EFM and FSO Books List

Created by Jantine Konings Haley, Catherine Pierce and the FSHub Resource Articles Team

Many Eligible Family Members (EFMs) in the U.S. Foreign Service community pursue portable careers or a vocation in writing, editing, translation, research, and even audiobook narration. This article aims to present the books they have produced, so readers can benefit from their work and wisdom and also support their mobile careers. If you have an additional EFM book to suggest, please contact content@aafsw.org. Thank you and happy reading!


Arts and Culture
Audiobooks
Guidebooks
Kids (for and about)
Memoirs and Insights from Globally Mobile Lives
Technology, Economics and Development

Arts and Culture

The Bordeaux Kitchen: An Immersion into French Food and Wine, Inspired by Ancestral Traditions, Tania Teschke (2018). More than a cookbook, this is a comprehensive cultural and culinary journey into the world of traditional French cuisine and French wine (adapted for paleo enthusiasts), and tips for ancestral living. Author Tania Teschke, food and wine gourmet, photographer, and lifelong student of French culture, brings you over 160 sumptuous and easy-to-follow recipes for seasonal and traditional French dishes that deliver not only the nutrition, but also the satisfaction we have been missing in our modern diet. Tania takes you on a French culinary journey to reclaim your primal connections to food and health and to each other through personal stories, striking photography and colorful tutorials. 
https://www.amazon.com/Bordeaux-Kitchen-Immersion-Ancestral-Traditions/dp/1939563399/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540823392&sr=8-1&keywords=tania+teschke

Give Me the Word, Laura Fabrycky (2016). Written over fifteen years from various locations in
America and the Middle East, and in witness to several seasons of life, these are poems that
ring with the making of daily life and embody the quotidian joys and heartaches that are true
for all people, everywhere.
https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me- Word-Advent-20002015/dp/0692571833/ref=la_B0185UC5X6_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520960392&sr=1-1&refinements=p_82%3AB0185UC5X6%2Cp_n_feature_browse- bin%3A2656022011

A Promise to Live For by Izumi Mochizuki Greubel (2016/2018). Seventy years after the end of World War II, Iku finally decided to tell her story to the whole world. In 1946, 10-year-old Iku and her 6-year-old old brother traveled 340 miles, mostly on foot, day and night, with little food, clothing, or money while holding each other’s hands. It was a special promise to their mother that kept them going. Originally published in Japanese in 2016, this English version is now available to spread Iku’s inspiring story and hope for peace across the world. For hard copy inquiries in both languages, email apromisetolivefor@gmail.com. The english Kindle version is available here: https://www.amazon.com/PROMISE-LIVE-Izumi-Mochizuki-Greubel-ebook/dp/B07MWZS3V6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=F0QQEDAH49LD&keywords=a+promise+to+live+for&qid=1551732868&s=gateway&sprefix=a+promise+to+li%2Caps%2C350&sr=8-1

Reconnecting Cultures by Jessica Niles DeHoff (2012). This book considers Rocco Design Architects’ approach to the different contexts in which the practice works, by showcasing projects developed both in mainland China and Hong Kong.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1908967005/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1521641359&sr=84&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=reconnecting+cultures&dpPl=1&dpID=51zVCY1cT2L&ref=plSrch”>On amazon.

Supreme India by James Talalay, self-published (2016). James Talalay spent two years wandering through India, photographing the details of everyday life away from sights typically featured in the images the West sees of the country. In this limited-edition volume, he finds and brings out the beauty in the prosaic and mundane, concentrating on regal composition and the presence of color in the world. To purchase this book, go to jamestalalay.com.

Audiobooks

EFM Aisling Gray has a mobile career as a professional audiobook narrator. Search for her name
on Audible.com, iTunes, or Amazon.

Guidebooks

College Conversations: 25 Discussions for High School Juniors and their Families, Lauren M. Steed (2nd edition, 2022)

College Conversations takes the high school junior and their team of supporters on a journey of discovery and college planning. Together you’ll discuss how you’ll set up finances and allowances, whether to apply to big or small, cooperative or competitive schools. You’ll also set up a map of all the tasks you need to accomplish and a plan for making that happen on the best schedule for you. By the end of these 25 Conversations, you’ll know which schools you’re applying to, why you’ve chosen them, and how to best present yourself and your successes as you begin to fill out your applications. College Conversations is written in an intimate, conversational workbook style, guiding you through the planning process as if Dr. Steed is talking with you over your own dinner table while you make your plan. This edition is newly revised.

