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Between Worlds Paperback – July 1, 2014

by Marilyn R. Gardner (Author)

60 customer reviews

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"In the hall of an old Inn by the ocean is a sign that reads 'Home is Where Our Story Begins.' But if home is where our story begins, what happens when we can't go back?" Marilyn Gardner was raised in Pakistan and went on to raise her own five children in Pakistan and Egypt before moving to small town New England. Between Worlds will resonate with those who have lived outside of their passport country, as well as those who have not. These essays explore the rootlessness and grief as well as the unexpected moments of humor and joy that are a part of living between two worlds. Between Worlds charts a journey between the cultures of East and West, the comfort of being surrounded by loved ones and familiar places, and the loneliness of not belonging. "Every one of us has been at some point between two worlds, be they faith and loss of faith, joy and sorrow, birth and death. Between Worlds is a luminous guide for connecting---and healing---worlds." - Cathy Romeo, co-author, Ended Beginnings: Healing Childbearing Losses

Between Worlds

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Editorial Reviews

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Praise for Between Worlds:

To read this remarkable collection of essays is to journey with Marilyn Gardner between the worlds of East and West, home and not-feeling-like-home, touching with her the boundaries of culture, the inspirations of faith, and the comforts of loved ones. Her stories are compelling and unforgettable. And while her essays will instantly resonate with those, like Marilyn, who have lived between worlds, they speak volumes to those like me who have not.... -Cathy Romeo, co-author, Ended Beginnings: Healing

Childbearing Losses

"Drawn from her honest, penetrating blog writings, Marilyn Gardner's Between Worlds invites us into her memories with loving hospitality, connecting the various and vivid threads of her fascinating life without over-sentimentalization.....Throughout her essays, Marilyn presses in on the questions with which every human soul wrestles, particularly our God-given desire to belong, and to live securely and coherently with oneself and others."- Laura Merzig Fabrycky, The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation, and Culture

From the Back Cover

"This is a treasure trove of wisdom and perspective from a talented writer.
-Rachel Pieh Jones, author for Brain Child, Babble, A Life Overseas, EthnoTraveler, and co-founder of Girls Run 2

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Product details

Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Doorlight Publications (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0983865388
ISBN-13: 978-0983865384
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #16632 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs
- #117622 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

5 star		85%
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Top Customer Reviews

A good read

Byearlyon June 3, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Interesting

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Each memory is lovingly crafted onto the page and contextualized within the global perspective she has now, as an adult.

ByLaurenon July 12, 2015

Format: Paperback

In this book, author Marilyn R. Gardner presents a compelling collection of essays. Conversational in tone and rich in descriptive insights, Marilyn’s short works unfold an intimate look at moments in her life. Each memory is lovingly crafted onto the page and contextualized within the global perspective she has now, as an adult.

Marilyn’s story is special, though perhaps not entirely unique in the community of expats and Third Culture Kids. She was born in Massachusetts while her parents were visiting their hometown. Within 3 months her family embarked on their journey back across the sea to Karachi, Pakistan, where she would grow up. Later, she raised her own family in Pakistan and Egypt. Now, she has come full circle; she and her husband are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In her writing, Marilyn creates vivid pictures of her years living in Pakistan and Egypt, conveying nostalgia for a time and place that can never be repeated. Yet, she has also found community and a sense of home in the bustling cities along the East Coast of America. Her heart is torn between two very different lives, but grounded in her love of her family and friends.

“Every good story has a conflict. Never being fully part of any world is ours. That is what makes our stories and memories rich and worth hearing. We live between worlds, sometimes comfortable in one, sometimes in the other, but only truly comfortable in the space between. This is our conflict and the heart of our story,” Marilyn writes.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone who loves memoir, as this is a truly beautiful example. I also recommend this book to readers interested in gaining a global perspective on life in the Middle East, cultural competency, or expat life. You can learn more about Marilyn and her writing by visiting her blog atwww.communicatingacrossboundariesblog.com

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

but it reads like it was self published and so stopped reading it ...

ByMembercare Assistanton April 12, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I was expecting a professionally published book, but it reads like it was self published and so stopped reading it after a few chapters. I'm hoping it will still be useful for adult and child TCK's who share the author's experiences of growing up overseas.

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"This is a great coming of age story that any TCK will be ...

ByAKINTAYO A ROCKSONon July 8, 2014

Format: Paperback

"This is a great coming of age story that any TCK will be able to connect to. Marilyn takes her readers on a constant journey between the Middle East and the United States and paints vivid pictures of the adventures and trials of her nomadic life. At the end of the book, you are left with a sense of hope and comfort in the realization that home is a fluid concept and that that is completely fine. She captures the heart and essence of what being a TCK is. A person of many homes and one home at the same time." - Tayo Rockson, Founder of tayorockson.com - TCK On A Mission

0Comment 10 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

I loved this book!

