bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. –Daphne Durham –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

To those weary of the rat race, the prospect of moving to a tropical land and opening a bistro sounds like a dream: balmy weather, blue skies and not a care save for which number sunblock to wear. Melinda and Bob Blanchard couldn’t pass up the chance to live out that dream, and their resulting adventure is recounted in this prosaic memoir, presented as a slim volume narrated by Melinda. These two Vermonters, burned out from their ownership of a specialty food company, impulsively decided to go out on a limb and move to the Caribbean island of Anguilla to open a restaurant. Upon their first foray into negotiations with the locals, they nearly scrapped the plan and returned home, but perseverance and their own acceptance of “island time” customs helped them to stick it out. The authors tell of the obstacles involved in launching a business in a place where goats crossing the road can be a town’s major daily event. Chapters relate typical issues of negotiating rent, finding building supplies and locating such ingredients as free-range chicken and baby squash, always ending in a sigh as the restaurant staff wraps up yet another fabulous night at Blanchard’s. Despite a moderately gripping third section that details a fierce hurricane, the action moves along at a languid pace; even with the inclusion of some savory recipes, this bland tale lacks an original and appealing hook. Author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It’s about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise — and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It’s a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of people who live and work on a sliver of beauty set in the Caribbean Sea. It’s about the maddening, exhausting, outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life — and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.

The story begins when Bob and Melinda Blanchard sell their successful Vermont food business and decide, perhaps impulsively, to get away from it all. Why not open a beach bar and grill on Anguilla, their favorite Caribbean island? One thing leads to another and the little grill turns into an enchanting restaurant that quickly draws four-star reviews and a celebrity-studded clientele eager for Melinda’s delectable cooking. Amid the frenetic pace of the Christmas "high season," the Blanchards and their kitchen staff — Clinton and Ozzie, the dancing sous-chefs; Shabby, the master lobster-wrangler; Bug, the dish-washing comedian — come together like a crack drill team. And even in the midst of hilarious pandemonium, there are moments of bliss.

As the Blanchards learn to adapt to island time, they become ever more deeply attached to the quirky rhythms and customs of their new home. Until disaster strikes: Hurricane Luis, a category-4 storm with two-hundred-mile-an-hour gusts, devastates Anguilla. Bob and Melinda survey the wreckage of their beloved restaurant and wonder whether leaving Anguilla, with its innumerable challenges, would be any easier than walking out on each other. Affectionate, seductive, and very funny, A Trip to the Beach is a love letter to a place that becomes both home and escape.

On a vacation with the family in Barbados, Mel and Bob Blanchard stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach:

I marveled at the ingenuity of the set-up. A secluded spot, sand like flour, customers arriving in bathing suits. The guy barely lifted a finger, cleared at least $35.00, and gave us a lunch we’d remember forever…. The man had sold us a frame of mind.

So begins the Blanchards’ 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of “island time.” In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the “concrete jungle” that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla . Narrated by Mel Blanchard, A Trip to the Beach dispels tired notions of the Caribbean–the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees–and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely “flat, and scrubby” island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures–how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business. In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking–inspiring, colorful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichs and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions–”Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?”–discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island–a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of “island time,” bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. –Daphne Durham –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean

Don’t Stop the Carnival: A Novel

10 1.5-hour cassettes –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

It’s every parrothead’s dream: to leave behind the rat race of the workaday world and start life all over again amidst the cool breezes, sun-drenched colors, and rum-laced drinks of a tropical paradise.

It’s the story of Norman Paperman, a New York City press agent who, facing the onset of middle age, runs away to a Caribbean island to reinvent himself as a hotel keeper.

It’s the novel in which the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of such acclaimed and bestselling novels as The Caine Mutiny and War and Remembrance draws on his own experience to tell a story at once brilliantly comic and deeply moving.

Don’t Stop the Carnival: A Novel

Three Rivers PressMelinda Blanchard

Comments

Veronica Tan B.K.

June 26th, 2012 at 2:50 AM


a must read for anyone who has been or will go to anguilla, the island where they have there restaurant. an enchanting and warm tale about a husband and wife who move to paradise to live out their dream. it is full of great recipes from the restaurant, but also just a great story!!!!
viagra

June 26th, 2012 at 4:35 AM


I love this book. This book has a great story on the surface. Also, there are a lot of underlying messages that will be picked up on a closer read. This book shows us that we could live out our “ID” if we wanted. What’s to stop us? I also believe that this book hits the nail on the head as far as descibing islanders. Islanders do not act the same as people who live on the mainland. Mr. Wouk paints a picture so well that I felt I was there at the hotel watching what was going on. I highly recommend this book.
Crotchety

June 26th, 2012 at 4:46 AM


I loved the Blanchards’ book, A Trip to the Beach. I visited Anguilla this spring with my family and have never spent a more pleasant week anywhere in the Caribbean! It is truly the most friendly and enchanting island of them all. The Blanchards’ book is captivating, enjoyable and makes any reader long to abandon mainland life for a sunny spot on an Anguillan beach. Their account of the people they encountered was wonderful and their experiences mirrored the true friendliness of native Anguillans. The story was very well written and I felt like I knew the Blanchards and their staff by the time I finished the last page. It was so good that I went out and bought their new book, Live What You Love and the companion cookbook to “A Trip to the Beach”, At Blandchard’ Table.(both very good as well!) Now I can’t wait to eat at their restaurant next time I go to Anguilla!
Adrian Teepe

June 26th, 2012 at 5:36 AM


Here we have an older couple that decides to move to their favorite vacation spot, Anguilla, located near St Martin in the Caribbean. Melinda and Bob Blanchard decide to open a restaurant on the island in what is supposed to be spur of the moment decisions. After a takeover in their last business (selling salad dressings nationwide), they are avoiding partnerships with others and must deal with the island etiquette of renting land, dealing with the meticulousness of claims at duties, and finding a place to live. We get a look into living on the island through the eyes of Melinda Blanchard, self styled chef and owner of the restaurant and meet a variety of characters in the employees that quickly assemble to form the Blanchard’s staff. Throw in some recipes, a boat race, and Hurricane Luis which destroys the restaurant the first year and you get a nice quaint little travelogue that will be a quick and interesting read.

