Living Without Adult Supervision in Bali is my second collection. Older and perhaps a modicum wiser, I found myself in the classic mid-life expat quandary of trying to maintain my modest home and many animals in Bali while managing my aging and ill family in my home country.
Testimonials from Amazon
I’ve been writing about Bali since 2004 and can say nobody writes about this wild, wonderful and idiosyncratic island better than Cat Wheeler. She captures all the personalities of Bali, whether they have four legs, two legs, wings or just a reptilian stare. Bali has a culture and a people like no other place in the world and they come to life in the pages of this great book.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this after enjoying Wheeler’s ‘Bali Daze’ a couple of years back. Witty, insightful and well written, both books capture some of the wonder and weirdness of living as an ‘ex-pat’ in a country as exotic and ever-changing as Indonesia. I lend my copy regularly to friends and guests and it never fails to hit the mark. whether you’ve visited Bali before, intend to sometime soon, or just enjoy an intelligent read with humor, insight and pathos.
This book is keeping me awake at night! Tucked into bed I tell myself I’ll just read three chapters and then lights out. But when I finish those three I think, just one more. And so it goes until I wake up some time later with the open book on my chest and the lights still on. I can’t put this entertaining, funny, insightful, honest book down. Cat Wheeler’s words flow onto the page with ease. She can take the trickiest of situations and find humor and wisdom in the experience. Life is her picnic basket – what delicacy will she pull out for the next chapter? This is a must read whether Bali is in your blood or not.
For anyone who Lives in Bali, Loves Bali or is Looking to visit or move to Bali Cat Wheeler’s two books are a must read. Witty, wise and wonderful Cat has a way of making situations that may make you want to pull out your hair not only amusing but understandable in the context of magical Bali. Be prepared to laugh and cry at the same time on a journey that is utterly unique. Considering the number of adults living in Bali without supervision this should be a best seller!
At the end of the book I was sad to see it go! The stories resonated for me, as a family member, traveler, and a person facing the changes that life brings. But more than that, Cat’s way with words made me laugh out loud, and shake my head along with the people (and animals) in the tales. A page turner all the way.
I read Cat Wheeler’s book ‘Bali Daze’ before moving to Bali and liked it so much I read it again. Her new book, ‘Retired, Rewired’ is just as excellent. I just finished it and am sure I will read it again. It doesn’t matter if you have never been to Bali and never plan to visit. Both books are a fun read. Vivid writing, humorous depictions of daily life, more than you thought you needed to know about duck sex, and really lovely depictions of family and friends – and losing some of them. Read it and I suspect you will read it again.
Cat’s second book about life as an expat in Bali, Indonesia is as amusing, touching and heart-warming as her first book, Bali Daze, which played a large part in me falling in love with Bali. Retired, Rewired, as well as including many hilarious stories about life on this crazy island which can’t help but touch the soul, also touches on the most important topics of life and death, such as aging, bereavement and coping with loss, both at a distance from family and in a foreign culture. Such an easy and entertaining read but at the same time, thoughtful and moving.
What happens when we eschew the trappings of traditional western living to take the road less travelled? A wonderful and energising romp through the free-style life of an intrepid soul making her way through mid-life from a base in Bali, Indonesia. With something for everyone, and a true voice, the vignettes she covers from tending piglets to her return to the motherland are both poignant and hilarious. What a beautiful and authentic portrayal of a simple life, well lived. I couldn’t put it down.
https://www.baliadvertiser.biz/retired-rewired-by-cat-wheeler/
Cat Wheeler Bali 