Geckos & Other Guests: Tales of a Kaua'i Bed & Breakfast [Paperback]

Gabriela Taylor (Author), Belknap Publishing and Design (Editor), cover;Tandem Design interior graphics; Gabriela Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1885129149 | ISBN-13: 978-1885129147 | Edition: 2nd

Life at a B&B is often so alluring that many guest fantasize about retiring in paradise and running one of their own. With clarity and humor,Taylor tells the truth about what it takes. Over a twelve year period, she played host to a wide array of intriguing characters, including psychics, nudist, musicians, a BBC film crew, nature lovers and even a woman who thought she was Elvis's mother. As she relates her colorful tales from trapping wild chickens to the allure of the lush vegetation and waterfalls that grace the beautiful island, Taylor reveals her deep love for Kauai.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Taylor's... breezy conversational style, matched with a gracious spirit, is like a refreshing trade wind propelling the reader through the pages. --San Francisco Chronicle

It's the perfect blend of humor, self-depreciation, revelation and change that chronicles Taylor's life while telling tales of her bed and breakfast. --Kauai Island News

About the Author

Gabriela Taylor served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil before beginning her career as a college instructor. She travels the world writting travel stories and lives on the island of Kauai, where she designed and built the Keapana Center Bed and Breakfast

Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Na Pali Press; 2nd edition (October 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885129149
• ISBN-13: 978-1885129147
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,028,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't move to Hawaii before you read this book, December 9, 2006

By 

Susan Goldstein (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Geckos & Other Guests: Tales of a Kaua'i Bed & Breakfast (Paperback)

Had Peter Mayle gone to Hawaii rather than to Provence, he might have written this book instead. Like "My Year in Provence," this book is filled with the frustrations and humor of building a new life in a romantic place.

For those of us who have visited Hawaii and dreamed of starting over in paradise, Gabriela Taylor helps us see what it would be like before we give up our day jobs.

These amusing stories of eccentric guests and staff will delight you and her spirit of adventure may even inspire you to go after your own dreams.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Only on Kauai..., December 2, 2005

By 

Sonja Kass (Kauai, HI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Geckos & Other Guests: Tales of a Kaua'i Bed & Breakfast (Print on Demand (Paperback))

I read the book, cover to cover in just 2 days, could hardly put it down. Gabriala Taylor's subtle and dry humor make the book very pleasant to read, and many of the stories are only-on-Kauai kind of outragous. Although the book does not deal with beaches or most other tourist activities, it will bring back memories if you have ever visited Kauai. It also gives some insights into the pace, lifestyle, troubles and charisma of this beautiful island and her people.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring determination, December 27, 2005

By 

Deborah Slater (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Geckos & Other Guests: Tales of a Kaua'i Bed & Breakfast (Print on Demand (Paperback))

This book took me back 33 years to my early college days as a student of Gabriela's to visiting her after she built her first home on the land in 1977 when I was living on Maui and she was incubating her dream/vision of the B & B in Kaua'i. This book is autobiographical and introduces the reader to an incredible woman. To know her is to have been touched by an unforgetably alive and creative personality. In addition to the delightful humor and lovely word images there is a story of personal growth and evolution. If you want an inside story of the magic of Kaua'i look no further. It's been 21 years since our paths last crossed and Gabriela inspires and amazes me still!