Eat Pray Love

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want--husband, country home, successful career--but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

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A collection of 108 short pieces combine to form Eat Pray Love, the nonfiction bestseller by Elizabeth Gilbert. Faced with unhappiness and an overwhelming depression, Elizabeth begins a journey to become closer to God and pull herself out of the darkness that has consumed her life. 

Each short essay is a puzzle piece that creates a world where Elizabeth can be devout in her faith and in herself. She bares all in this novel, throwing down the gauntlet and astoundingly admitting her every fault. Gilbert connects with readers through her admission of guilt, shortcomings, and life experiences. Each life experience may not resonate with every reader, but every reader will definitely recognize at least one common denominator between themselves and Gilbert. 

The journey that she faces is one of erratic ups and downs. As she travels through India, Indonesia, and Italy, Gilbert documents her feelings of love and loss. Both which let her find God, moving away from the past and into the present. 

Though some of the essays are tedious to read and hard to connect with, the writing style of Gilbert brings life to the death of her depression. She gives readers an account on how she discovered a path out of her personal hell. I found Eat Pray Love to be a lovely book of expanding hope and would recommend it happily.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia