40 Countries Before 40

By: Lynda Deschenes

Narrated by: Marianne Pritchett

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

"It's crazy how good it is!"

With those six words, Lynda Deschenes won a radio contest that started a life of travel and adventure!

From a young age, Lynda was fascinated by the world. Despite growing up in a large family with 11 children, Lynda was determined to visit 40 countries before she turned 40! Told with humor and enthusiasm, this memoir will delight listeners as Lynda turns skis into a trip to Cuba, a car accident into learning Spanish in Honduras, and $19 into a year in Japan!

Whether you are a seasoned traveler or just getting started, Lynda's true stories, life lessons, and the crazy characters she's met along the way will leave you itching to buy a plane ticket. So, pack your bags, fasten your seatbelt, and get ready to join Lynda on her journey around the world.

©2020 Lynda Deschenes (P)2020 Lynda Deschenes

Ragolli Festivolli

The compilation of stories was like the time I went to an Italian friend of mine to have dinner. We started to eat one dish after the other till late in the evening. What a great way to spend 5 hours. I feel the same about the book. One tastie travel story after the other.

Virtual travel

If you haven't gotten a chance to travel, this book is educational and entertaining. Love

Charming stories

Charming stories told in a conversational style. I marvel at the writer's memory for detail!

Charming innocence!

This is what we needed in 2020! A refreshingly simple tale of the world told by a girl from a small town. Innocence at its best. The narrator does a beautiful job of expressing the writer's shock, wonder and humor over various misunderstandings that happened in her world travels. Worth the read.

A very nice story 😊

This is a sweet little tale of remembrance! It makes me wish I was younger and could voyage off into the unknown. It’s good to experience life outside the bubble of ordinary life and get immersed in the wonderful cultures in the world.

Around the world in 8 days! (Of listening)

Listening to this Audio book really made miss the adventures and learning experience of traveling. For anyone to enjoys travel and learning about other cultures this is an easy listen that opens your mind to less mainstream travel destinations. When most people think of Hawaii or Florida for vacation, we learn about Loas, Cambodia, South Africa, Central America, etc.
Lynda relates the most crazy and interesting stories from her fulfilling life of traveling and living abroad - often with very little monetarily! A lot of people view travel as “vacation” for people who have a lot of money to spare. However Lynda helps us to appreciate that travel can be an education and helps one to learn many vital “life lessons” as she makes a point to highlight in each chapter.
This book helps you to see how travel is attainable regardless of our background or situation. I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. Would definitely recommend!

Not just for beginners

At first I listened thinking this would be perfect for first time travelers, but then familiar stories began flooding back fun memories for me and my interest was peeked for new countries I had not yet seen! I would recommend this book to anyone.

Entertaining memories

I enjoyed hearing this entertaining story down memory lane that after I started listening I couldn’t stop. 😊

Peering into Lynda's Diary

I really admire Lynda's fearlessness and excitement of everything she experiences. I laughed out loud about her swimming adventure in Cuba! I also love the fact she interacts with the locals in each country and isn't only interested in visiting the touristy hot spots.

very good book

the experiences are amazing. very good life lessons. I never got bored listening. very good.

A book to be heard

‘40 countries before 40 ‘by Linda Deschenes is about a young girl who’s dream is to travel to 40 countries before she reaches the age of 40. She’s always been fascinated by different cultures and the details of the day to day lives of people. Since the day she won a set of skis on a radio contest and sold them to pay her travel expenses to Cuba to the last country mentioned in the book South Africa, her enthusiasm never wavers. The readers are her travelling companions experiencing with her the profound joy on seeing the magnificent flora in Madagascar, the harsh conditions on public transport in China to that sublime moment she had one morning at dawn when she saw a fisherman in his boat standing on one leg as he balanced his oar with his other silhouetted in the glow of the rising sun in Myanmar. We join her on her many adventures, swimming with a giant sting ray off the Cayman Islands, learning how to ride a motorcycle through the symphony of swaying traffic in Battambang Cambodia. She doesn’t shy away from describing some of the extreme poverty she witnessed and the day she shared her lunch with little Syrian refugee children. The downside of ‘40 countries before 40’ is that if the reader is expecting a travel book he or she will be disappointed. It’s more like a personal diary, albeit a colourful account of the places she visited, the people she met and the adventures she had. Ideal for the avid diary writers and those who love to read other people’s diaries.

Possible spoilers!

Much of this is viewed through the long lens of hindsight. As with most perspectives on the past, often it seems that much of what we experience has greater value with time.

Pros.

I think it is safe to say that in Lynda we have here someone who is definitely not without a backbone!

I found her writing to be pacy, it doesn't get bogged down, and has good helpings of human warmth, and self deprecation.

Unlike some travel writers who feel that they and their craft must be taken so seriously that their writing isn't grounded, Lynda seriously maintains a refreshingly candid, fish out of water perspective. I appreciated the openness with which discussed her life and family, which for me, added greater emotional dimension to her writing.

She also makes abundant references to specific sites, and often to their foods, which could almost serve as a guide for the budding jet-setter (though certain of the content is over twenty years old - so may need fresh research for the contemporary tourist.)

For those who aspire to become a focused traveller, there is wisdom to consider here, some of which she offers up as "life lessons."

Cons

For those who feel that the journey is just as much a part of the experience as reaching the destination, I found there to be scant detail on many of her journey's, and whilst occasional mentions were made, there is little in the way of description.

Whilst there is an endearingly liberal and charming approach to social interaction, this often means that description of places is sidelined.

Though her trip to Jordan was announced, the feature was less than two minutes in length. Again, my chief disappointment was because many of her experiences appear to relate to misshaps, and the people that she met along the way, but less is related to the historical sites she visited, and her perspective of what these meant to her. Perhaps I'm looking in the wrong place for this sort of travel writing?

There appeared to be more comic potential in some retellings, which is partly down to writing, but also the choice of narrator.

On that subject, the narrator was clear, articulate and had a voice that often matched the tone of Lynda's joyful spirit and her travels. Unfortunately, her reading lacked subtlety, and this perhaps robbed some accounts of their fullest flavour.

In conclusion

This is worthy of your time. Though there are times when she clearly suffers (pretty much without complaint) determined Lynda can usually find a way through - one of the factors that many would want in a travel companion. Also, despite the fact that these are her memoirs, the manner in which she conveys the charm of individuals, often strangers, proves to be a worthy reminder of the unique, intrinsic value of everyday people, and the places that they call home.

Enjoy travel and learning from other cultures

Linda has a beautiful way of looking at life as a fascinating journey , adventure, and learning experience .
An enjoyable listening , very funny , approaching people and cultures with an open heart

Charming

A delightful easy journey with Lynda through our fascinating world. Having been to many of the same places it was nice to compare her experiences to mine. Her list of rules make perfect sense.

Transporting

This book has transported me to some places I have not been and I now will add to my list. I was almost there egniting all of my senses. and has been a great audio book in these unfamiliar times of being unable to travel. Loved it and will listen again and again.