ByK. Lloyd Warfordon July 28, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

My own experience and the circumstances of my childhood as a military dependent were very different from those of Marilyn Gardner’s childhood but the emotional journey she shares in “Between Worlds” is remarkably similar to my own. When Marilyn describes sipping tea with friends in a Chai shop in Pakistan her words capture perfectly the bittersweet feelings such memories hold for third culture kids and others who have lived abroad. I have never been to Pakistan or known the taste of chai but her story ignites my own journey back almost 40 years to sunny afternoons at a Bratwurst stand in Bitburg, Germany. I laughed out loud reading about how she fought off her nomadic urge to move by rearranging the furniture. She captured the confusion and fear one feels when leaving a place you know and love to go to a place where you don’t know a living soul and have never lived before; a place you have been taught to call “home.” She describes perfectly the frustration third culture kids experience when they feel the need to edit their life story to keep new friends from thinking they are bragging or being snobbish. I could go on but suffice it to say this book moved me and helped me better understand my own nomadic childhood and the role it still plays in who I am today.

0Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

This is an excellent book for Third Culture Kids

ByRJoneson July 11, 2014

Format: Paperback

This is an excellent book for Third Culture Kids, expatriates, and all those who love them. Marilyn weaves together stories of growing up in Pakistan and stories of transitioning to the US in a way that is honest and beautiful and made me want to sit down with my own TCKs to talk about their experiences, the goods and the bads. This is the unique gift of Between Worlds - it is Marilyn's story but it connects to my own story, the story of TCKs all over the world. Here is a book filled with wisdom and grace, humor and perspective.

0Comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Speaks to the soul of a TCK

ByDebi Martinon July 31, 2014

Format: Paperback

A collection of essays regarding growing up as a third culture kid, this book started off with stories that sent me back in time to my own childhood growing up on the mission compound in Bangladesh. The Muslim call to prayer, hot chai, vacation to the beach - memories of my own experience came back in reading of the author's own childhood experiences in a country not so far from where I myself grew up. The essays are divided into sections, dealing with topics all TCKs (third culture kids) can easily relate to: home, identity, belonging, airports, grief & loss, culture clash, and good-byes. Ah, the inevitable good-bye!
"invisible immigrant" - looking like you should belong but not really knowing the culture of your passport culture. It's not obvious that don't belong so your cultural taboos are more blatant.
"If there is a common thread of experience among third culture kids it may be paralysis in the cereal aisle." The overwhelming feeling of walking into a Walmart after being overseas for several years - that "whoa!" feeling resonates.
Well written, the words flow in this book, bringing alive my own memories of the many good-byes, the wondering of who I really was and the friend in college who helped me to navigate this new culture that I was now part of. If you are a third culture kid or are raising a third culture kid, you will find this book speaks to your soul. There are also helpful tips for dealing with culture shock and also recognizing that grief looks different for different people.
Definitely recommended!

*I received a copy of this book free from the author. Many thanks!

0Comment 5 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

A great book for anyone moving around the world.
Between Worlds: Essays on Culture and Belonging

Published 2 months ago by Lisa Enqvist

Four Stars

Great read.

Published 5 months ago by jwalden

I came across this book randomly and so glad I did

I came across this book randomly and so glad I did! Living as an expat in various countries over the last five years, so many of the essays resonated with me and help me put words...Read more

Published 9 months ago by EJS

A must read for mission students

Heartfelt, real, and rewarding. I cannot wait to read it again. The subject is fascinating, as nd t ::) e author a master storyteller.
Thank you!

Published 1 year ago by KEHutchinson

Five Stars

Loved this book. As a TCK I can relate to so much of what she talks about.

Published 1 year ago by Kim Anderson

Great cross-cultural read

Great cultural insight and bang on for kids that grow up cross-culturally. Good read.

Published 1 year ago by curtl

Wonderful insights into TCK life

Wonderful insights into TCK life. And wonderful stories of life all over the place!! A great book. Thanks for your vulnerability, Marilyn!

Published 1 year ago by kmomma1

Amusing stories and practical tips

This book was not necessarily written in 'my style,' but it offers great insight on what people who have lived in or travelled countries all over the world may encounter when...Read more

Published 1 year ago by Interested Reader

For everyone on the field and anyone who knows them

Marilyn puts words to feelings that I could not express. I've only been on the field for a short time, but I could relate to so much of what she said.Read more

Published 1 year ago by Lory

Nice meandering thoughts

Nice meandering thoughts, insightful, kind of dreamy, but fascinating for those who love cultures. If you have ever lived abroad, you will identify with many of the author's...Read more

Published 1 year ago by Cathy Douglass

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