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Formosa Moon
“When Stephanie and I first realized we were in love, I gave her the talk: Specifically, that as much as I loved her, I’d always also love Taiwan, and if she stayed with me she’d have to share me with the other love of my life. Formosa Moon is a chronicle of our open-ended journey, an adventure designed to seduce Stephanie into falling in love with Taiwan.”
Notes from a Small Island meets Eat Pray Love on the Tropic of Cancer, Formosa Moon is a dual-voiced cultural exploration around Taiwan undertaken by a couple, he a veteran guidebook writer intimately familiar with the island and she, a first-time visitor who’s reluctantly agreed to relocate sight unseen.
Part travelogue, part guidebook, Formosa Moon follows the couple as they travel around the island seeking cultural exploration on a deeper level, abandoning themselves to its quirky people, convoluted history and boundless eccentricity.
Formosa Moon inspires readers to explore Taiwan on a deeper level while simultaneously offering practical information on visiting – and perhaps even expatriating to – one of Asia’s most under-the-radar destinations.
Target Audience: Travelers and readers of guidebooks and travel literature. Readers specifically interested in Taiwan and expatriate life in general. Taiwanese readers interested in seeing Taiwan through western eyes (Chinese translation planned for 2018).
Notes from a Small Island meets Eat Pray Love on the Tropic of Cancer, Formosa Moon is a dual-voiced cultural exploration around Taiwan undertaken by a couple, he a veteran guidebook writer intimately familiar with the island and she, a first-time visitor who’s reluctantly agreed to relocate sight unseen.
Part travelogue, part guidebook, Formosa Moon follows the couple as they travel around the island seeking cultural exploration on a deeper level, abandoning themselves to its quirky people, convoluted history and boundless eccentricity.
Formosa Moon inspires readers to explore Taiwan on a deeper level while simultaneously offering practical information on visiting – and perhaps even expatriating to – one of Asia’s most under-the-radar destinations.
Target Audience: Travelers and readers of guidebooks and travel literature. Readers specifically interested in Taiwan and expatriate life in general. Taiwanese readers interested in seeing Taiwan through western eyes (Chinese translation planned for 2018).
- GenresTravel
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2018
8 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Samuel Brown
21 books13 followersSmashwords Biography (copyedited):
Joshua Samuel Brown is the author of two books of short stories, How Not To Avoid Jet Lag & other Tales of Travel Madness (2014) and Vignettes of Taiwan (2005). He’s also authored or co-authored over a dozen travel guides, including two editions of Lonely Planet Taiwan (2007 & 2010), two editions of Lonely Planet Belize (2008 & 2011) and the Singapore City Guide (2008).
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bicycle Times, the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Standard, the China Post, the Taiwan News, the Colorado Daily, Beijing Scene, City Weekend, Business Traveler Asia, Cat Fancy, Dim Sum Literary Journal, Destination Belize, Travel in Taiwan & many others.
A passionate amateur chef, Joshua is also regular contributor to Lonely Planet’s annual trade publications, having researched, prepared & written up a dozen recipes for books with titles like The World’s Best Street Food, The World’s Best Spicy Food & The World’s Best Brunches. He contributes regularly to the Lonely Planet Website has maintained a blog called Snarky Tofu since 2006.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josambro
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/joshua-s...
Blog: http://josambro.blogspot.com/
Joshua Samuel Brown is the author of two books of short stories, How Not To Avoid Jet Lag & other Tales of Travel Madness (2014) and Vignettes of Taiwan (2005). He’s also authored or co-authored over a dozen travel guides, including two editions of Lonely Planet Taiwan (2007 & 2010), two editions of Lonely Planet Belize (2008 & 2011) and the Singapore City Guide (2008).
His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bicycle Times, the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Standard, the China Post, the Taiwan News, the Colorado Daily, Beijing Scene, City Weekend, Business Traveler Asia, Cat Fancy, Dim Sum Literary Journal, Destination Belize, Travel in Taiwan & many others.