Still, after reading the book and enjoying it, there is something about it that makes the whole venture seem much less ‘spur of the moment’ and less of a hardship than it seems to be promoted as. Here we have a wealthy couple that constantly travels, runs whimsical businesses, and is willing to drop $300,000 into building a restaurant on a 16 mile long island that caters largely to tourism and is subject to possible hurricanes every year. The business is almost an afterthought to Melinda who appears to want to live in Anguilla just to stroll the beaches and read books. None-the-less, the book is a wonderful break into island life and should you find yourself on Anguilla, you will want to stop at Blanchard’s to meet the crew and enjoy what sounds like delicious dinners.

One last thing, keep in mind, the authors aren’t telling you the whole story of their experiences, past and present, which would affect your view on their “dream come true” story of this restaurant.
Frankie B.

June 26th, 2012 at 5:59 AM


Along the “Provence” and “Tuscany” genre of books, this anecdotal book takes the reader through a year of dealing with natural and human challenges as the Blanchards try running a restaurant on the upscale island of Anguilla. Having been a visitor to the island many times, I suppose I was somewhat inclined to be predisposed to enjoy the book, but then again I could also have been more critical. It’s a pretty quick read, full of local characters, and makes you realize what kinds of things you’re up against when you try and do something like this. You’ll want to make plane reservations to see the island for yourself when you’ve finished reading it. It’s light reading, perfect for a cold winter day as it transports you to an island paradise that is so idyllic in the midst of today’s hectic urban world.
Hari Seldon

June 26th, 2012 at 7:50 AM


Nearly all reviews of the Blanchard’s book “A Trip To The Beach” fall all over themselves with compliments. Well, it WAS a good book, but let me introduce some sense of persepective here.

First, the audio version reminded me, yet again, that authors should never be allowed to read their own work. Although it was charming to hear Melinda Blanchard’s nice voice, it was equally annoying that she ripped through the text without ever altering her tone, even from one paragraph to the next. A professional reader would have made the experience much more enjoyable.

Second, it was disturbing to discover (from other sources) that Melinda and Bob actually owned another restaurant on Angulla before opening Blanchard’s! They hint at this by referring to their book as a compilation of events over a ten year span – and they even said they owned a restaurant in the past (no location) but not mentioning “Mangos” (their previous Anquillan restaurant) seems unnessarily devious and has the reader wondering what can be believed.

Third, wouldn’t you have thought that, after ten years on an island paradise frequented by the rich and famous, that the Blanchards would have better stories and anecdotes to tell? They had some good ones, to be sure, but one suspects that if you went out drinking with the Blanchards you’d hear some much better stories.

And, finally, so many of the stories ran on and on and on. There was a long, rather boring boat building/racing sequence, the hurricane that wouldn’t end, etc. The Blanchard’s would have been better advised to fill that space with more stories like the Sandra Bullock dinner party or even the tourists who ran out their entire water supply washing sand off their feet.

BUT…with that said…I do recommend this book. The Blanchard’s are surprisingly good writers and you will easily fall for them and their Anguilla. Like the other reviewers, I would love to visit Blanchard’s and envy those who have. And I would even read another book by this enterprising couple should they ever choose to write one. They just need to get someone else to narrate the audio version

CJ
Zaid H

June 26th, 2012 at 8:36 AM


This novel is so different from his other works but very entertaining and well worth the time to read it. A must read for anyone going to a island nation to escape life.
Noemi Alvira

June 26th, 2012 at 9:16 AM


A must for anyone who ever even thought of purchasing property out of the US.

Enamored of the bucolic locale and tropical breezes of your island vacation? Read this before you sell your home in the states.

Never dated, even with time lapse from publication, as relevant today as it was then, just more expensive.
Frank Dervin

June 26th, 2012 at 11:03 AM


Jimmy Buffett’s CD attracted me to this book. The book is highly entertaining the entire way through-there are no slow parts to be found. Mr. Wouk paints a picture of life on a Carribean island that is funny, amusing and engaging, all the while being completely believable. From the ever-present difficulties at the Club to the host of interesting characters Norman Paperman meets along the way, the story is great. For anyone who has travelled to similar islands or even less developed countries, this story is, in a strange way, very believable. This is certainly required reading for the Beach. But even if you’re just looking for a great novel to transplant you to another world-this is a perfect choice. Anyone who reads this book will find himself, at least once, wishing he were the one running the Gull Reef Club.
Ariana Rodia

June 26th, 2012 at 1:18 PM


Quick read is well written, fun and somewhat inspirational. Read it on the beach, in Anguilla, then have dinner with the Blanchard’s.
Alex H

June 26th, 2012 at 3:03 PM


I, too, read Mr. Buffett’s stage adaptation before seeking out this novel, and have to say I was somewhat dissapointed. The strength of the play had been its rapid pace: the main character, Norman Paperman, spent much of his time spinning in place as things collapsed around him, and the audience was kept on ther toes as situations developed and concluded themselves in rapidity. This very pace is lacking in the novel, however. The story is a simple one: a man from New York buys a tropical resort and desperately tries to keep it under control as one disaster after another occurs around him. But the tale of Mr. Paperman does not warrant the near four hundred pages alloted to it. The story tends to plod along between disasters, which happen so often that the reader soon becomes desensitized to them. At about two hundred pages, my patience for the character’s activities bottomed out, and it was all I could do to finish the novel. The saving grace here is the characters themselves, who, in the odd scene where they’re allowed to actually develop without the intrusion of a flood, water shortage, or car accident, are colorful and entertaining, with dialogue that is often far more clever than the story itself.