Dr. Lauren Steed is an expert in college planning, executive functioning and student advising, particularly for expat and third-culture families. With 20 years of experience preparing students for college and professional life, she helps families maintain their calm and confidence along the journey to college in an arena otherwise dominated by scare-tactics. With College Conversations, she gives you the tools to DIY some of the best parts of her own boutique approach to college planning.

Available on amazon.

Am I Going to Starve to Death? (2015) by Donna Scaramastra Gorman. Building on the success of her blog “Email from the Embassy,” Gorman offers this quirky book: part memoir, part Q&A, part simple reassurance that yes, you can survive and thrive overseas. Covers topics ranging from bidding on jobs to having a baby to dealing with a crisis abroad.
https://www.amazon.com/Am-Going- Starve-Death- Survival-ebook/dp/B013QX90Y4/

Born Expatriated (2015) by Sara Bishop. Raising your American children in a foreign environment, sometimes with unusual circumstances or situations. Hints and help for how to balance all of this by making informed choices. Travel tips, packing tips, organization, and hints to help survive this huge change to your expatriated existence.
https://www.amazon.com/Born-Expatriated- Sara-Bishop-ebook/dp/B00WITH3DI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519971005&sr=8-1&keywords=Born+Expatriated

The Expert Expat: Your Guide to Successful Relocation Abroad (2nd ed. 2007) by Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman. A guidebook for moving to your next overseas assignment, especially as a spouse/partner. Covers cultural and personal adjustment, language learning, kids’ issues, pets, security, household shipments, and much more. Some details from 2007 are dated, but the emotional, cultural, family, and security issues remain the same.
https://www.amazon.com/Expert-Expat- Successful-Relocation- Abroad-ebook/dp/B01HPVHGXA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520621107&sr=1- 1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Expert+Expat%3A+Your+Guide+to+Successful+Relocation+Abroad+%282nd+ed.+2007%29%2C+by+Melissa+Brayer+Hess+and+Patricia+Linderman+%28EFMs%29

Moving Your Household Without Losing Your Mind (2013). Edited by Kelly Bembry Midura and Zoe Cabaniss Friloux. Produced by and for the Foreign Service community: a collection of advice and stories to help you not lose your mind while moving for the Foreign Service. Topics are centered around logistics, kids, safety, organizing, and much more. Includes personal stories, essays, and anecdotes.
https://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Service- Companion-Household- Without-ebook/dp/B00CP9J2RQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520620639&sr=1- 1-fkmr0&keywords=Moving+Your+Household+Without+Losing+Your+Mind+%282013%29.+Edited+by+Kelly+Bembry+Midura+and+Zoe+Cabaniss+Friloux+%28EFMs%29

Raising Kids in the Foreign Service (2015). Edited by Leah Moorefield Evans. This book gives a sense of what life is like abroad. Experienced expat writers share stories about pregnancy, education, travel, language, unaccompanied tours, safety, maintaining mindfulness and much more.
https://www.amazon.com/Raising Foreign- Service-Associates- Worldwide- ebook/dp/B0170ZFFLG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520620148&sr=1- fkmr0&keywords=Raising+Kids+in+the+Foreign+Service+%282015%29+Edited+by+Leah+Moore field+Evans+%28EFM%29

Realities of Foreign Service Life, Volume 1 (2002), Volume 2 (2007). Edited by Melissa Brayer Hess, Patricia Linderman, and Marlene Nice. Maintaining long-distance relationships, raising teens abroad, dealing with depression, coping with evacuations, readjusting to life in the United States. These, and many other subjects are discussed in these two essay collections of unvarnished views on Foreign Service life.
https://www.amazon.com/Realities-Foreign- Associates-American- Worldwide-ebook/dp/B007QSR11A/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520619773&sr=1- 1-fkmr0&keywords=Realities+of+Foreign+Service+Life%2C+Volume+1+%282002%29%2C+Volume+2+%282007%29%2C+Edited+by+Melissa+Brayer+Hess%2C+Patricia+Linderman+and+Marlene+Nice+%28EFMs%29