A passionate amateur chef, Joshua is also regular contributor to Lonely Planet’s annual trade publications, having researched, prepared & written up a dozen recipes for books with titles like The World’s Best Street Food, The World’s Best Spicy Food & The World’s Best Brunches. He contributes regularly to the Lonely Planet Website has maintained a blog called Snarky Tofu since 2006.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josambro
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/joshua-s...
Blog: http://josambro.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 3, 2018
When was the last time you ever read a travel guide from cover to cover? Formosa Moon is one of those unique books that doubles as guide on Taiwan, as well as the story of a couple’s joint adventure travelling across the island. Written by travel writer and Lonely Planet author of books on (among others) Taiwan, Joshua Samuel Brown co-wrote this book with his partner, Stephanie Huffman. It’s alternately written from two very different perspectives: that from the seasoned Taiwan hand (Joshua) who knows the island like the back of his hand, and that of Stephanie, a first-time visitor to Asia.
We all know what it’s like having a first-time visitor coming to your home who you’d like to impress. It being your place, you no longer notice – or bother about - the light-brown stains on the kitchen ceiling that have become worse over the years. It’s not really a big deal. But while you’re frantically tidying up as much as you can, you suddenly see these less attractive features as plain as day. You see the stains, just as your visiting friend sees them when he or she walks through the door. It is this aspect that the author and co-author have used in this book, and it’s very refreshing, as well as effective. When you know a place from back to front it’s easy to miss things when you write about them for the umpteenth time. You become jaded. In Formosa Moon, first-time Taiwan visitor Stephanie sees things differently from Joshua. She experiences them in another way, and it’s exactly this, that makes this book different from the rest.
It not only covers the couple’s extensive travels, it also tells of their quest to make the place their mutual home for some years to come. It is clear that Brown has lost his heart to Taiwan years before, and he fervently tries to ‘sell’ the place to Stephanie in an effort to persuade her to stay there for the longer term. In turn, Stephanie writes about her own culture shock, struggling somewhat to adjust in a world that’s entirely different from here own, with all the pitfalls that come with it. In that sense, this book at times rivals the Culture Shock! series, in which the focus shifts to being an expat on the island. I sometimes felt their personal story as a couple got slightly in the way of their portrait of Taiwan, but on reading the entire book I changed my mind. By making themselves intimately vulnerable you are reminded that the authors are real people, each with imperfections of their own, each with their own views, and this adds value to the book. It makes it honest, and objective. By drawing you into their both their lives, the reader gets a better cross-section of what travelling -and living – in Taiwan can be like.
One particular thing that I liked about Formosa Moon, is the way readers are clearly told what they can expect. There is one anecdote, for instance, when Joshua takes Stephanie to the Shilin Night Market on the day of her arrival from the U.S., jet-lagged and all. Having been there so many times, it doesn’t occur to him that it can be pretty overwhelming to someone visiting Asia for the first time, especially when jet-lagged and still recovering from the long-haul flight. Most guide-books wouldn’t ear-mark this with “Better not visit Shilin market on the day of your arrival”, and if they did, it’s something you might skip over. After reading Stephanie’s passage on how the visit to the market made her positively reel on her feet from sheer exhaustion, some readers might take note and keep it for another day. Or, Joshua’s description of how the world seemed to close in on him at the Fairy Cave in Keelung: how, to his horror, his claustrophobia kicked in and forced him to backtrack (and inconvenience a flock of other incoming of tourists right behind him) to get out. If you’re uncomfortable in enclosed spaces, reading this will prompt you to make a mental note that you should skip this little adventure. More so than a small foot-note in a traditional guide book might do.
Formosa Moon is an intimate, highly readable and enjoyable (guide) book on Taiwan with detailed information on the geography, culture, food, politics, history and colorful people of the island. It includes photographs and practical tips at the end of the chapters, each of which is dedicated to a different part of Taiwan. The book is humorous, well-written with an eye for detail, and the authors’ love and enthusiasm for the island and its very friendly people shine through. I assure you it will make you chuckle at times, especially if you’re already familiar with the island. I seriously recommend it to anyone who plans to travel or move to Taiwan, and to those who have already been there. Great fun for old Taiwan hands, too. It certainly brought back memories of my own time on the island.