That story is one wrought with inconsistencies, and plagued by trivialities. It jumps through some sections too quickly, yet goes into puzzling detail at others. The story seems, at points, more like an anecdote than a novel, with bits left in that don’t advance the plot, but seem to exist for completeness of a historical account. I found myself wondering at times whether some events here did happen, and if not, why did Mr Wauk bother to create them? To top things off, the end is astonishingly abrupt, and seems in a way to offset the very meaning of the rest of the novel. The story screams for a final chapter.
Luningning De Guzman

June 26th, 2012 at 4:58 PM


For a book that had its first printing about 40 years ago, DON’T STOP THE CARNIVAL remains both fresh and plausible. The premise of a harried New Yorker dropping out of life in the Big Apple to take up inn-keeping on a tiny Caribbean island is virtually a universal fantasy in Manhattan, where everyone seems to want to do exactly that–if they’re not heading up to the Berkshires instead.

As hilarious as the adventures here are, they never actually cross that fine line into the implausible, quite a balance when writing fiction.

DON’T STOP THE CARNIVAL is a change of pace for Mr. Wouk, who usually writes more serious books. He probably is best known for MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, but his versatility is evident in works ranging from THE CAINE MUTINY to THIS IS MY GOD, as well as the important Holocaust work, THE WINDS OF WAR and its sequel, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. It is this versatility, combined with his elegant prose, that makes him my favorite author.

For years now, it’s been rumored that Herman Wouk and Jimmy Buffet are working together on a Broadway musical based on DON’T STOP THE CARNIVAL. Personally, I can’t wait!
Benedict Maule

June 26th, 2012 at 6:14 PM


This book is a journal of the first year in the lives of a couple who decide to cash in their chips, sell their house in Vermont, and start a restaurant in Anguilla. Although they’ve had some experience in the food service industry before, having started a reasonably successful company that makes bottled sauces, they had no idea about the challenges that might face them when trying to run a business in a foreign country and culture.

Their first task upon arrival in Anguilla was to find a suitable location for their restaurant. They soon discovered that the way to find a property in Anguilla is not through a real estate office, but through connections and backroom deals, sealed with a handshake. As they moved on to the renovations and supply stage of their business, they were shocked to find out that they couldn’t just run down to the local Home Depot to get construction materials. Slowly, they became aware that things are done differently in Anguilla, and one reason why prices for tourists are so high is that most everything must be shipped in from Miami and pass customs at great expense.

It’s very fortunate for them that Melinda is a great cook and Robert is handy and knowledgeable in so many areas, and most important of all, that they have a healthy relationship based on trust and wanting to keep each other happy. Many people would never have the courage to even attempt what the Blanchards have done- -they would sit down first, make some calculations on the back of a napkin, check with the local business people to find out about tax laws and suppliers, and give up before they ever got started, realizing that the venture would be hopeless. But the Blanchards aren’t planners, they don’t agonize over what disasters the future may bring, and as a result, with fortune smiling upon them, their little business venture seems to fit in fine in Anguilla.
Bought at $

June 26th, 2012 at 7:08 PM


I just finished reading A trip to the Beach. It was awesome but I coulda done without their constant references to having lots of money. I mean they spent thousands on the supplies to build a beach restaurant that’s not all that big. And they built it mostly themselves or so they say. (I have my doubts here…) And when a hurricane destroys it all a year later they go back to Anquilla (rhymes with Vanilla) to rebuild it all. No mention of insurance or where the money came from. Whatever. It’s a beautiful dream, but something got lost in the translation of this true story. I think humbleness got lost. But it was like taking a little trip to somewhere new and I never left my own Jacuzzi bathtub. And that’s a [inexpensive] trip!
John R Richards

June 26th, 2012 at 8:23 PM


Having lived in the Caribbean for almost five years and having recently visited Anguilla, I found the Blanchard’s tale to hit extremely close to home. Their descriptions of island life were both hilarious and surprisingly similar to my own. I throughouly enjoyed this book and wish they would write a sequel!
Not Playing

June 26th, 2012 at 9:55 PM


I read through a lot of the other reviews posted here before deciding to post my own. For most of the readers who enjoyed Wouk’s portrayal of island time and the incredible-but-realistic workings of Murphy’s Law, I must nod in agreement. I found myself moving up and down with Norman, aggravating as he could be, but enjoying his triumphs and laughing at his downfalls.

In the end, regardless of lessons learned, the characters still seemed somewhat static. Even Norman, for all his experiences that should have led to growth, seemed to have learned nothing. By moving back to New York, he stayed in place. That’s the book’s biggest weakness in my opinion. The rest of it was awesome!

I saw a lot of reviews by folks who had a certain expectation of the book based on Jimmy Buffett’s “recommendation”. To readers coming from this perspective, please bear in mind that Wouk wrote this book a long time before Buffett even picked up a guitar. It is dated, because it should be. It’s an old book. I mean, geez, how many people complain because Twain’s “Following the Equator” is “dated”?

Keep this in mind as you set expectations. Then appreciate the timelessness of the idea even as you enjoy the portrayal of 1959 American expatriate life. All of the things that were happening in the 50s flavor this tale, political, social, and racial. Things were different then, and to judge by modern standards is an injustice to the writer and his work.

