Book Review - Adventure Divas by Holly Morris

After spending most of her publishing career in alogistical and financial issues, the story was a success
cubicle, Holly Morris decided to quit her day job andand her initial film sequence was picked up by PBS
start Adventure Divas. She and her mother, who hadand later made into a documentary series. The most
a career in broadcasting, rounded up a crew ofinteresting interviews take place in the first half of
like-minded individuals and searched the globe to findthe book, with people who are hard to find and
true "divas." For Morris a "diva" was a woman whoharder to interview. Some of the figures include Black
had done or was doing extraordinary things toPanther exiles, authors, and various human rights
promote human rights. Adventure Divas: Searchingactivists.
the Globe for Women Who Are Changing the WorldAlthough the interviews are interesting - and the
is a non-fiction account of this journey from desk jobstories of getting lost, losing the film, and losing the
to Cuba, to India, and beyond. Along the way sheinterview are told with charm - the book becomes
deals with interpersonal conflicts with her mother andrepetitive toward the end. Monetary issues are
with financial issues traveling abroad.quickly resolved, the mother-daughter issues lack
To finance this dream project, Morris did odd jobsconflict, and the most interesting interviews occur
such as head-hunting head hunters in Borneo andearly in the diva search. I found myself skimming the
being a broadcaster on a Matterhorn climb. Always uplast half of the book, yearning for it to be as
for the adventure, Morris recounts these experiencesinteresting as the first half.
with a light heart, even when things don't go asThis book was not awful, but it was not great either.
planned - which they rarely do. Quirky andPerfect for light reading or another excuse to quit
lighthearted, this book is part adventure, part travel,that desk job, Adventure Divas: Searing the Globe
and part human interest stories centered aroundfor Women Who are Changing the World works well
women's rights and human rights in general.as a female travel-adventure book with some great
Morris's interviews were conducted throughout theinterviews.
globe, with the first one in Cuba. Despite serious