We all know what it’s like having a first-time visitor coming to your home who you’d like to impress. It being your place, you no longer notice – or bother about - the light-brown stains on the kitchen ceiling that have become worse over the years. It’s not really a big deal. But while you’re frantically tidying up as much as you can, you suddenly see these less attractive features as plain as day. You see the stains, just as your visiting friend sees them when he or she walks through the door. It is this aspect that the author and co-author have used in this book, and it’s very refreshing, as well as effective. When you know a place from back to front it’s easy to miss things when you write about them for the umpteenth time. You become jaded. In Formosa Moon, first-time Taiwan visitor Stephanie sees things differently from Joshua. She experiences them in another way, and it’s exactly this, that makes this book different from the rest.
It not only covers the couple’s extensive travels, it also tells of their quest to make the place their mutual home for some years to come. It is clear that Brown has lost his heart to Taiwan years before, and he fervently tries to ‘sell’ the place to Stephanie in an effort to persuade her to stay there for the longer term. In turn, Stephanie writes about her own culture shock, struggling somewhat to adjust in a world that’s entirely different from here own, with all the pitfalls that come with it. In that sense, this book at times rivals the Culture Shock! series, in which the focus shifts to being an expat on the island. I sometimes felt their personal story as a couple got slightly in the way of their portrait of Taiwan, but on reading the entire book I changed my mind. By making themselves intimately vulnerable you are reminded that the authors are real people, each with imperfections of their own, each with their own views, and this adds value to the book. It makes it honest, and objective. By drawing you into their both their lives, the reader gets a better cross-section of what travelling -and living – in Taiwan can be like.
One particular thing that I liked about Formosa Moon, is the way readers are clearly told what they can expect. There is one anecdote, for instance, when Joshua takes Stephanie to the Shilin Night Market on the day of her arrival from the U.S., jet-lagged and all. Having been there so many times, it doesn’t occur to him that it can be pretty overwhelming to someone visiting Asia for the first time, especially when jet-lagged and still recovering from the long-haul flight. Most guide-books wouldn’t ear-mark this with “Better not visit Shilin market on the day of your arrival”, and if they did, it’s something you might skip over. After reading Stephanie’s passage on how the visit to the market made her positively reel on her feet from sheer exhaustion, some readers might take note and keep it for another day. Or, Joshua’s description of how the world seemed to close in on him at the Fairy Cave in Keelung: how, to his horror, his claustrophobia kicked in and forced him to backtrack (and inconvenience a flock of other incoming of tourists right behind him) to get out. If you’re uncomfortable in enclosed spaces, reading this will prompt you to make a mental note that you should skip this little adventure. More so than a small foot-note in a traditional guide book might do.
Formosa Moon is an intimate, highly readable and enjoyable (guide) book on Taiwan with detailed information on the geography, culture, food, politics, history and colorful people of the island. It includes photographs and practical tips at the end of the chapters, each of which is dedicated to a different part of Taiwan. The book is humorous, well-written with an eye for detail, and the authors’ love and enthusiasm for the island and its very friendly people shine through. I assure you it will make you chuckle at times, especially if you’re already familiar with the island. I seriously recommend it to anyone who plans to travel or move to Taiwan, and to those who have already been there. Great fun for old Taiwan hands, too. It certainly brought back memories of my own time on the island.
January 10, 2021
若你要結婚了，蜜月的目的地會是哪裡呢? 馬爾地夫、關島、捷克?
當你的伴侶說，我們去台灣度蜜月吧，你的第一反應一定會愣住吧。
本書作者葉家喜(Joshua)是一位熱愛台灣的美國人，他在書裡說，他曾以為自己能夠接納台灣，沒想到是台灣接納了他。在英文出版的世界裡，他被譽為台灣旅遊的權威，這本書應該是目前為止，關於台灣最好的旅遊文學書。
作者在1994年第一次來到台灣，一開始在台中和新竹當英語老師，後來以台灣為家，探索亞洲。他是孤獨星球好幾本指南的作者(包含台灣)，也會替雜誌或媒體寫稿，總之他是一位熱愛台灣的旅遊作家，偶爾他也會擔任導遊，帶領歐美的團員深度的探索寶島。往後的二十幾年，他成了一位旅居台灣的作者/導遊/記者，對台灣這塊土地有分享不完的故事，說不盡的感情。
作者寫這本書的動機很奇妙，儘管他很熱愛台灣，在人生的不同階段還是會回到美國居住。Joshua在書的開頭，寫到他正住在美國西岸的波特蘭。他與女友史黛芬妮(Stephanie)住在這個小鎮已經好幾年了，他們談論未來時，Joshua跟她說如果要結婚，或許小倆口會移居台灣，因為Joshua實在太熱愛台灣了。差不多2015~2016年的某一天，他們動身了，賣掉所有的家當，破釜沉舟的來到台灣了!
