“She was a sixty-two-year-old California grandmother, retired program director and college professor when she joined the Peace Corps. Within months, Joan Heron found herself in Turkmenistan, a small, impoverished country born out of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Using meager resources, a beginner’s grasp of the Russian language, tremendous trust in friendship and a can-do will, Ms. Heron embarks on a two-year adventure in an alien, male chauvinist, often obstructionist environment. Her compelling true story, told with humor and immense compassion for the people and their plight, reaches across borders, cultures and politics to illuminate the strength and riches of the human spirit.” —Ken Luber, author of Match to the Heart and Razzmatazz
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
everyday magic,
By r.e.stone (fresno, california) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Chai Budesh? Anyone for Tea?: A Peace Corps Memoir of Turkmenistan (Paperback)
Chai Budesh? Anyone for Tea?: A Peace Corps Memoir of Turkmenistan
Joan Heron's book CHAI BUDESH? ANYONE FOR TEA? is on the surface, a memoir of a 62-year-old Peace Corps Volunteer in Turkmenistan. Taken only as such, it's an inquiring woman's account of an encounter with an unfamiliar culture and an autocratic government. It engagingly narrates Joan's adventures in navigating several projects successfully to conclusion in the face of adversity. For me, though, the value of the book lies rather in the subtext of how a human--vulnerable through physical limitation and lack of social connection--creates a piece of goodness by marshalling courage discipline administrative skill, and the compassionate desire to make a difference in others' lives. In this regard, Joan's story exemplifies "how to use a life". She gathers up the fruit of her long work experience and her curiosity in a variety of other fields. She comes to Turkmenistan with a mind and will both integrated and at the ready. She accepts daunting tasks that require the collaborative efforts of several others similarly prepared in their own way. Joan calls the resulting achievement of a transpersonal synergy "magic". I agree; yet it is only in part mysterious. Her account of the many specific everyday decisions and choices that undergird the opening into another dimension is the most original and inspiring aspect of the book. Joan's story shows that "magic" is not supernatural but is grounded in the building of a web of relationships, skills and intention. She makes the possibility of such occurences accessible to any of us who learn, work and have the patence to find allies and the right time to act.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chai Budesh - a peek into real life in Turkmenistan,
By
This review is from: Chai Budesh? Anyone for Tea?: A Peace Corps Memoir of Turkmenistan (Paperback)
Joan Heron's book is a fascinating story of culture and the value of people-to-people connection. She portrays the daily lives of the Turkmenistan people in a way that gives insight and awareness to the reader. She paints a vivid picture of their culture, struggles and joys. She sensitively describes their beliefs, cutoms, hostory, and systems and yet is honest about the political climate. She is also candid about her own struggles and reactions. An excellent read!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chai Budesh? Anyone for tes?,
This review is from: Chai Budesh? Anyone for Tea?: A Peace Corps Memoir of Turkmenistan (Paperback)
Chai Budesh is an adventure. A story of what dedicated service in the Peace Corps can accomplish, written in a personal style that involves the reader from start to finish. This book gives the reader an intimate glimpse into the lives and relationships of the Turkmen people never seen in the travel guides or history books. A must read gor anyone planning to volunteer for the Peace Corps or any other public service oganization.
Daniel Burch Fiddler, author of I WAS A YOUNGER BROTHER
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