ODYSSEY OF LOVE

A professional fundraiser takes a chance on herself in Jämsén’s debut memoir.

Following in the footsteps of her parents, Massachusetts resident Jämsén saw a psychic, Angelica, for clarity on her current relationship and romantic future. The woman predicted that Jämsén would move to Eastern Europe, rediscover her love of music, and meet a “tall man with glasses” to marry, all funded by a generous new sum of money. Exactly as predicted, the events unfold: Jämsén receives a large financial gift from her parents, decides to teach English as a second language in Hungary, leaves her boyfriend, and heads off for an epic “Odyssey” in 2001. The author’s descriptions of arriving in Eastern Europe indulge the reader like good travel writing should, as they’re full of minutiae and textures that put them right onto the cobblestone streets of cities such as Amsterdam and Budapest, where “the gentle ripples of the not-so-blue Danube soon waltzed into view, and we zoomed over the Freedom Bridge, leaving the upscale Gellért Hotel on the Buda side in our wake.” She effectively captures the common American-abroad story of a naïve newcomer challenged by inconveniences: “I marveled at how everything—from the minibus driver’s blatant disregard for highway safety…to curtainless showers and exfoliating towels—was much different from what I’d been used to in the States.” However, the memoir moves beyond such familiar tropes of travel writing, as she generates intrigue by keeping readers invested in how she’ll eventually meet the aforementioned “tall man in glasses.” Although the constant characterization of her choices as an “Odyssey” feels a tad dramatic, the book does get across the thrill of life abroad in an inspiring manner. The book follows some aspects of the familiar Eat, Pray, Love template, but Jämsén still makes her search to fulfill her psychic destiny feel effervescent.

A fun tale of just how far one person will go for love.