Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home by Susan Pohlman

Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home Reviews

• 
  Sandra

  I would give this book 3 1/2 starts but I couldn't.
  
  I really enjoyed going to Italy in this book and the writing was good and often funny. The message about American life is very accurate and a good reminder to slow down and get back to basics. Our lifestyle in this country can be downright destructive as we struggle to constantly keep up with the "shoulds" of our lives. Contrasted against the Italian culture, we have some work to do.
  
  I didn't give the book a higher rating because there was something I couldn't get past. Maybe it was the SoCal stereotype of the writer (blond, materialistic, appearance oriented). She did grow while in Italy but I didn't feel like she grew that much. It was a sad goodbye to leave the country but even she implies that they stayed pretty insulated while they lived there. They had a few friends but they didn't do much to learn the language or really get into the culture and traditions. It bothered me for some reason and it flavored the book for me the whole way through.
  
  Still, I would recommend it.
  
  Also, the religious aspect was an important and critical aspect of her story. I liked that faith was pivotal to their success and in turning their marriage around. While not everyone can afford to live in Italy for a year, there are things people can take from the authors experience and apply to their lives wherever they are.
• 
  Scott

  Pohlman's work is a charming entry into the American abroad category. There's enough Italian scenery and charismatic Italians to satisfy one's fantasies about an expatriate life, but the heart of her work is the change that happens in Pohlman's marriage and her family. A move to Italy as a last gasp strategy to save a marriage may not be the option most therapists would recommend, but it makes for an enjoyable read of beach picnics, bus strikes and pasta on the terrace.
• 
  Marla Mueller

  This book made me laugh, made me cry and got into my soul. I'm not sure if it was because I had just visited Italy, or because this is a true story or just a well written book. Loved it!
• 
  Leigh

  I had a bad experience with this book (Four Seasons in Rome) so at first I didn't want to read Halfway since it also took place in Italy. I thought it was going to be another boring book about a family living in Italy, but then I thought hey, don't judge the book by it's setting! haha, and I'm glad I forced myself to start reading this book. Turned out it was a page-turner for me. Although I couldn't relate on some parts because it was from a mother/wife's point of view and I'm only a teenager, I learned so much lesson from this book and I agree that where you live has a big impact on your lifestyle.
  
  This book is full of adventure, risks, love, hope, and GOD! Pohlman had so much faith and trust in God, and that's what I love about her! She taught me that if you just put faith in God and let him do the work, things will happen at the right time.
• 
  Sue

  Not my typical genre, but it read like a story rather than a biography. Kept my interest and learned a lot about Italy.
• 
  Sophia Dyer • bookishly.vintage

  I do not normally read biographies, nor did I know this was one until after I purchased it at a local thrift store. That being said, I thought this book was beautiful. It contained all the ups and downs in trying to fix her marriage, as well as her personal struggles, culture shock, and travels all around Europe. This book is packed full with a little something for everybody, whether you are having troubles with your marriage or not.
  
  My favorite part of this book was the food being discussed, and how important it was for Pohlman to detail out the different restaurants she went to. I love trying new restaurants no matter where I go, and I think I would definitely gain weight in Italy by eating so much food! Also, all the places they visited or even where they lived was so picturesque and detailed out that I could envision them in my mind. How amazing a world with colors such as those must be.
  
  Reading a lot of historical fiction myself, it is always different and unique to hear about the culture in a country where you were not raised in. Pohlman was constantly pointing out how differently things were done in America, both the good and the bad, and how quickly she surrendered over to their cultural ticks instead of constantly fighting against them. It has me wondering if somebody could truly get over some of those ticks.
  
  Overall, this was a slow read for me because I wanted to savor Italy as much as Pohlman did. Being a military wife, I can only hope to go oversees for travel or residency, but also understand how incredibly different and difficult it could be, especially considering I have never even moved out of my home state. It is incredibly noteworthy and brave what the Pohlman family did, especially with their two teenagers in tow, and I think they, and their marriage, came out better for it. Must read!
• 
  Christie Munson Muller

  I love to support local authors and I also love memoir. I met the author through various local writing groups and conferences. "Halfway to Each Other" was a charming story of a couple taking a leap of faith with a move to Italy during a challenging time in their marriage. I enjoyed learning about this family's physical move and spiritual journey fraught with culture shock, language barriers and challenges both large and small, as they adjust to the Italian way. The vignette-style chapters were an easy read and were filled with engaging descriptions of the sights, smells and sounds of the Italian Riviera. I could relate to several European elements - language barriers, laundry hung out for all to see, topless beaches, transportation strikes, many courses in a meal - as I'm married to a Frenchman and these elements are similar in France! I enjoyed this book and it has inspired a trip to Italy sooner than later.
• 
  Barbara Osten

  As a longtime fan of adventure and travel memoirs, Susan Pohlman’s book didn’t disappoint. It begins with a courageous decision made by a couple spiraling towards divorce to uproot their family and move to Italy for a year. With a touch of divine intervention here and there, they naively land in the new country unprepared for the particulars of its culture. Their start is somewhat challenging, but eventually, they adjust and create a year full of amazing experiences and memories for both their children and themselves as a couple. While Pohlman admits this move is a form of extreme marital therapy, sometimes it takes a real shakeup to find out what truly matters. Overall, this book is an enjoyable read and left me cheering for the family’s success in staying and growing together.
• 
  Anna

  What a sweet story about a family who up and moved across the world to Italy for a year in hopes of healing their marriage and keeping their family together. It did seem a bit odd to me that they didn't spend more time actually learning Italian or the ways of Italians, but this moving there for a year stirred my heart.
• 
  Rita Mantone

  What’s not to love?
  