史黛芬妮從小就居住在地廣人稀的美國西南部，從來沒有長期生活在異國的經驗，這與Joshua南轅北轍，Joshua是個不安於室的流浪者，以天地為家，最大的樂趣就是毫無目的的晃遊。Joshua想要讓史黛芬妮愛上台灣，所以帶著她來到台灣”度蜜月”，探索這塊福爾摩沙，美麗之島。
他們住在台北郊區的山上，並且開始了探索台灣之旅，整本書涵蓋的時間幅度大約是8個月吧。他們上山下海，進行深度的台灣冒險。其實出發前他們就已經計畫好將兩人的旅途寫成一本書，本書就是他們探險的紀錄。本書的寫作方式非常特別，由兩人合著，所以我們能夠從兩個截然不同的視角體驗同一趟旅程。一位是熱愛台灣的癡情者，另一位是對台灣全然陌生的初學者，這種組合的確充滿文化衝擊。兩人文筆幽默風趣，對於台灣文化的描寫精闢又獨到。
如果說一本優秀的旅遊文本要反映當地的風俗民情，兩位作者的台灣之行可說是非常道地，充滿台味! Joshua不愧是”台灣旅遊的權威”，他安排的行程不僅深入台灣文化，也很有代表性。我真的覺得透過老外的眼睛看台灣是一件很有意思的事。他們去了: 台北、宜蘭、花蓮、台東、綠島、高雄、台南、雲林、台中、新竹…等地。他們的遊玩可不是蜻蜓點水，而是挺深入的。例如拜訪了都蘭、司馬庫斯體驗台灣原住民的風情與困境；在綠島追憶戒嚴時代的種種悲劇…。他們甚至還參加了觀光局東管處舉辦的尾牙，並且分析了尾牙這種特有的台灣文化。
值得一提的是史黛芬妮是一位熱愛布偶的藝術家，因此她對於布袋戲情有獨鍾，也有去雲林的霹靂布袋戲總部參觀。寫了這些你應該體會到他們的行程的確很local。透過兩位作者的視角，讀者一定能感受到台灣也是充滿文化蘊味的國度，並以身為台灣人為傲~
Joshua於書末在一個專營台灣的旅行社找到工作，史黛芬妮則是錄取了政大的研究所，讓他們有了在台灣生根的理由了。不過我到Joshua的臉書追蹤了一下近況，他們2019年還是搬回波特蘭了。但台灣絕對歡迎兩位隨時回來，你們在亞洲的家~
看了很多關於外國的書籍，我也好奇外國人怎麼寫台灣，如果你稍微研究一下，就會發現”台灣”這個主題在國外的討論度真的比較低。我的意思是假如你搜尋關於日本的書(best books about Japan)，會有一拖拉庫的著作，反而best books about Taiwan，搜尋到的結果就少很多，就算有相關的著作，很多都是關於兩岸政治的討論，而非文化的探索。
因此有這麼一本讓世界認識台灣的好書，怎麼可以讓它埋沒呢? 我們常常都會自怨自艾遭受世界的冷落，難得有一位如此熱愛台灣的老外作者，當然要熱情的予以回應囉! 我在亞馬遜只用6美元就買到Kindle版本，有興趣也推薦買來看看，本書蠻有趣的。另外假如英文能力允許，也可以在亞馬遜或Goodreads寫一下評鑑，讓更多人看見台灣。
當你的伴侶說，我們去台灣度蜜月吧，你的第一反應一定會愣住吧。
本書作者葉家喜(Joshua)是一位熱愛台灣的美國人，他在書裡說，他曾以為自己能夠接納台灣，沒想到是台灣接納了他。在英文出版的世界裡，他被譽為台灣旅遊的權威，這本書應該是目前為止，關於台灣最好的旅遊文學書。
作者在1994年第一次來到台灣，一開始在台中和新竹當英語老師，後來以台灣為家，探索亞洲。他是孤獨星球好幾本指南的作者(包含台灣)，也會替雜誌或媒體寫稿，總之他是一位熱愛台灣的旅遊作家，偶爾他也會擔任導遊，帶領歐美的團員深度的探索寶島。往後的二十幾年，他成了一位旅居台灣的作者/導遊/記者，對台灣這塊土地有分享不完的故事，說不盡的感情。