Bottom line, I hated for this book to end. For the hours it took me to read it, I was transported to tropical fantasyland…Margaritaville, if you would. I’ve lived in the tropics, and this book put me right back there. When it ended, I was dumped harshly back into the grey California winter.
Otha Morfin

June 26th, 2012 at 10:50 PM


On target at capturing the nuances of life in the islands. What some may not know is that Wouk wrote the novel while he was living in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It was not well received there by locals as his characters may have resembled some. Later he moved. It is a cult classic there among many who live or lived (self) there for awhile.
Behang Online

June 27th, 2012 at 12:40 AM


I read this book as a teenager when it first came out in 1965, and then picked up a copy of it a while ago and reread it. Amazing what a few decades can do to one’s perspective. How many mid-life crises have many of us gone through in which we dreamed of leaving big city stress to find the perfect, ideal life in some remote, exotic place? (This book, if you will, turns up the lights at closing time and lets you see what people really look like!) So, Carnival’s Norman Paperman goes though his mid-life fantasy on a Caribbean island, and, predictably, things are not as perfect or as ideal as expected. That’s why this book holds up so well after 40 years: it’s entertaining and has a message. At nearly 400 pages, it moves amazingly fast, thanks to Herman Wouk’s skill as a writer. Definitely worth the time, especially if you harbor any of the main character’s desires for the perfect escape.
evrybdyisrtrded

June 27th, 2012 at 2:17 AM


I am having a difficult time staying with this book. It is a book club selection for me. I find the story line very slow and at times boring. I don’t think in reality someone would let go of life, to catch the brass ring without doing more explicit research. I would not recommend this book to anyone simply because it is so slow moving.
Twana Lopinto

June 27th, 2012 at 2:38 AM


In a matter of pages, Melinda and Bob’s book took me back to the small island I visited over 10 years ago. They did an excellent job of portraying local characters and the island’s charm. One creative twist to their book was the addition of their island recipes. This book will make the reader long to dine at Blanchards, stroll the beach, and meet the locals. A must-read!
WTF Carlson

June 27th, 2012 at 3:54 AM


“Don’t Stop the Carnival”, a rare comedy by the always talented Herman Wouk, chronicles the travails of a middle-aged Jewish man who wants to start his life afresh as the owner of a hotel on a (ficticious) sleepy West Indies island. Everything seems to go wrong, but eventually through ingenuity and luck (and the “carnival spirit”) all turns out well in the end. Wouk observes the island lifestyle, warts and all, with great accuracy. A very enjoyable read: comedy and pathos are well-blended.

However the book has its quirks. Firstly, it is rather dated. You can tell when he refers to JFK airport as Idlewild airport. Also, Herman Wouk takes great effort to tell the reader that the leading character is Jewish … and is seemingly paranoid about it. While perhaps this is somewhat characteristic of Jewish Americans back then, I suspect this is more of a personal trait of the author being expressed into this character (..Herman Wouk is a noted author on Judaism and Zionism). I found it to be a bit over the top, but not really bothersome.

Bottom line: a well-observed comic novel. And as always, Herman Wouk writes the most readable prose.
Indian

June 27th, 2012 at 5:48 AM


This is a book for those of us who still fantasize about running away to an island. This is the memoir of the Blanchards, who sold their business and moved from their home in Vermont to Anguilla. As anyone who’s been there knows, Anguilla is one of the nicest (and now, most expensive) islands in the Caribbean.

At first, it sounds like a neat idea to move to paradise and open a restaurant. However, restaurants are the most difficult businesses to run – and trying to start one on a Caribbean island is twice as difficult. I’ve often wondered, “Where do they get their food from?” Well, this book answers that question. Despite all odds, the Blanchards open what turns out to be one of the best restaurants in the Caribbean. But – just when everything seems rosy – hurricane Luis hits.

I wouldn’t suggest this book to everybody. There’s little dramatic tension and I don’t think that it is going to win any prizes for literature. It is simply this couples charming story of moving to paradise. If you are very interested in living on “island time,” then this will interest you. JUST BE WARNED – there is a lot of discussion of food in the book and YOU WILL get hungry every five minutes.
Ivona Poyntz

June 27th, 2012 at 7:19 AM


This book is a wonderful read. It provided great entertainment, a few good recipes, and and escape to the tropics during the cold Minnesota winter.
keokyjmq

June 27th, 2012 at 8:40 AM


I loved this book! It is a very humorous story about a Jewish New Yorker who finds himself running a Caribbean hotel with no experience and no idea of the financial commitment he has made with his partner. Naturally, he meets a cast of eccentric characters on the island (fictionally named Amerigo) and craziness ensues. Although some of the references are dated, it’s a great read and real page-turner.
I highly recommend this book for all Caribbean lovers!
Jah Bless

June 27th, 2012 at 10:21 AM


As a Parrothead (Jimmy Buffett fan) I was anxious to read one of JB’s favorite books which is the basis for his “Don’t Stop the Carnival” musical (with Wouk writing the stageplay). Unfortunately the story is predictable and shallow. The novel reads more like a long short story with a lack of depth and a difficulty in identifying with the characters. I loved some of Wouk’s later novels so much I was let down. I did enjoy the island descriptions which transported me to this imaginary island. Wouk’s skills are visable but the story is weak. Could he have written this when he was in grade school?
hstadhs

June 27th, 2012 at 11:45 AM


I could hardly put this book down and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The writing is good but not, by any means, poetic or inspiring. The story is not compellingly constructed. In fact, it is pretty simple: an American couple, having sold their business in Vermont, thinks it might be great to open some sort of small beachside restaurant on Anguillia in the Caribbean. They take the plunge, Complications follow. Bigger complications (a hurricane) follow early success.

The seductive allaure of “chucking it all”, going where it is always warm and almost always beautiful, of leaving behind the urgencies of the States and living closer to the beauty of nature, is something that, I would guess, many people have considered and a few have tried. Just what is it that people, in particular the Blanchards of this tale, are trying to leave behind? What do they expect to find? Are they fleeing unhappiness or chasing a higher level of satisfaction in life?

This is not the story of two people fleeing the too closeness of relatives, of getting burned out on work or turned off by commercialism or violence in our culture. It is, simply, the story of a dream of owning a restaurant in the Caribbean paradise and trying to make it work.

The dream quickly gets out of hand. They find a location, but the monthly rent will be far too high and the cost of bringing the property up to useability will be far too much. So, the dream changes and they change with it. No beach front home, just an apartment overlooking a gas station. No tiny eatery on the beach, they decide they have to do a big time, classy restaurant to have any hope of paying the rent or recovering building costs.

