Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Urban Nomad:
Grab a drink and settle in.
Quick synopsis:
The memoir of a guy who has learned some life lessons and wants to tell you about them.
Fact for Non-History People:
If you like this book, don’t miss Kelvin’s other book, Clinical Imaging of the Colon and Rectum. No, I’m not kidding and no I didn’t read it.
Fact for History Nerds:
It’s a memoir so mostly there are some statistics on the Holocaust which are very sad.
My Take on Urban Nomad:
I think everyone has a storyteller in their life. Maybe it’s your crazy aunt who tells you the stories about your family that you were never supposed to hear. Maybe it’s that friend who can seemingly enchant anyone at the bar three shots in with wild tales that may or may not have happened just like they are saying. Some storytellers are sharp and succinct while others meander. Take all those traits, put them into book form, and you probably end up with Urban Nomad by Freddie Kelvin.
Kelvin tells his own life story, and it is poignant, colorful, and a little all over the place. I have never come across a book which has a mini chapter on celibacy, but here we are!
I should say to anyone thinking of reading the book is that it is completely straight forward. There are no major twists or turns, but there is a life contained in these pages. I’d also warn the reader that the first section, which focuses on Kelvin’s parents, is very choppy. Once Kelvin starts talking about himself, the entire narrative smooths out. He is funny, self-effacing, and self-critical. All of that is to say, this is just the story of a guy who wanted to write it all down.
(This book was provided to me for an honest review.)
Verdict:
If you like memoirs, pick this one up. Buy it here!
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