Holy Cow!

An Indian Adventure

By: Sarah Macdonald

Narrated by: Kate Hosking

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

After backpacking her way around India, Sarah Macdonald decides she hates the country with a passion. When a beggar at the airport reads her palm and insists she will one day return, and for love, she screams "Never!" and gives the country, and him, the finger.

But 11 years later, the prophecy comes true. When the love of Sarah's life is posted to India, she quits her dream job as a national radio presenter to follow him to the most polluted city on earth, New Delhi. It seems like the ultimate sacrifice for love and it almost kills her, literally.

Often hilarious, sometimes hair-raising, and always entertaining, Holy Cow is a rollercoaster ride through a land of chaos and contradiction, from spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life, and her sanity, can survive.

©2002 Sarah Macdonald (P)2003 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Critic reviews

"A lively, snappy travelogue." (Booklist)

"[Macdonald] brings a reporter's curiosity, interviewing skills, and eye for detail to everything she encounters, and winningly captures 'the drama, the dharma, the innocent exuberance of the festivals, the intensity of the living, the piety in playfulness, and the embrace of living day by day'." (Publishers Weekly)

"Prepare for a fast-moving and masterful narration by Kate Hosking. Her characterization of the Indian characters is nuanced and fun. The contrast with the distinctive Australian accents of MacDonald and other ex-pats adds to the sense of adventure and excitement and provides a backdrop for spiritual understanding." (AudioFile)

Inspiring and witty

After listening to this book, I have put India at the top of my "places to visit" list. I didn't realize the book would emphasize religion so much, but this had the unexpected side effect of making me feel as if I'd learned something in addition to enjoying Macdonald's hilarious accounts of her attempts to survive in and eventually master Indian culture.

a great listen!

I read this book prior to getting the audio and have to say that the audio made the book light-up like a Christmas tree! All the Hindu words and pronunciations were brought to life by the narrator, as well as doing a fine job on the author's emotional states as well.
I liked the book but loved the audiobook!

The essence of religion

What did you love best about Holy Cow!?

The insight that Sarah brings to what she observed in India.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Holy Cow!?

There were many - her views on the Tibetean exiles living there, her interactions with the Israeli's she found there..

Have you listened to any of Kate Hosking’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It did bring out a lot of emotion.

Eye Opening for Tourists

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Especially those who think that India is the calm, zen like place and do not realize that it is very overcrowded and very poor in some areas.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Holy Cow!?

The descriptions of the too many people and animals. The odors. The sounds.

Which character – as performed by Kate Hosking – was your favorite?

Cannot pick just one.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I had to listen in half hour increments to take it all in.

Entertaining

An enjoyable book for a very long drive. I was there before I knew it. The narrator is easy to listen to.

a great primer to India travel

A well read memoir of an Australian woman's life in India and her spiritual growth. Both entertaining and educational.

Great til the last few chapters.......

What made the experience of listening to Holy Cow! the most enjoyable?

That the author was so animated and brutally honest about the author's experiences. She nailed the narration

What did you like best about this story?

That Sarah was so open to trying each place she went to.

What about Kate Hosking’s performance did you like?

Her 'voices'

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried when everyone was parting ways. That was hard to listen to.

Any additional comments?

I didn't care for the chapters shortly after the first half of the book. It got to be humdrum. It felt more like a reading of a manual..."How it's done"

Very funny and very interesting

This was a great balance of humor and spiritual exploration. The Australian narrator was wonderful.

Holy Cow!!!

I totally enjoyed this audio book, the narrator did a fantastic job of reading it to and for us listeners.

Hard to listen to

I had to finally give up and stop at 2 hrs. I really don’t know where the book is going and the horrible and degrading fake Indian accent in which the narrator speaks is cringing.

Maybe if this book is read it may be easier to go past this level and the story may be better. I can judge that having given up on it but this far it was just boring.