A travel columnist for The New York Times decides to take an extended a solo trip to Paris, Istanbul, Florence, and back to New York, her home city that she learns to see anew after time away.
As someone who’s a strong believer in the healing power of alone time, this book is personal and thought-provoking ... Overall, Alone Time is an excellent blend of intimate, in depth recollections of traveling alone as well as a self-help guide to mindfulness. It is a fascinating, light read and highly recommended for anyone planning on visiting the cities discussed. But be warned there is some repetitiveness in phrasing that is somewhat distracting, but with that aside, the pure joy of reading about these delightful cities negates any pitfalls. Overall, Rosenbloom’s writing style is warm and engaging and will most definitely have readers eager to set off on their own solo travels.
Rosenbloom's prose is mostly conversational though she does veer to the lyrical when trying to convey the sensory details of a place or object. She transitions fluidly between narrative modes—memoir to reportage to travelogue to philosophical musing ... her enthusiasm and eagerness are like that of a friend warmly reliving their favorite moments from a recent life-changing trip. And her happiness with her serendipitous discoveries along the way is infectious ... One area the book could have explored more deeply is that of keeping people at a requisite distance during a solo trip. For travelers going it alone, meeting strangers and making new friends is always a tricky proposition ... Certainly, for those who would like to take up solo travel (note: truly alone and not as a part of those ever-growing 'solo travel' groups), this is a helpful companion guide. Rosenbloom makes a compelling case for this subset of travelers, who might be on the fence about the benefits and safety of going it entirely alone ... What Rosenbloom ably demonstrates with this entire book is the old adage that a solitary person is not escaping the world but participating differently in it.
Rosenbloom dives into her journeys with joy and curiosity: well-known tourist haunts and obscure side streets are equally fair game ... Alone Time is both a paean to its title and an invitation to anyone who has ever longed to explore a new city á seul.
