15 Oct LOCAL MARIBETH CLEMENTE PUBLISHES TOUR OF THE HEART
In Telluride, we’re suckers for a good adventure story. Perhaps, it’s because we live in that dreamy middle zone—we’re either just coming off an outing or planning a new one—and wish to be told of others who live in that same place. Or perhaps it’s because we want inspiration for our next trip. Whatever the case, local author Maribeth Clemente’s “Tour of the Heart” fits both bills.
This fun memoir recounts Clemente’s two cycling experiences in France: biking in France with her boyfriend, Pete, and her bike, Bella, and her follow-up trip to watch the Tour de France. But what begins as a travel story becomes a reflection of the heart. Clemente discovers that biking forces her to reflect on her relationship with Pete and on her relationship with herself.
Indeed, Clemente reveals that after biking for a while, she begins to feel “more capable, less fragile and considerably more real. Appearances begin to count less each day.” It is in these reflections that Clemente ups the ante of her book, letting us discover not only what her experience was like in France but also offering us a glimpse of why our own adventures matter. I found myself nodding my head and rereading this line long after I’d planned to go to bed: “My emotional compass began to be influenced more by a sense of freedom and well-being achieved from a great ride rather than how put-together I looked….”. Who in Telluride has not had that experience? Time outside helps us to shrug off our insecurities.
It’s no surprise that Clemente has pulled off such a lively tale. She’s the author of three books: “The Chic Shopper’s Guide to Paris,” “The Riches of Paris: A Shopping and Touring Guide,” and “The Riches of France: A Shopping and Touring Guide to the French Provinces.” Clemente lived 11 years in France and then moved to Colorado which she has called home for over a decade. Maribeth also hosts Travel Fun, a talk radio show on KOTO, blogs on her website, and writes for various travel publications and websites. Travel and adventures are what she breathes.
Visit www.atouroftheheart.com to read more excerpts. Signed copies are available in Telluride at Between the Covers and Alpen Schatz, and at bookstores nationwide.
Listen here to learn more about Maribeth’s writing process and her adventure:
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