Why is this simple tale so engrossing? Well, if you love the Caribbean, or any southern lattitude, you’ll likely enjoy this story. If you have traveled south, so much the better. It is an adventure told by two people who know how to combine hard work, skill and total dedication to making their dreams realtiy. Horay for the Blanchards!

We get a real taste of island culture and see it through the eyes of people who appreciate, and love, what they have found. As stated, it is a simple story, simply told. The lack of affectation or higher goals in the writing, however, is part of the charm. It is a quick, fun read which I recommend to anyone interested in knowing more about the Caribbean and the joys and sorrows of starting a restaurant, or any business, in the islands.

There are only two things that seriously bothered me about the book. First, the primary writer and voice of the narrator, Melina Blanchard, gives all of the island characters a kind of old fashion black dialect. The locals come off sounding like they just stepped out of “Gone With the Wind”. While I don’t doubt that the islanders do not speak like Vermont Yankees, I have major reservations about whether they all sound the way southern blacks were thought to sound by whites 50 or 60 years ago. I really wonder how the islanders react to this verbal protrayal. Many people in the Caribbean, of all races, speak with a lovely, improved version of a British accent, one that sounds rather nicer than that of many northern visitors.

Secondly, the most dramatic part of the story, Hurricane Luis, is given rather short shrift at the end of the book. It was husband Bob who got caught in it and, since he is obviously not the primary author of this work, we don’t learn nearly as much about the whole experience as in the earlier phases of the adventure. We also are not given, even in the just released paperback version, an update on where matters stand with the restaurant and the lives of the Blanchards and their Caribbean dream. Too bad. I guess we will all have to go to the restuarant and ask them. Hope they’ve got a moment or two then to fill us in.

p.s. The Blachards should have added: “Don’t try this at home. kids”. Very few people could have pulled this off. They had money in the bank and experience from starting eight other businesses before they went south. Plus, they were willing to work and work and work some more. If you want to sit on the beach and contemplate the meaning of life, don’t ever consider opening a restaurant or hotel in the Caribbean or, probably, anywhere else.
Groupon.vn

June 27th, 2012 at 1:35 PM


Reading this book, you are taken to the world of Anguilla, a small Carribean island where it is so beautiful that they don’t need a weatherman. The Blanchards started up a restaurant bearing their name years ago on this island heaven and it became one of the highlights of the Western Antillies. In this book, you are taken through their journey, their lives together, of building a restauarnt of a fine reputation.

I MUST ADVISE: The book is cannot be fully appreciated unless one actually travels to Anguilla to experience the happy and peaceful mood of the entire island and to actually meet the Blanchards to see how lovely people they are.

It can be seen that at the beginning of the novel, it is pointed out that although, yes, the Blanchards had already started a restaurant, Mangoes, before their current one, it would not be discussed for the means of telling the story. Also, just because Melinda and Robert’s name both appear on the cover, and just one is the narrator, it does not mean that they both didn’t write the book together, sharing their experiences and building the structure for the book.

This trip to the beach will be one you never forget….
investor

June 27th, 2012 at 1:57 PM


If anyone is interested in working in the hotel business, this is a must read. It was written as fiction, but it could be a textbook for the hospitality industry. As a hotelier, if anyone says to me, “What is it like doing what you do?”, I tell them to read this book. If you work in a hotel, you will experience all that Norman does, and probably then some. Of course, some of us psycho’s thrive on this stuff.
EconE

June 27th, 2012 at 3:10 PM


I also got “into” this book after buying Buffett’s recent album of the same name. When I bought the book I didn’t pay attention to when it was written. Given the time when Wouk authored the story, it’s not a bad read. I had hoped for a more “modern” story though. I laughed at several of the mishaps that befall Norman (the main character), but after a while, I was tired of everything “having” to go wrong. Perhaps I am naive of life in the tropics, or am overly optimistic, but it’s difficult to believe that many things would go wrong simultaneously. Overall, I’d have given the book 3.5 stars if possible, but rounded to four based on the relation to the Buffett album.
John Thawley

June 27th, 2012 at 5:24 PM


This book made me want to quit my job and move to the islands. I love the first-hand view of how difficult that really is when there’s no major shopping options or supplies for miles. I can’t wait to buy the Blanchard cookbook — they are true pros!
fhzsdgmbgmw

June 27th, 2012 at 6:07 PM


I too agree, they may have worked hard at the restaurant but there is no mention of owning other restaurants before, “Blanchards”.
Melinda Blanchard has the reader believe that she is a complete novice in the restaurant business and reads cook books and magazines to help her cooking, I also believe they now have “self help” books out there, all fine and dandy but the money they had to start has all to do with the opening of a restaurant.
I too followed my dream and moved to a tiny Island, (which I will not mention as this island is truly paradise and we like to keep it this way) the only way I could “follow my dream” was by working very hard at my business and being lucky enough that my business can support me.
Island life is very laid back but can also be very expensive, living on an Island requires hard work or hard cash or both!
What I did like about the book was overshadowed by the references on the large amounts of cash they spent and the true details they chose to omit.
If I were a writing a book about “my Island” I would certainly change the characters names to protect their identity, I would probably change the Island’s name to protect It but then I am not the owner of a restaurant!
Brandon Croke

June 27th, 2012 at 6:47 PM


This book is a must for anyone visiting the Caribbean! Norman Paperman decides to leave New York to start running a small hotel in the Caribbean. The ideal turns to strife when the layed-back attitude of the Caribbean starts to cause him problems; his bartender runs away, the cistern runs out of water (and then collapses after a heavy rainfall), the chamber maids run away, his builder leaves him half-way through construction of some new rooms, but Norman manages to overcome all these hurdles and more!

The book highlights the attitudes and dificulties of living and working in the tropics; just because you are used to things working in civilisation, doesn’t mean they will work the same way here!
Mintra

June 27th, 2012 at 7:21 PM


I don’t often read biographies or personal stories like this one, but this really resonated with me. We’ve been thinking of moving to Costa Rica, and this was an amazingly similar story. Melinda Blanchard really makes you feel like you’re there with them, making each decision, facing each problem, making new friends. At the end, you say “Wow!”.

