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A Portable Identity: A Woman's Guide to Maintaining a Sense of Self While Moving Overseasby Debra R. Bryson and Charise M. Hoge Reviewed by Carol Usher |
 When
I began to read A Portable Identity: a Woman's Guide to Maintaining a
Sense of Self While Moving Overseas, my initial reaction was to wish
I had written a book like this.
Debra Bryson and Charise Hoge have combined their professional expertise as counselors within the expatriate community, their experience conducting workshops for women overseas and their personal trials as trailing spouses to create a very useable self-help book for women who travel overseas in support of their partner's career. The first section of A Portable Identity explores the profound effect the overseas move has on a woman's identity. It begins with a discussion of the components, both internal and external, which combine to create our identity. Using visual diagrams, the reader first examines what her identity looked like prior to the decision to relocate overseas. Debra and Charise then trace the disintegration of identity as it is immersed in a foreign culture. The reader is prompted to examine how the decision to move - and the move itself into a foreign culture - have impacted on the very roots of her self. She is encouraged to explore and become attuned to the emotional impact of the changes and losses occurring as a result of the move. Using the model of a wheel based on three sections - "Commitment", "Personal Resources" and "Tools" - the reader is led through the process of personal reconstruction. She is encouraged to examine and choose the Tools most suited to her own personal circumstances and desire for change to assist in her journey of personal growth. The reader is guided to use these tools to create an identity which is "portable … an identity rooted to [her] sense of self which can thrive outside of [her] home country and culture." This sets the foundation for the remainder of A Portable Identity, in which Charise and Debra guide the reader to reconstruct a new identity, one that is more adaptable to change and, therefore, more suitable to expatriate life. The authors do not hide behind professional expertise but lay themselves bare, and reveal themselves with all their faults as well as their personal strengths. To read the book is to share in their personal sagas. At the end of the book, you feel like you have an intimate personal relationship with each of these very special women. A Portable Identity encourages a woman to take the time needed to get in touch with herself. The book achieves its objective of providing the means to "cope, grow and handle moves with grace and joy." By the time I was halfway through the book, I had ordered a copy for my daughter who has recently moved. She is in a relationship with a man who, by the nature of his job, is likely to be relocated often. While A Portable Identity is primarily intended for this specific group of women, it could also be a valuable resource for both women who relocate overseas for their own jobs and women who move from place to place within their country. My only reservation is that someone may begin to work through the book without reading its disclaimer. A Portable Identity is not intended as a replacement for therapy. To order a copy of A Portable Identity, click here.
© 2004 by Carol Usher. All rights reserved. Carol Usher, who holds a B.S.W. and a Master's in Counseling, is a Canadian Social Worker currently living and working in the UK. At the time the authors of A Portable Identity were struggling to come to terms with their positions as trailing spouses in Thailand, Carol and her family moved to Singapore in support of her husband's career. |
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