Searching

She left searching for adventure, her country and herself, and found all three, but along the way she also discovered her life's passion and her faith. Part travelogue, part wildlife encounters and part dangerous, risk-filled adventure, this compelling memoir follows the journey of a female 1950s biologist frustrated by the conservative gender and social confines of the Midwest and disillusioned with the country.

She leaves for two decades of real-world adventures in the Costa Rican Jungle, Hawaii, Asia, the Philippines and Guam, before finding her way back to the United States and home in Seattle. Along the way, she battles family opposition, the frustrations of working in a male-dominated field, and the challenges of an interracial/intercultural marriage in an era when this was very unconventional. The adventures and dangers she faced helped her rediscover her country, find her life's passion, and eventually discover her faith. She also provides a valuable message of how going against what is considered "normal" allowed her to discover a world far greater than she could ever have imagined.

Joan's forty-year career in biology and environmental protection spans research, academia, consulting, and government service. After her years abroad, she spent twenty-three years with the federal Environmental Protection Agency in Seattle, and also edited the Aquatic Invasive Species Newsletter for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in Portland. She has lectured extensively on environmental programs, invasive species, gardening to attract wildlife, and native plants. A world traveller and Master Gardener emeritus, she lives outside Seattle with her husband Carlos, a large organic garden, a flock of chickens, and occasionally, a great blue heron.

This discussion guide was shared and sponsored in partnership with DartFrog Books.

Book club questions for Searching by Joan H Cabreza

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

How was growing up in the 50s different than growing up today? Do you think it was better or worse than growing up today? Was it easier or harder?

What was it like for females in the 1950s and 60s? How did the expected roles of women affect Joan’s life, and how did she handle it?

Has sexism or racism ever affected you career or life choices? How? Do you think those stereotypes still exist today?

What factors helped Joan to have experiences most women of those early years did not have? How did those experiences change her outlook?

In her early years, Joan and her father argued over women’s roles . How did marrying and moving to the Philippines elevate the conflict to a new level? What finally resolved it?

In the conservative Midwest Sixties, for most families, even moving out of state was unusual. Moving to Asia was so distant, her family could not imagine ever seeing her again. What factors played into Joan’s choice to leave?

With little thought, Joan left the Philippines, rejecting two very good job offers for what she expected to be a short term move to the relatively small and isolated island of Guam. How would her life have been different if she had chosen the “safe” path? Have there been times in your life where a single decision changed everything? When did you make a “safe” decision in your life that you now wish that you had decided differently and taken a risk?

Children were prized in the Philippines, yet Fe offered to either trade or be gifted both of our children because “You can always make another one.” And that was not an uncommon practice, where families often had too many children. What ramifications could that have on the children? On the family as a whole? Do you think impact would be less in a culture where that practice was more accepted?

Joan’s interest in the supernatural began at an early age, with the seances and Ouija board, and progressed through various experiences to the Filipino faith healer. Do you feel the healer was genuine? What is your personal view on such things?

After Guam’s Super-typhoon Pamela, poison toads invaded the enclosed carport. Did the toad’s actions make you rethink your ideas of animal intelligence? What species might you be underestimating today?

God first began pulling Joan when she decided to “be on His side” while sitting in a choke cherry tree at age 12. Then He appeared to go quiet until she was in her early thirties. But was He actually quiet, or not? Why do you think that?

In different or difficult cultural situations, Joan’s attitude was “Don’t compare. Immerse yourself in whatever situation you find yourself, and be content with it.” How did that attitude affect her life? What are the downsides to such a decision?

Searching Book Club Questions PDF

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