作者寫這本書的動機很奇妙，儘管他很熱愛台灣，在人生的不同階段還是會回到美國居住。Joshua在書的開頭，寫到他正住在美國西岸的波特蘭。他與女友史黛芬妮(Stephanie)住在這個小鎮已經好幾年了，他們談論未來時，Joshua跟她說如果要結婚，或許小倆口會移居台灣，因為Joshua實在太熱愛台灣了。差不多2015~2016年的某一天，他們動身了，賣掉所有的家當，破釜沉舟的來到台灣了!
史黛芬妮從小就居住在地廣人稀的美國西南部，從來沒有長期生活在異國的經驗，這與Joshua南轅北轍，Joshua是個不安於室的流浪者，以天地為家，最大的樂趣就是毫無目的的晃遊。Joshua想要讓史黛芬妮愛上台灣，所以帶著她來到台灣”度蜜月”，探索這塊福爾摩沙，美麗之島。
他們住在台北郊區的山上，並且開始了探索台灣之旅，整本書涵蓋的時間幅度大約是8個月吧。他們上山下海，進行深度的台灣冒險。其實出發前他們就已經計畫好將兩人的旅途寫成一本書，本書就是他們探險的紀錄。本書的寫作方式非常特別，由兩人合著，所以我們能夠從兩個截然不同的視角體驗同一趟旅程。一位是熱愛台灣的癡情者，另一位是對台灣全然陌生的初學者，這種組合的確充滿文化衝擊。兩人文筆幽默風趣，對於台灣文化的描寫精闢又獨到。
如果說一本優秀的旅遊文本要反映當地的風俗民情，兩位作者的台灣之行可說是非常道地，充滿台味! Joshua不愧是”台灣旅遊的權威”，他安排的行程不僅深入台灣文化，也很有代表性。我真的覺得透過老外的眼睛看台灣是一件很有意思的事。他們去了: 台北、宜蘭、花蓮、台東、綠島、高雄、台南、雲林、台中、新竹…等地。他們的遊玩可不是蜻蜓點水，而是挺深入的。例如拜訪了都蘭、司馬庫斯體驗台灣原住民的風情與困境；在綠島追憶戒嚴時代的種種悲劇…。他們甚至還參加了觀光局東管處舉辦的尾牙，並且分析了尾牙這種特有的台灣文化。
值得一提的是史黛芬妮是一位熱愛布偶的藝術家，因此她對於布袋戲情有獨鍾，也有去雲林的霹靂布袋戲總部參觀。寫了這些你應該體會到他們的行程的確很local。透過兩位作者的視角，讀者一定能感受到台灣也是充滿文化蘊味的國度，並以身為台灣人為傲~
Joshua於書末在一個專營台灣的旅行社找到工作，史黛芬妮則是錄取了政大的研究所，讓他們有了在台灣生根的理由了。不過我到Joshua的臉書追蹤了一下近況，他們2019年還是搬回波特蘭了。但台灣絕對歡迎兩位隨時回來，你們在亞洲的家~
看了很多關於外國的書籍，我也好奇外國人怎麼寫台灣，如果你稍微研究一下，就會發現”台灣”這個主題在國外的討論度真的比較低。我的意思是假如你搜尋關於日本的書(best books about Japan)，會有一拖拉庫的著作，反而best books about Taiwan，搜尋到的結果就少很多，就算有相關的著作，很多都是關於兩岸政治的討論，而非文化的探索。
因此有這麼一本讓世界認識台灣的好書，怎麼可以讓它埋沒呢? 我們常常都會自怨自艾遭受世界的冷落，難得有一位如此熱愛台灣的老外作者，當然要熱情的予以回應囉! 我在亞馬遜只用6美元就買到Kindle版本，有興趣也推薦買來看看，本書蠻有趣的。另外假如英文能力允許，也可以在亞馬遜或Goodreads寫一下評鑑，讓更多人看見台灣。
February 7, 2021
As the co-author of Formosa Moon, it would be disingenuous to review the thing for Good Reads, so I'll instead use this space to introduce readers old and new to FMPOP (Formosa Moon Progressive Outreach Program).
