Customer Reviews

Desiring Paradise... a true story of succumbing to the dream

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have to admit that I skipped entire sections of this book because I just kept waiting and waiting for it to get better. I desperately wanted it to capture the true essence of life in the Virgin Islands. Instead, I labored through prolonged descriptions of the completely mundane aspects of Ms. Schlesinger's daily life, like going to the post office. I live in St. Thomas and having moved here from the United States with less than $3,000 in in my bank account and only having five WEEKS to move, I cannot understand why Ms. Schlesinger might think her long range plans of moving and packing might even be remotely exciting. The book should have described more of the actual daily life here in the Virgin Islands rather than how difficult and scary it is for her to drive her car onto the barge (give me a break!). I'm surprised she even managed to move down here at all! I give Ms. Schlesinger credit for writing the book, I just think that she could have done so much better. What about the Bomba parties on Tortola where five hundred people cram themselves into a 300 square foot wooden surf shack on the beach on every full moon night? What about renting a car from a leading rental car company and being given a shot of Jagermeister by the agent before being given the keys to the rental car?? That's just part of ONE day in the islands. Well, maybe my life is just more exciting than Ms. Schlesingers'! Perhaps I will just have to write my own book........Stay tuned!

I read "Desiring Paradise" in one night, despite the fact that it seems not to have been proofread and is fraught with typos, making it necessary to stop and re-start my reading numerous times. However, the story was interesting enough that I decided to view the typos as quaint instead of annoying -- much the same way the author learned to view her many challenges on the islands. (Her stories about dealing with the local government and police are particularly funny.)

The first half of the book concentrates on how the author and her husband planned and implemented their launch from New England to St. John, while the second half describes the trials and tribulations faced by the "Yankees" as they adapt to Caribbean life. Some readers, expecting to be taken on a romantic tropical journey, may find the book a bit mundane. On the other hand, I appreciated the fact that the author started her story from the very begining -- the fantasy of moving -- and took us through the long planning phase, a hurricane experienced from inside an apartment, and other unglamorous realities. This made the saga very real for me, and the triumph of overcoming these obstacles much sweeter.

It should be noted that this is not a book "about" St. John, or any of the Virgin Islands. There are better books along those lines, notably those by Gerald Singer or Pamela Acheson. This book is more of a how-to guide to making the dream of moving to paradise -- wherever that happens to exist for you -- come true. While "Desiring Paradise" is not award-winning material, I believe that anyone with any interest in the concept of moving to paradise will most certainly enjoy and appreciate this book.

Having visited St. John several years ago (and having vowed to retire there myself), I can appreciate this book. Karin and her husband aren't independently wealthy, but they moved to their island paradise and made things work despite a tight budget, mistakes in planning, unforseeable obstacles, and day-to-day hardships. They were able to re-think their lifestyles and achieve their goal in 3 years instead of the original plan of 10 years.

The book explains, in a rambling fashion, the many things that people overlook when fantasizing about such a life-change. It also provides plenty of anecdotes and lessons about St. John history, culture, and natives. You learn with them and from them. If you try to read it in one sitting, though, you'll probably grow tired of the near-constant topic changes really quickly. Take it in small doses. It can be a real inspiration to the rest of us non-millionaires who dream of moving to a faraway locale. I deducted 1 star for lack of pictures.

Whether you are seriously planning to move to St. John or fantasize about it, please read DESIRING PARADISE. This story follows a couple who fall head over heels in love with St. John after a visit to Maho Bay. When they return to their home in New England, they make it their solemn mission to return to St. John and make it their permanent home. You will follow Bob and Karen through all their truimphs and travails in their mapping out and following through with their dream. Crazy taxi drivers, literal forks in the road, free-ranging donkeys, zany neighbors, and poisonous trees aren't the stuff of fiction...they are part of daily life on this enchanted island.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my husband. The cover made me start reading it as soon as I received it. My husband caught me and we both proceeded to read the book and try to get ahead of each other. We couldn't wait to see what happened next to Karin and Bob. St John is near and dear to our hearts. We do desire paradise and hope to get to paradise someday. You can use Karin's book as an instruction manual on how to reach your dream. What an adventure. Karin we really feel like we know you, thank you for sharing your adventure and your sense of humor.

