[Book Review] Geckos & Guns: The Pakistan Years (Living as an Expat Series, book 2) by Sharon Bazant

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By Sharon Bazant

This is the second installment in Bazant’s travel memoirs. This is a prequel to her first book, Nine Years in Bangkok: Lessons Learned. In 1991, Bazant, along with her husband and two teenagers, took a “hardship” posting to Islamabad. The book chronicles her family’s five years in Pakistan, adjusting to a new culture as well as navigating the perils of flash floods, power cuts, and bombings.

I was hooked from the first page. Bazant is a gifted storyteller, engaging all of the senses in her vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. The writing is very conversational, giving the reader the feeling of sitting down over a cup of coffee and getting to know a new friend. Bazant provides wonderful insight into the history, culture, politics, and religion of modern Pakistan that broadens the reader’s understanding of the environment she and her family were living in.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bazant’s memoir and look forward to reading more from her.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

More About the Author

Sharon Bazant

Sharon Bazant is a retired Drama and English teacher living near Vancouver, Canada. She has donned a variety of professional and personal hats throughout her life including Thai massage therapist, U.N. research consultant, world traveler, and long-term expatriate. Some of her greatest adventures occurred during her time in Pakistan and Thailand.

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