Now I’m going to get the cookbook too…
Don Harrington

June 27th, 2012 at 8:34 PM


Caribbean vacationers who have ever wondered what it would be like to sell everything and operate a business on their favorite island retreat will find satisfaction in this easy going account of a Vermont couple who move to Anguilla. Anguilla is a sixteen mile long thirty-five square mile patch of land at the northern end of the gentle crescent of islands in the eastern Caribbean nestled close to the flashier and better known St. Martin. Here on this quiet island the Blanchards arrive with their life savings and a dream to open a restaurant. Their story is about the embrace of the gentler life rhythms of this special island paradise. For the Blanchards the secret of “island time” is a life of breathing deeper and walking slower. Along the way we meet the locals against a background of palms, bougainvilleas, frigate birds, blue skies, and sandy beaches. We follow the Blanchards during the holidays, a local election, a demanding wedding celebration, summer boat races, an employee’s dismissal, a break-in, etc. Occasionally we are treated to a recipe, for example, banana bread or better yet, “banana cabana”! The gentle trade winds that are the text of this impressionistic account build to a natural climax – a direct hit from Hurricane Luis (1995). Stow this paperback in your carry-on bag for quick relief while you wait impatiently to board your fight to the island paradise of your choice.
ctdeihl

June 27th, 2012 at 9:51 PM


You’ll be humming “Carn-nee-val is very sweet, Please don’t stop de Car-nee-Val” as you eagerly read this most enjoyable Herman Wouk novel. The amusing tale of New York public relations man Norman Paperman centers on a universal dream—quitting the rat race, escaping to the sunny Caribbean to loll about in the sunshine amidst scantily-clad beauties, and be the King of one’s own alcohol-induced domain.

Norman is swept into the realization of his mid-life crisis when exuberant Lester Atlas presents him with a fait accompli—money to become an island innkeeper, supervising one of the most charming money-makers on the fictional island of Amerigo. Norman soon discovers being an innkeeper is fraught with peril, but his misadventures will leave you laughing and longing for a quick trip to sunny Paradise.

Many characters propel this book, each charmingly depicted as only a great storyteller like Wouk can. From the reclusive Iris Tramm, to the all-forgiving Henny Paperman and her nubile daughter Hazel, to the outrageous Hippolyte, and most especially the native Kinjans who give this novel a charm most realistic yet alarming, the reader is swept into life on an island paradise that is at once heaven and hell.

Can Norman forget his successful New York career and make the transition to a change in latitude and attitude? Will phrases like “We be jammin’, mon” erase the bitter cold of a New York winter and the thousand indignities a pr man must suffer? Will his penchant for extra-marital affairs be his undoing? Will a long-ago girlfriend’s dark secret shock him? Put on the suntan oil and read while you bake for an experience everyone should have at least once.

By the way, the book is not complete until you also listen to the CD from the musical that Jimmy Buffett and Herman Wouk collaborated on. It may not have been the toast of Broadway but it is the perfect accompaniment to a reading of this book.
Well…

June 27th, 2012 at 10:54 PM


I enjoyed this book, mostly because it gave a good feel for the culture and climate of Anguilla. (I also had a better understanding of why everything is so expensive there!) We had dinner at Blanchard’s one night on Anguilla, and it was wonderful!
Go Ellis!

June 27th, 2012 at 11:41 PM


I finally got around to reading this after years of listening to the Jimmy Buffett musical (which, contrary to what some earlier reviewers seem to think, already exists). I therefore already knew how the story ended, but with a hundred or so pages left to go I was involved enough to hope they’d changed it from the book. No dice, unfortunately, but it’s still a far more engaging story than I was expecting.

If you’re wondering – as I was – how a story of a guy who buys a hotel could possibly be entertaining, don’t worry. I don’t know quite how Wouk did it, but he did. The sequence of events sometimes does seem a bit Hollywood-ish, in the sense that you think things can’t possibly get any worse for Norman Paperman and friends, but oh look, they just did. For that matter, they sometimes also get better faster than you’d ever expect in real life. Still, the story does draw you in and make you root for Norman to tough it out regardless of what the island and its cast of loony characters throw at him next. Speaking of which, Wouk is a genius when it comes to original yet strangely convincing characters. Even if the action dragged (which it doesn’t), the book would be a fun read for them alone.

Through it all, you just might find yourself wanting to run off to the tropics and start life over again too. Perhaps unintentionally on Wouk’s part, the Papermans’ lifestyle back in New York comes across as so dreary that it’s easy to believe Norman would rather cope with disaster after disaster than go home! It is, of course, easier to say that when we’re only reading about the big adventure rather than living it. But it does make for a fun read.
Stefan M.

June 28th, 2012 at 1:23 AM


Mel and Bob Blanchard have done what I feel many wish they could…just leave it all behind for that dream of a house overlooking the unbelievable Caribbean water. Their baptism into the island lifestyle will have you giggling and crying at some point during your read because they are sharing some very amazing experiences as they follow their dream (with more than a few potholes along the way). I loved this book and really want others to realize the charm of the Caribbean, beyond the beautiful beaches and in her lovely, warm, wonderful people! Having experienced this firsthand in my life, I was so thrilled to read a book that really conveyed that message. It will captivate you! I only now must figure out when I can make MY trip to Anguilla that I have wanted to do for several years. I know the trip will have been worth the wait!
Nobuko Loveh

June 28th, 2012 at 2:22 AM


This is a well-written and interesting story about a Vermont couple throwing caution to the trade winds, selling their business and opening a restaurant on the remote Caribbean island, Anguilla. They chose the island for its beauty and its pace and because they had fond memories of past vacations there. The Blanchards soon learned, of course, that operating a restaurant in a place where everything-building materials, equipment, food-must be imported (with a 25 percent duty on top of it), was no vacation. Everything but the staff had to be imported from either neighboring St. Martin or Puerto Rico or Miami.