Unpack: A Guide to Life as an Expat Spouse (2018) by Lana Wimmer and Tanya Arler. The expat spouse takes care of the details and makes sure the kids are okay. She watches for expiration dates on the milk (and on the passports), keeps track of when insurance is due and when it’s time to renew the visas. The expat spouse maintains ties with loved ones from a distance, while making time to connect with new friends in need of support close by. The expat spouse is the glue holding their homes together, until they are needed to disassemble the pieces, move, and build again. “Unpack: a guide to life for the expat spouse” was written by EFM Lana Wimmer and fellow expat friend Tanya Arler, with over 15 international moves between them. Together they’ve created a guidebook with straightforward answers to questions such as: how do you transition your kids to a new country and school, adjust to a new culture, and build a whole new network of friends? http://www.amazon.com/Unpack-Guide-Life-Expat-Spouse/dp/0993237789  

Kids (for and about)

Greenfeet Guides, by Ambika Anand Prokop.Written by a teacher and parent, Greenfeet Guides help kids learn and have fun discovering the cultural and natural wonders of our world. Each guide offers a unique combination of stories and activities to keep kids engaged on their world travels or give them a chance to explore the world from home. https://www.greenfeetguides.com 

The Adventurers Club (2021), by Julianne Price (illustrated by Marie Wiscombe). Moving to a new home can be a tremendous journey for parents and children alike. The Adventurers Club was written to help families going through that transition. Speaking directly to the reader, the sibling duo of The Adventurers Club invite children to join them as they turn packing boxes into pirate ships, empty rooms into art canvases, strangers into friends, and a new house into home. https://www.amazon.com/Adventurers-Club-Picture-About-Moving/dp/B09BLRV13Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+adventurers+club+julianne+price&qid=1628528812&sr=8-1  

But Not Forever (2018), a young adult novel by Jan Von Schleh. Sonnet McKay is the daughter of a globe-trotting diplomat, home for the summer from her exotic life. Everything would be perfect if not for her stunning sister, whose bright star has left her in the shadows. In 1895, Emma Sweetwine is trapped in a Victorian mansion, dreaming of wings to fly her far from her mother, who gives her love to her sons, leaving nothing for her daughter. Fate puts them in the same house at the same moment, 120 years apart, and the fifteen-year-olds are switched in time. In their new worlds, Sonnet falls in love with a boy, Emma falls in love with a life, and astonishing family secrets are revealed. A story of love and longing, and the heart’s ultimate quest to find where it belongs.
https://www.amazon.com/But-Not- Forever-Jan- Schleh/dp/194300658X

Just Joking: Jumbo (2017), by Kelley Miller. This brand-new bigger and better Just Joking book is jam-packed with 1,000 jokes, including knock-knocks, puns, riddles, and tongue twisters. Plus, there’s over 1,000 photos and fun facts of cool animals, silly situations, and the history of funny business. It’s the right formula for laughing, learning, and sharing the giggles with friends and family.
https://www.amazon.com/Just-Joking- Jumbo-Photos-Laughs/dp/1426328796/ref=sr_1_1 ie=UTF8&qid=1521032074&sr=8-1&keywords=jumbo+just+joking

Raising Kids in the Foreign Service (2015). Edited by Leah Moorefield Evans. This book gives a sense of what life is like abroad. Experienced expat writers share stories about pregnancy, education, travel, language, unaccompanied tours, safety, maintaining mindfulness and much more.
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Foreign- Service-Associates- Worldwide- ebook/dp/B0170ZFFLG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520620148&sr=1- 1- fkmr0&keywords=Raising+Kids+in+the+Foreign+Service+%282015%29+Edited+by+Leah+Moorefield+Evans+%28EFM%29