Since mid-2020, Stephanie and I have been sending signed copies of Formosa Moon to various policy makers throughout the USA, some of whom are already identified supporters of Taiwan and others with whom we feel some degree of ideological (and in a few cases geographical) kinship.
With each book we send a one-page typed letter with a brief introduction, personalized to include connective details where applicable, thanks for supporting Taiwan where applicable, a short and well-written outline of the many ideological values shared by Taiwan and American progressives and a simple call to action.
While of course we want these policy makers to read our book, we understand that they've probably got a lot on their plate these days. So while our main goal is to get them to read the letter, we aren't above enticing them to check out a few pages specific to their own areas / committees.
For example, we've pointed out our Oregon-related chapters (most notably "Tainan is the Portland of Taiwan") to our Governor and two Democratic Senators in our home state of Oregon.
We told Rep Deb Haaland (now Secretary of the Interior!) about our chapter "The Winding road to autonomy," to introduce America's most prominent indigenous policy maker to the Atayal people calling Smangus, the beautiful, difficult to reach tribal village in the high mountains of Hsinchu county, home.
While there isn't a chapter in Formosa Moon about Taiwan's fantastic health care system, we couldn't help but make that the main focus of our letter to Bernie Sanders. (We pointed out a few of the funniest chapters for Bernie - we're both Jews from New York, so I figure we have similar senses of humor.)
The main goal of FMPOP is to introduce Asia's most progressive nation to America's more progressive policy makers.
Feel free to write me for more information about FMPOP.
Since mid-2020, Stephanie and I have been sending signed copies of Formosa Moon to various policy makers throughout the USA, some of whom are already identified supporters of Taiwan and others with whom we feel some degree of ideological (and in a few cases geographical) kinship.
With each book we send a one-page typed letter with a brief introduction, personalized to include connective details where applicable, thanks for supporting Taiwan where applicable, a short and well-written outline of the many ideological values shared by Taiwan and American progressives and a simple call to action.
While of course we want these policy makers to read our book, we understand that they've probably got a lot on their plate these days. So while our main goal is to get them to read the letter, we aren't above enticing them to check out a few pages specific to their own areas / committees.
For example, we've pointed out our Oregon-related chapters (most notably "Tainan is the Portland of Taiwan") to our Governor and two Democratic Senators in our home state of Oregon.
We told Rep Deb Haaland (now Secretary of the Interior!) about our chapter "The Winding road to autonomy," to introduce America's most prominent indigenous policy maker to the Atayal people calling Smangus, the beautiful, difficult to reach tribal village in the high mountains of Hsinchu county, home.
While there isn't a chapter in Formosa Moon about Taiwan's fantastic health care system, we couldn't help but make that the main focus of our letter to Bernie Sanders. (We pointed out a few of the funniest chapters for Bernie - we're both Jews from New York, so I figure we have similar senses of humor.)
The main goal of FMPOP is to introduce Asia's most progressive nation to America's more progressive policy makers.
Feel free to write me for more information about FMPOP.
June 28, 2018
Whether you know Taiwan intimately or want to see it through an expert's eyes as someone who has never been, Formosa Moon is an enchanting wander through Taiwan, written as a love story between Taiwan expert and Lonely Planet author, Joshua Samuel Brown; and his partner Stephanie Huffman, a newcomer to Taiwan and to Asia.
