Two years ago this month, Marilyn Beckwith, a dear friend and gifted writer, passed away. One year ago, I helped her family see her story published posthumously.

To honor these anniversaries, I’m featuring Marilyn’s wonderful memoir, Home Is Where the Suitcases Are, and running a giveaway in her honor. More on the giveaway in a minute, but first, about the book…

In the early 1970s, after a year of unemployment, Marilyn Beckwith was in desperate need for change in her life. With her characteristic joie de vivre, she started a new life on a new continent—and didn’t look back. In 1971, she and her husband moved to Africa with their four children, armed with not much more than a penchant for adventure and a sense of humor. They started their African adventures in Kenya, and they tried life in Zaire (now Congo).

Marilyn was called to build a home for her family on the local economy, unsupported by any embassy or company. While steadfastly holding on to her values, she faced a steep learning curve in adjusting to the African rhythms of life. She gamely coped with challenges, from the mundane to the miraculous, including bridging food shortages, navigating the fringes of diplomatic life, out-smarting a mischievous chimpanzee, and adapting to new languages:
“Madame, you speak French like a Zairean.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Madame, that was not a compliment!”

With wry and sometimes irreverent humor, Marilyn draws readers into an international adventure that transcends era.

After living in Africa, Marilyn worked as a writer and editor for the National Iranian Television Network in Tehran. Over the course of her husband’s fifty-year aviation career, she lived in nine countries. They retired near Seattle, where she died in 2011.

I loved working on Marilyn’s memoir and now it’s my privilege to share it with you.

The giveaway: to receive a copy of Marilyn’s memoir, simply leave a comment on this post. (Continental U.S. residents only, please. While supplies last.) Special thanks to the Beckwith family, whose generosity makes this giveaway possible.