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Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite
Lady Vagabond by Judy DePue is a compelling memoir that chronicles the journey of a graduate student who embarks on a fifteen-month odyssey of discovery before committing to a career as a behavioral psychologist. As she travels from Samoa to Australia, from New Guinea to India, she struggles with issues of identity during the turbulent era of the 1970s, when women were still expected to accept the traditional roles of wife and mother as a given. The author, however, craves a career despite her traditional upbringing but struggles with issues of self-worth and belonging. Should she pursue her work in psychology, which offers her a rewarding profession, or settle for a more traditional life that offers rewards of a more personal nature? Or perhaps she can have it all?
With such questions underlying the book, Lady Vagabond offers a unique perspective. Author Judy DePue combines a coming-of-age story with a narrative where she sees each person she meets and every culture she encounters with both a personal and a professional eye. For example, she witnesses cultures with extreme poverty in Samoa and New Guinea and finds that many of their people are content with their lot and that changing their behavior cannot be achieved without changing their minds. Their dependence on traditional ways makes such change understandably difficult. As an astute observer, she can’t help but see the parallel to her own life and the lives of others she meets. How can we balance our traditions with progress? Is such progress always for the better? These types of questions link her to those she meets in fascinating and thoughtful ways, making for an inspirational and highly recommended read.