Formosa Moon is told from two perspectives, each chapter partitioned off by icons of the authors so the reader can experience both sides of each adventure. The couple recounts their tales of traveling around the island and falling in love with Taiwan's complex history, its sweet but slightly zany citizens, all while offering a deep exploration of Taiwan along with practical information for newcomers and expats alike.
Formosa Moon introduces Taiwan in such a way that will never make you forget how utterly unique and charming this tiny island is.
Brown is a leading expert on Taiwan and well known for his personal tours of Taiwan. When he creates the ultimate Taiwan itinerary and journey for his love so she can experience his beloved second home through his eyes, we come full circle to Formosa Moon, a beautifully honest adventure about life in Taiwan, designed to seduce Brown's love and their readers into falling in love with Taiwan. Ultimately, as we learn about Taiwan, we also learn about the love between these two travelers that share an mutual respect for exploring, and on both sides, for enduring some not so tempting parts about Taiwan.
In Huffman's case, dietary restrictions become a real adventure and challenge, but in this challenge, readers learn what to expect and what not to expect from culinary cuisine in Taiwan. On Brown's side, we read about some adventures he has done in the past that turned out equally as uncomfortable for him as the first time around.
Having lived in Taiwan since 2006, parts of this book are things I know well about Taiwan, but it's like I forgot what I've seen myself - much of it through Brown's suggestions to me in his other books - and was reminded once again of how unique this island is. This book will make you fall in love with Taiwan.
I loved how the authors set up the chapter list, so this gets an extra A+ for originality for its chapter headings. I rarely look at the chapter list, but I had a good laugh at the opening in this one. Some of my favorite chapters in the book are:
*But first, an offshore adventure
*Our whirlwind tour kicks into high gear
*The moon represents my heart (One of the most beautiful chapters in this book.)
*Puppets and astrological errors
*The winding road to autonomy
*Keeping up appearances
*Dark night of the soul
*A peculiar mingling of love and death
*We find ourselves managing a hotel (This chapter is hilarious.)
Best Takeaway Quotes:
“Once it drew me into its gravity, this strange and alien land I’ve chosen to call home for long stretches has been the one true constant in my life. Taiwan has granted me a near-constant reprieve from my most feared nemesis, boredom, but at times she’s driven me half-mad. Taiwan has been my muse, the source of inspiration for much of my creative output as a writer, while at the same time never quite letting me forget that the language in which I write is not the lingua franca of the place about which I write. I have loved Taiwan for nearly all of my adult life. At times this love has shone as brilliantly as the moon over Kenting during the Mid-Autumn Festival, at others far less brightly, like a crescent moon during the long rainy season in Taipei,…. So when I sang it was this love for Taiwan, waxing and waning, but always present, that I felt.” ~Joshua Samuel Brown, Formosa Moon
Yuraw thought for a moment before saying that he would like to sing us a song. I was totally delighted as the deputy chief of Smangus began singing to us in his own language, drawing pictures in the air with his hands of mountains, rivers, and trees. His voice was strong and deep, and the fire pit glowed a dull red as the darkening sky wrapped around us. The love he felt for his community was palpable and for a moment the area transformed into a timeless space where the remoteness seemed the only thing in existence. -Stephanie Huffman, Formosa Moon
Grandfather Shi must have loved Ita Thao. His relatives were certainly making his last hours there memorable ones. Though the ceremony did not have strippers (at least none that we saw), there was no shortage of other elements designed to produce 'hot noise' that's an indispensable feature of any Taiwanese funeral. Designed to celebrate the life of the deceased and ensure their smooth passing into the next world, Grandfather Shi's hot noise included gongs mixed with rigorous Buddhist chanting, pop music, karaoke, and later, a live band complete with drummers and an accordion. All of this was taking place under a covered tent set up in the alleyway next to the Cherry Feast Resort, where we'd booked a three-day stay in advance.". ~Joshua Samuel Brown, Formosa Moon
Publication Date: October 2018. You can pre-order through Amazon. A beautiful and a very enchanting wander through Taiwan.
Formosa Moon is told from two perspectives, each chapter partitioned off by icons of the authors so the reader can experience both sides of each adventure. The couple recounts their tales of traveling around the island and falling in love with Taiwan's complex history, its sweet but slightly zany citizens, all while offering a deep exploration of Taiwan along with practical information for newcomers and expats alike.