  A move to Italy. A broken marriage made whole again in God’s Grace. A family bound together in an Italian adventure. Food, friendships, love. I enjoyed Halfway to Each Other very much.
• 
  Judi

  I enjoyed the writing and the overall story very much. The journey/adventure is enticing.
  Just a bit too much biblical reference for my taste.
• 
  Katie Gorman

  Good read, started out much as a page turner but was a little too long. I loved the premise and perspective it brings you the American dream/expectations. How much does it all matter.
• 
  Cheryl Tucker

  I truly enjoyed reading this book. I have also learned-not by living in Italy- that less is best and there are so many joys in life when I give up control and listen for Gods voice.
• 
  Joanne

  Didn't make it too far in this one as it's really more about her family than Italy. Not bad, just not what I was looking for.
• 
  Christina Huvelle

  I thoroughly enjoyed spending a year in Italy with Susan and her family this weekend. Having lived abroad, I know how difficult that transition is from tourist to resident - and how painful the departure for home is at the end of it all.
  The leaping into the unknown to become comfortable in one's own skin, and the leaning into the discomfort to find the sweet spot of trust in God were highlights in this honest, often raw journey. Thank you, Susan!
• 
  Sarah Sammis

  Susan and Tim Pohlman were on a business trip to Italy, their last trip together before they had plans to divorce. Both realized they were enjoying their trip and their time together. They decided to give their marriage a second chance by selling their home and living in the Rivera for a year. Half Way to Each Other is the memoir of their year in Italy.
  
  The Pohlman family ended up living in an out of the way village. Since it was small and not especially touristy they had to learn how to live like Italians. The memoir covers many of their failures and later successes as they learned how village life works.
  
  Many times throughout the book they are the typical ugly Americans: not bothering to learn how anything works before just jumping in and assuming that everything would be like their pampered life in Los Angeles. They've never made anything from scratch; they expect American style grocery stores; they're afraid of Gypsies and so on. The parents whine as much as the children do when things do go their way.
  
  This sort of journey of rediscovery through a life abroad only works if you have tons of money to spend in the first place. How nice for them to have that ability. I'm not sure they realized just how fortunate they are in that regard.
  
  I enjoyed learning about village life in Italy and when the Pohlmans weren't being stereotypical Americans they seemed like lovely people. I would have preferred to learn more about Italy and less about the state of their marriage but in all fairness, Halfway to Each Other isn't a travel memoir.
• 
  Shonna Froebel

  Susan's marriage was on the rocks when she and her husband decided to move to Italy for a year, because it felt like the right thing to do for them. Tim quits his job, they sell their house, and get rid of or store belongings. They have 2 children: Katie, fourteen, and Matt, eleven.
  The idea to make the move came to them on a business trip to Italy.
  There are a lot of references to listening to God, to letting God guide them, and how they found appropriate verses from the Bible for situations they found themselves in.
  I'm afraid that I just didn't connect with this book. At the start of their time in Italy their behaviour screamed "stereotypical ugly American" and while Susan made reference to this, the behaviour as she described it never really changed. It was subdued a bit as they learned some of the language and made some local and expatriate friends, but it still didn't feel like they were letting that go.
  What this book really described is how the two adults took a year off work, removed themselves from the environment that was eating away at their marriage and tried to reconnect with each other (although at times even that seemed half-hearted). It worked for them and they've moved on together, so good for them.
  I wish I hadn't bothered to read this one though, as there are so many other books I want to read. The cover and idea grabbed me, but it didn't live up to them.
• 
  Robyn

  Susan and Tim's marriage is failing due to what they both feel is a lack of connection brought about by their busy, yet very separate, life activiities. In what the author describes as a "last-ditch" attempt to save their marriage, they decide to leave their home and job in the States and move their family to Italy for a year and focus on their relationship and their family. Nice concept, if you can afford it! I found it interesting, but I wish the author had spent a bit more time describing her experience with the landcape and lifestyle of Italy and less time on some of the more trivial things, like her experience getting her hair coloured. I also did not read anying in her descriptions of her issues with her husband that led me to agree that their marriage was so close to being unfixable. Having "busy lives" and "demanding careers" just don't seem like such insurmountable issues in comparison with crippling financial debt, addiction issues, infedelity or any other number of things couples have to overcome without being able to afford the luxury of dealing with their issues via a travel adventure. Perhaps their issues ran much deeper, but I was not able to see it based on the description given in the book. Still, I do applaud their drastic choice and decision to actuall work to fix the relationship.
• 
  Christy

  Susan and Tim have been married 20 years and their relationship is on the rocks. Like most of us, they’ve been sucked into the fast pace of their life…work, kids, keeping up with the Joneses, etc. Over time they have drifted apart and anger has set in. They decide to take another chance – the make or break chance – on their marriage. They quit their jobs, sell their house and move their family to Tuscany for a year. They spend the time reconnecting with each other, connecting with their two kids and discovering all Europe has to offer. While I don’t think most of us can up and do this, there are implications for slowing down the pace of our lives and making time for our relationships!
  
  "Predetermined destinations had turned out to be false truths that locked us into an unhappy life and stale routines that gave birth to boredom and guilt feelings about having so much and being so unfulfilled."