Life in the Left Lane [Paperback]

Emy Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 29, 2002

Life in the Left Lane is a short and lively nonfiction book about what it's really like for expatriates to live in a tropical island paradise. Written by a journalist who has lived in the islands for more than thirty-five years, it is an honest, affectionate and humorous report on all aspects of the adventure, from adjusting to island time to making a living, building a dream house and coping with hurricanes. Her vivid descriptions of carnival, the Creole language, gardening and island food, and her insightful observations about minority status, politics, religion and crime, are enlightening reading for anyone curious about life in the Caribbean. The author writes about the islands in general, but specifically her island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands, where driving in the left lane in cars designed to drive on the right is but one of the idiosyncrasies of quirky island style.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Emy Thomas spent her first thirty-three years following a typical middle-class path, growing up in Connecticut, graduating from prestigious schools in the northeast, and working as a journalist in New York City. Then she discovered the tropics and has embraced the islands and their laid-back lifestyle ever since. For over a dozen years home was a sailboat, when she cruised throughout the Caribbean and Pacific with a typical 'yachtie,' who made wandering a way of life. They visited scores of island paradises. When it was time to leave the boat and settle down the author chose St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands as her permanent home. She built her dream house on a hillside overlooking the Caribbean Sea and finally found her true calling as an author. Her first book, Home Is Where the Boat Is, was published in 1993. Life in the Left Lane is her second book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (July 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403300127
• ISBN-13: 978-1403300126
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #830,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Considering a Caribbean retirement � Read this first., April 28, 2003

By 

Jan H. Toncar (The Florida Keys) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life in the Left Lane (Paperback)

No typical tourist guide is this. Emy Thomas provides a refreshingly frank account of life in St. Croix. She deals directly with the pleasant  the beaches, the people, the pace of life  and the sometimes unpleasant  hurricanes, and occasional crime.

Emy Thomas has found her own way to enjoy this island paradise. Hers is no superficial experience. She enjoys St. Croix in all its richness. Not for her an imposing mini castle in an expatriate enclave. She goes out of her way to live modestly yet comfortably. She knows some creole, and is deeply involved in local social initiatives. She seems to blend and integrate with the majority West Indian population much better than could be expected of the stereotypical New Yorker. She joins the locals in laughing off the perpetual Government inefficiencies, rather than getting upset. But her journalist background is not entirely forgotten. She still manages to take a few swipes at local politicians.

If you know St. Croix already, you will readily identify with Emy Thomas perspectives and sense of humor. If you ever wondered what a Caribbean retirement would be like - read this before you decide. It will prepare your mind, and most likely will make you want to do it even more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A breeze to read, July 13, 2004

By 

Margarita Hutchison "Book Club Aficionado" (St. Petersburg, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life in the Left Lane (Paperback)

This is a delightful little book, well worth reading if you plan to visit any of the Virgin Islands, especially St. Croix. The author's style is light, and yet packed with relevant and carefully researched information about the subtleties and nuances of Crucian life as well as the history, geography, flora and fauna, and much more, all of which can help visitors to appreciate this island and its culture far more than a "tour book." It leaves the reader feeling like a sweet little Caribbean breeze has just passed by...

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, December 28, 2011

By 

L Koski - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life in the Left Lane (Paperback)

I absolutely loved reading this colorfully worded book. I am thinking of moving to St. Croix and this book enlightened me about a few things I didn't know about and need to consider. The author is very down to earth and explores all aspects of moving to the island. A must read for anyone thinking of moving to St. Croix.