Written in first person in the voice of Melinda Blanchard, she describes charming island characters and does a good job with “island patois.” She gives a worthwhile account of the efforts to build (and then rebuild after a category 4 hurricane destroys their establishment) and run this exclusive restaurant-the choice of Hollywoods stars and VIPs. She even peppers the pages with recipes. The pace slows down to island time in the middle with perhaps too much detail about boat building and racing and local carnival celebrations, but overall it was a good read and very inspirational. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Blanchard.
Shane Breen

June 28th, 2012 at 2:44 AM


If you are looking for an easy, fun quick read this is your book. There were some serious moments, but a great escape book for the beach. I have to admit that I cannot see it as a musical, but with Jimmy Buffett anything can happen.
A. Kitsop

June 28th, 2012 at 2:58 AM


I had to keep in mind that this book was copywritten in 1965.

The book had a strong, offensive undertone to it – the constant reference to a person was clearly written. Everyone was simply a person but for those characters that were termed “negro.” There was a banker, a realtor, a lawyer. That was all the reader needed to know. Then there was a negro banker, a negro realtor, a negro lawyer. The constant reminding of which characters were and weren’t was tiresome. Some of the social commentary and the exaggerations of island dialects were also deplorable.

The story followed interesting developments and turns. I spent a short time in the USVI and made friends who have homes in these islands and found much that familiar in this book. So while it is true that island time is different than mainland, that attitudes are different and can be frustrating when you are fresh from a hurry-up-rush-rush-rush environment… it is still a strange book to read and seems to have a definite and antiquated feel to it.

I did take time to look up singing star Maxine Sullivan and order a “greatest hits” CD of her tunes circa 1937. And I am always impressed by Edna St. Vincent Millay whose poetry is quoted within the book…

Worth a read, but keep your perspective firmly in the present.
Orion PR

June 28th, 2012 at 3:11 AM


This is one of the best books I have ever read and I like to consider myself somewhat well-read. Herman Wouk has developed characters that truly come to life. You will not be able to put this book down. You will be compelled to keep reading wondering to yourself “What else could possibly go wrong?”. Despite the moral of the story, you’ll want to run right out and purchase a Carribean hotel. When you’re done reading, listen to Don’t Stop the Carnival by Jimmy Buffett. The CD doesn’t make any sense until you read this book.
S Berlosconi

June 28th, 2012 at 4:16 AM


having moved to the Abaco islands in the Bahamas only 7 months ago, after spending 28 years in England, and the last year working for a US investment bank in the heart of London, this book really made me think how similar Anguilla was to the northern Bahamas. The way the locals talked in their broken English, the no-rush mentality, the awesome beaches and scenery, the power outages, the expense of imported goods etc made me feel like I’d written the book myself – I could identify with so many issues the Blanchard’s come across.

To “outsiders” this book seems like a fairy tale, and unless you visit for longer than a touristy week or two, you’ll probably never experience this tranquil side of life as the Blanchards did. I’m going to write my own book of the Bahamas right now…
Bloatware

June 28th, 2012 at 5:31 AM


Entertaining story. Gives a well painted picture of life in the Caribbean and all the beauty and headaches that can go with it. The story takes place in 1959 and the autor does a wonderful job of putting you there. We just don’t cocktail like they used to do we?
exFusioneer

June 28th, 2012 at 7:17 AM


Wouk has captured the spirit of the islands, but in a simpler time unfortunately long past. While many of the frustrations of life in paradise are amusingly presented, the serpent has been in the garden and the apple has been tasted. There are few instances of “quaint and gentle island culture” remaining today. There are quite too many demagogues and modern politicians here now. It was refreshing to read how it once was and to be able to see around us the remnants of a kinder and gentler time past. Wouk has remarkable ability to make us laugh at our foibles and see ourselves in his characters. Thorougly enjoyable.
Aaron Longnion

June 28th, 2012 at 7:28 AM


My husband and I have been lucky visitors to the gorgeous island of Anguilla and we have eaten at Blanchard’s. The restaurant is gorgeous and the food was wonderful. After reading the book and visiting Anguilla 3 times in the past year, it was interesting to meet the people in the book. Anguilla is a very close knit island of approximately 9000 people. When I read the book and talked to the “belongers” in Anguilla they told me a different story about the Blanchards. The book leads the reader to believe that the Blanchards were walking on these gorgeous beaches and just decided to start a restaurant. The truth is that the Blanchards owned a restaurant called Mangos on the island and sold it!! They made a lot of money and then came back to open Blanchards. Shabby Davis is a wonderful Anguillan who was kind enough to do several things for the Blanchards. In fact, the whole Davis family is remarkably kind and sweet. Many of the people in the book were never asked first if they opposed their names being used in the book. Unfortunately, this was not good PR for the Blanchards. They should have been honest about what really happened on the island and understood the cultural and language differences between Americans and Anguillans. I was disheartened after I found out several things about what really occurred during the Blanchards opening and running their 2 restaurants in Anguilla. Anguilla is a terrific island with wonderful people. We need to be considerate of them and not spoil their island. I found that I was viewing the Blanchards in a totally different way…. as true capitalists!!! They seem to be only out for money and themselves.
salexc