Recently on my first vacation to St. John, I discovered this book at the villa I was renting. Since my husband and I had decided on the very first day of vacation that we could live there forever, I was very interested in reading the book. Ms. Schlesinger gives a lot of information on the detailed planning required to move to such a remote area. Unfortunately for those who have never been to St. John, she doesn't spend enough time describing how beautiful and enchanting the island is. I recommend this book to everyone, but warn potential readers that this is not a lighthearted book about the island and island life.

Karin Schlesinger's book, Desiring Paradise, is both factual and humorous. She truly writes "the way it is" on the island of St. John. The author has provided a wealth of practical information as well as survival tactics. Anyone serious about living in paradise should make this book #1 on their priority reading list; It's the Best!

I loved reading Desiring Paradise.

I will be vacationing in St. John for the first time this winter. A friend of mine gave me a copy of Desiring Paradise as a Christmas present so I could learn more about St. John before my visit.

I started reading Desiring Paradise (during the first freezing rain and ice storm of the winter) and could not put it down. I found Karin and Bob's life adventures both funny and inspiring and by the end of the book I felt they were my friends.

From the tidbits and history I learned about St. John I have a list of places to visit and things I want to see when I arrive. And, if I ever decide to make a life change I know Karin and Bob's experiences will help me.

I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about St. John, enjoys traveling, wants to find out how to make a dream into reality, or simply wants a good old fashion read.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it several years ago and often remember it. I was drawn to the book by its cover and because, at the time, I had a close friend who was from USVI. Anyway, I thought this was a really special book written by two people (a married couple) who actually put their dream into motion.

Their dream? To move to the US Virgin Islands and get on "island time." For people who are not from the Caribbean, making the move to this totally different lifestyle might seem impractical, but this couple shows how they planned out, to the T, their move, complete with saving money, bringing their automobiles to the island, finding work (ultimately setting up their own business on the island), and adjusting to a very different lifestyle.

There is good advice in this book about making a long-distance and culture-shifting move. It takes planning. After reading "Desiring Paradise" I felt that, if I should ever take up my fantasy of owning a mango farm somewhere in the Caribbean, I could do it. It really is an inspirational book in that way. It's also a great book for armchair travellers. As its nonfiction, there are some great slice-of-life passages about the Virgin Islands, their topography, their people, and the much more humane way in which people live and relate there. Everytime I think about this book, I am filled with warm memories, both of the book and of my visit to USVI.

I would recommend this book to: people considering moving to the Virgin Islands; people interested in the USVI or modern-day Caribbean culture in general; those interested in a good story about planning and goal-setting and the amazing results it can have.

Actually, I would probably give this book 1 1/2 stars, but was feeling generous so I rounded up. I bought this book on St. John to read on the plane ride home and I had high hopes for it and, unfortunately, was very disappointed. First of all, it takes the author half the book just to get to St. John. This could have been condensed considerably. There are literally dozens of grammatical errors which makes it harder to read and she goes on and on and on telling the reader about their packing and the number of boxes they were shipping. After all this, she never indicates where they put all this stuff once they got to the island. It seemed like more than would fit in their home. Devoting a whole chapter to ramble on about the cockroaches in the temporary apartment they had moved to before making the move to St. John was overkill also. There were times in the first half of the book that I had to remind myself what this book was about since it took so long to get to the point. Also, she never really explains what she did for a living other than the fact that she was telecommuting for her employer in the States. The second half of the book was more interesting than the first half, but the author did not really introduce you to others on the island, other than her neighbors, and those were in very general terms. I was really hoping for more insight into some of the people that live there. On my trips there, I have had conversations with some interesting people who live on the island and I believe there are many people who she could have introduced us to. If you're looking for a more interesting book about living in the Caribbean, read "A Trip to the Beach".