Honeymoon with My Brother
by Franz Wisner
Overview
From the Publisher
This is the true story of Franz Wisner, a man who thought he had it all- a high profile career and the fiancée of his dreams- when suddenly, his life turned upside down. Just days before they were to be married, his fiancée called off the wedding. Luckily, his large support network of family and friends wouldn't let him succumb to his misery. They decided Franz should have a wedding and a honeymoon anyway- there just wouldn't be a bride at the ceremony, and Franz' travel companion would be his brother, Kurt.
During the "honeymoon," Franz reconnected with his brother and began to look at his life with newfound perspective. The brothers decided to leave their old lives behind them. They quit their jobs, sold all their possessions, and traveled around the world, visiting sixty countries for the next two years. In Honeymoon With My Brother, Franz recounts this remarkable journey, during which he turned his heartbreak into an opportunity to learn about himself, the world, and the brother he hardly knew.
My thoughts
Funny thing about books. They don't always turn out the way you think they will. Such is the case with this book.
I started reading the book expecting a travel journal and was surprised, and intrigued, when I read so many personal details about the way the "honeymoon" came to be. I had to agree with the critics who commented favorably on the openness and honesty of the author in sharing what had to be a devastating time in his life.
That sucked me in, and then I was greatly interested in their mode of travel and their itinerary, but then they lost me a little bit with stereotypical American rudeness. I decided the book would get two stars instead of three for that very reason.
And then things changed. The author changed. His brother changed. They grew from this trip together, and they grew without a lot of troubling details about the changes that were taking place. The author shares just enough to get the point across. I ended up liking this book very much, and I ended up liking the author very much. It's a good book with some different twists and turns. I liked it.
Favorite Passage
“Hey, Fritz, come here,” he said. “My friend says we need a big insurance policy to bring the car into Syria.”
The forty-year-old Czech native explained that many Middle East countries required drivers to place thousands of dollars in an escrow account. The insurance policies were a way to prevent car sales in expensive secondhand-car markets. If the motorist left the country without his car, the government would receive the escrowed money. We huddled in our room.
“Okay, option A,” I said. “Drive to a border city, find a place to store the car, and take a bus in.”
“No.”
“Option B, try to buy this insurance over the Internet.”
“No.”
“Option C, bribe at the border.”
“Now you’re talking.”