Formosa Moon introduces Taiwan in such a way that will never make you forget how utterly unique and charming this tiny island is.
Brown is a leading expert on Taiwan and well known for his personal tours of Taiwan. When he creates the ultimate Taiwan itinerary and journey for his love so she can experience his beloved second home through his eyes, we come full circle to Formosa Moon, a beautifully honest adventure about life in Taiwan, designed to seduce Brown's love and their readers into falling in love with Taiwan. Ultimately, as we learn about Taiwan, we also learn about the love between these two travelers that share an mutual respect for exploring, and on both sides, for enduring some not so tempting parts about Taiwan.
In Huffman's case, dietary restrictions become a real adventure and challenge, but in this challenge, readers learn what to expect and what not to expect from culinary cuisine in Taiwan. On Brown's side, we read about some adventures he has done in the past that turned out equally as uncomfortable for him as the first time around.
Having lived in Taiwan since 2006, parts of this book are things I know well about Taiwan, but it's like I forgot what I've seen myself - much of it through Brown's suggestions to me in his other books - and was reminded once again of how unique this island is. This book will make you fall in love with Taiwan.
I loved how the authors set up the chapter list, so this gets an extra A+ for originality for its chapter headings. I rarely look at the chapter list, but I had a good laugh at the opening in this one. Some of my favorite chapters in the book are:
*But first, an offshore adventure
*Our whirlwind tour kicks into high gear
*The moon represents my heart (One of the most beautiful chapters in this book.)
*Puppets and astrological errors
*The winding road to autonomy
*Keeping up appearances
*Dark night of the soul
*A peculiar mingling of love and death
*We find ourselves managing a hotel (This chapter is hilarious.)
Best Takeaway Quotes:
“Once it drew me into its gravity, this strange and alien land I’ve chosen to call home for long stretches has been the one true constant in my life. Taiwan has granted me a near-constant reprieve from my most feared nemesis, boredom, but at times she’s driven me half-mad. Taiwan has been my muse, the source of inspiration for much of my creative output as a writer, while at the same time never quite letting me forget that the language in which I write is not the lingua franca of the place about which I write. I have loved Taiwan for nearly all of my adult life. At times this love has shone as brilliantly as the moon over Kenting during the Mid-Autumn Festival, at others far less brightly, like a crescent moon during the long rainy season in Taipei,…. So when I sang it was this love for Taiwan, waxing and waning, but always present, that I felt.” ~Joshua Samuel Brown, Formosa Moon
Yuraw thought for a moment before saying that he would like to sing us a song. I was totally delighted as the deputy chief of Smangus began singing to us in his own language, drawing pictures in the air with his hands of mountains, rivers, and trees. His voice was strong and deep, and the fire pit glowed a dull red as the darkening sky wrapped around us. The love he felt for his community was palpable and for a moment the area transformed into a timeless space where the remoteness seemed the only thing in existence. -Stephanie Huffman, Formosa Moon
Grandfather Shi must have loved Ita Thao. His relatives were certainly making his last hours there memorable ones. Though the ceremony did not have strippers (at least none that we saw), there was no shortage of other elements designed to produce 'hot noise' that's an indispensable feature of any Taiwanese funeral. Designed to celebrate the life of the deceased and ensure their smooth passing into the next world, Grandfather Shi's hot noise included gongs mixed with rigorous Buddhist chanting, pop music, karaoke, and later, a live band complete with drummers and an accordion. All of this was taking place under a covered tent set up in the alleyway next to the Cherry Feast Resort, where we'd booked a three-day stay in advance.". ~Joshua Samuel Brown, Formosa Moon
Publication Date: October 2018. You can pre-order through Amazon. A beautiful and a very enchanting wander through Taiwan.
September 25, 2019
This book is a trip (no pun intended!). I can't imagine it's easy to write a really funny travel book, but this duo definitely achieves that. I appreciated the two voices, which bring two sometimes contrary perspectives on Taiwan and also share an interesting relationship dynamic. A solid travel book with a fun memoir angle.
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