Memoirs and Insights from Globally Mobile Lives

A Cup of Culture and a Pinch of Crisis (Tales from a Small Planet: The Food Edition) (2016).
Edited by Leah Moorefield Evans, Katie Jagelski, Patricia Linderman, and Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel. A collection of essays from expats around the world who share their insights about food, personal growth, and the adventure of living abroad.
https://www.amazon.com/Cup-Culture- Pinch-Crisis- Planet-ebook/dp/B01IGLQ8K0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520619649&sr=1- 1-fkmr0&keywords=A+Cup+of+Culture+and+a+Pinch+of+Crisis+%28Tales+from+a+Small+Planet%3A+The+Food+Edition%29+%282016%29.+Edited+by+Leah+Moorefield+Evans%2C+Katie+Jagelski%2C+Patricia+Linderman%2C+Nicole+Schaefer-McDaniel+%28EFMs%29

Foreign at Home and Away: Foreign-Born Wives in the U.S. Foreign Service (2002) by Margaret
Bender. This is a triple-culture challenge: Stories from foreign-born women who – through their marriages to American diplomats – became representatives of the United States.
https://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Home- Away-Foreign- Born-Service-ebook/dp/B007FP648U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520620356&sr=1- 1- fkmr0&keywords=Foreign+at+Home+and+Away%3A+Foreign+Born+Wives+in+the+U.S.+Foreign+Service+%282002%29+by+Margaret+Bender+%28EFM%29

Long White Cloud (2015) by Kristen Faber. One year in New Zealand that changed her family’s
life forever.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-White- Cloud-Zealand- forever-ebook/dp/B00U4MEPDC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1520082985&sr=8-6&keywords=the%20long%20white%20cloud

Outside My Skin: My Midlife Detour as a Trailing Spouse in Ghana (2018) by Joyce Hooley. It began with a discarded snakeskin ––a sign, a portent, a harbinger of change ––and with a spouse’s midlife crisis. One spring the author’s husband awoke to his midlife discontent, and ten months later, despite her resistance, the couple had left their comfortable home on a mountain in western North Carolina, and were living in Accra, a bustling African city known for its poverty, pollution, and congestion. Outside My Skin tells the story of the author’s detour year in Ghana, as the “trailing spouse,” to her husband who had taken a job with the US Peace Corps. She arrived dragging her feet, still attached to the life she had left behind and anxious about losing her professional identity as a pediatrician. In the course of that year she grappled with one of the crucial tasks of midlife development––that of learning to let go, and she discovered a rhythm, a spiral path for midlife personal growth: Molt, Stretch, Breathe, Repeat… The phases of that spiral rhythm provide the organizing themes for the four parts of this memoir.                                   https://www.amazon.com/Outside-My-Skin-Midlife-Trailing-ebook/dp/B07JC2DYPG/ 

Realities of Foreign Service Life, Volume 1 (2002), Volume 2 (2007), Edited by Melissa Brayer
Hess, Patricia Linderman, and Marlene Nice. Maintaining long-distance relationships, raising teens abroad, dealing with depression, coping with evacuations, readjusting to life in the United States. These, and many other subjects are discussed in these two essay collections of unvarnished views on Foreign Service Life.
https://www.amazon.com/Realities-Foreign- Associates-American- Worldwide-ebook/dp/B007QSR11A/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1520619773&sr=1- 1-fkmr0&keywords=Realities+of+Foreign+Service+Life%2C+Volume+1+%282002%29%2C+Volume+2+%282007%29%2C+Edited+by+Melissa+Brayer+Hess%2C+Patricia+Linderman+and+Marlene+Nice+%28EFMs%29

Technology, Economics, and Development

Tourism Businesses (2018). Jeff Goldman, contributor. The role of the private sector in driving sustainable development is indisputable. Indeed, the impact and influence of the business world is far-reaching, and it is the private sector that stands to lose if it fails to respond to the sustainability challenges facing them and the world at large. Thailand’s Sustainable Business Guide looks critically at how Thai businesses of all sizes are taking action: by innovating solutions to complex challenges, by being role models for transformative change, by learning from their experiences, and by assuming a more holistic view of long-term growth.
http://www.edmbooks.com/Book/1346/63293/Thailands-Sustainable- Business-Guide.html