THE TRICK IS TO DRINK IT QUICKLY

A memoir focuses on an American woman’s travels and relationships.

Schott explains in her book that she had a large part-dog, part-wolf pet named Wogart. Wogart accompanied her wherever she landed––and she ended up in a variety of places. At the age of 22, she was involved in a motorcycle accident and an abusive relationship. After leaving the relationship, she decided to relocate to New York City to pursue her love of music. After living in New York, she moved to Nevada City, California. It was there that she met Jesse, a musician who became her boyfriend. Their relationship was rocky, but it didn’t stop the two from traveling to Europe, where they bought a van. They made a living as buskers, moving from place to place. The van could get cold; local people could be generous or downright creepy; and busking was always hit or miss. Yet they survived all the while with Wogart in tow. They found themselves “always looking for remnants––the beauty or simplicity––of the old world.” After the European adventure, the couple settled in Portland, Oregon, and ran a record store together. But Jesse wouldn’t be around forever. The memoir moves breezily from place to place. No sooner is the author confounded by redneck neighbors in California than she is playing violin to earn money in St. Tropez. It makes for an enjoyable read, with succinct input on topics such as emotional pain and Mozart. Of the latter, Schott writes: “Mozart doesn’t just compose. He speaks. When I listen to Mozart, I hear a dialogue, and I’m sure I can understand what he’s trying to say.” Some of the recollections do not say quite as much. A story about traveling to a skate park in Bolzano, Italy, is essentially uneventful. It is not as impactful as relating the difficulty of staving off attention from a local weirdo in Bavaria. Or when the author realized that her beloved companion had done the unthinkable and they had finally reached the end of the line.

A fast-paced, engaging account of life both at home and abroad.