June 28th, 2012 at 9:02 AM


Thank goodness that, in addition to Free-Range Chicken Breast with Wild Mushrooms, Melinda and Bob Blanchard can turn out a great story too. No two dimensional, “my struggle to success” fluff piece, A Trip to the Beach is a rich, spicy broth blending the Blanchard’s determined efforts to establish a culinary toe-hold in beautiful Anguilla (British West Indies) with the beautiful, determined Anguillans who helped them make it happen. Anguilla is no “Disney World” stage set of all-u-can-eat buffets, blender drinks, and canned calypso. Rather it is a fiercely independent, sophisticated island culture struggling hard against pressures of the fast-buck, big money outside world to preserve and protect its astoundingly beautiful physical and cultural assets. The idiosyncracies of the culture are the attraction for the Blanchards to Anguilla and, at the same time, the source of the sometimes excruciating obstacles to executing their modest plan to open a pleasant resaurant with a good wine cellar in a place they love. With an intimate, forthright voice, Melinda Blanchard takes the reader through a highly personal journey from their Northeastern roots to the realization of their dream – feeling like a “belonger” in their beloved Anguilla. A Trip to the Beach will appeal to both beginner as well as the seasoned Anguilla “expert”. I have enjoyed 6 visits to the island (and to their divine resaurant) and the Blanchard’s richly portrayed characters, and colorfully detailed experiences took me that much deeper into a people I already love. Enrich someone’s life by giving them this book. Or better yet, give it to your spouse or significant other (as my wife did) as bait for a longed-for trip to this special place. Or just buy it for yourself, put your feet up and lose yourself for a while in a story with a lot of heart, a lot of humor, and some really yummy recipes. You’ll feel like a “belonger” too!
Azucena Hyder

June 28th, 2012 at 10:08 AM


Although the authours of the book are listed as Melinda and Bob Blanchard, it appears the entire piece is written by Melinda, speaking for her husband as applicable (although I’m sure he approved). I read this book after having read Solomon Time by Will Randall, and I probably should have read them the other way around because while the Blanchard’s book is all about creating their own successful business on an island paradise (kudos to them), Solomon Time is about a man who travels to the Solomon Islands to help the islanders start their own business and become self sufficient. The whole tone of the latter seems a bit more noble and more palatable. Mr Randall does not evoke any sense of ‘me’ and is not on the island to meet his own personal ends. It’s much more selfless. Depending on who you are, you may prefer his book. Because in the Blanchard’s, there is a persistant air of, well, American-ness (you may like that, or you may not). It’s also interesting to note that, as informative and telling as the book is with regard to opening a restaurant on a tiny island (as well as a genuinely warm account and in-depth profile of the islanders – by far the best part of the book), there is constant reference by Melinda to rather silly trivialities, eg reports on everything she’s eaten every day (which is usually some form of meat) and apparently growing increasingly fatter, or as the locals say, “coming nice”, and it just reads a touch like a spoiled, wealthy and shielded housewife who doesn’t want the real version of the island but who craves the five star hotel existence (she runs back into the car during a business negotiation because some little bugs are biting her ankles). You also get the faint impression that everything they do, every action they take, every involvement and favour to the islanders is rooted in the end goal of making their business a success rather than a genuine interest in helping out for helping’s sake. It is also a touch ironic that Melinda considers herself a ‘belonger’ to Anguilla and to bemoan the loss of innocence on the island, and when she speaks in local talk (eg bad english), sorry, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit queasy. What was also a bit unnerving was not once, but twice a reference by Melinda to making a business out of the local elections (eg selling campaign buttons and other unnecessary junk to the islanders). Makes you wonder when Bob will run for office. Money makes money, no matter where you are or what you do. And when you have a quarter million plus at your disposal, is it that surprising to make a success of anything? Just, erm, food for thought.
bwhiskey
Reuben Wallis

June 28th, 2012 at 12:25 PM


Unlike many, I found this book not quite living up to expectations. It’s ongoing comments about coloreds and whites mingling date the material (ok, it was written a while back) and the ending is a bit strange based on the character development and what you assume their interpersonal relationships. It left me not feeling satisfied when I turned the last page. Additionally, I found much of the book predictable. Something bad happens, it gets fixed – Something bad happens, it gets fixed. Over and over until you feel like you could skip a few chapters and not be any worse off. Rather than building on each mishap, they simply repeat. Additionally, the ending simply drops characters. Whatever happened to the pregnant housemaid? Why simply… well I don’t want to ruin it for you if you haven’t read it. Let’s just say the book finds a simple (though trite) solution for getting characters out of the book. And that left me disappointed.
incrediblesolv

June 28th, 2012 at 1:45 PM


A very funny and entertaining novel. It slightly recalls the above British TV comedy, but with a self-exiled NYC Jewish Theatre man dealing with a new world for him- a fish out of water. He finds himself among other exiles from America and Europe but who seem to float through their lives there while he is buffeted by constant ups and downs. The story has the feel of the late 50s, and does reference ‘the new year’ of 1960 at one point. One of the charaters, Iris Tramm, is a failed Californian movie star who, it is implied, may have been a casualty of the blacklisting craze of the early 50s. If they had ever made a movie of this, she could have been played at one time by Sally Kellerman. The comedy turns to tragedy by the end of the story.
jkkthj

June 28th, 2012 at 2:30 PM


I am always looking for good reads about life stories of those settling in the Caribbean as I have attempted several times. The Blanchards love of Anguilla matches my love of St. John and Tortola and now Dominica. After reading this book I also enjoyed Live what you Love and would really love it if they would write a sequel to A Trip to the Beach.
Goldmansux

June 28th, 2012 at 2:49 PM


This was certainly what the doctor ordered since I just returned from 10 days sailing and diving in the BVI and the sweetness of the tropics was just something I wanted to hold on to and not dissipate upon returning to the Rockies.

Having spent years exploring the Caribbean, particularly the US Virgins, I could not help but laugh at the seemingly improbable but totally believable events and characters that one may easily find there, from escapist ex-patriots to the disappearing Mr. Church-type men to the completely annoying and in this case, deadly custom of stopping cars in the middle of the road to chat up a friend.
I became completely enthralled with this book and had trouble putting it down. During the 5 days in which I read it, I became bedridden with a nasty virus and actually welcomed my time in bed eager to find out what next would happen to Mr. Paperman.
Well-written and quick-reading, I highly recommend this to anyone who has experienced life in our neighboring tropics! But do keep in mind, it was written in the 60′s and has some dated language. But it is a truly enjoyable read!!!!!

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