Short Synopsis
Shannon Galpin's inspiring memoir about empowering women and children in war-torn Afghanistan.

Full Synopsis
Being inspired to act can take many forms. For some, it's taking a weekend to volunteer, but for Shannon Galpin, it meant leaving her career, selling her house, launching a nonprofit, and committing her life to advancing education and opportunity for women and girls. Focusing on the war-torn country of Afghanistan, Galpin and her organization, Mountain2Mountain, have touched the lives of hundreds of men, women, and children.

In her lyrical and honest memoir, Galpin describes her first forays into fundraising, her deep desire to help women and girls halfway across the world, and her love for adventure and sports. During her numerous trips to Afghanistan, Shannon reaches out to politicians and journalists, as well as everyday Afghans, to cross a cultural divide and find common ground. She narrates harrowing encounters, exhilarating bike rides, humorous episodes, and the heartbreak inherent in a country that is still recovering from decades of war and occupation.

"Emily Woo Zeller recounts Galpin's two endeavors in her lovely clear voice." ---AudioFile

"Shannon Galpin's lovely cycling saga is an inspiring and illuminating window into the lives of modern day Afghan women and their continuing struggle to ride their own path to freedom, recognition, and equality." ---Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

"This book is a winner." ---Rita Golden Gelman, author of Tales of a Female Nomad

"Readers seeking inspiration on how they can make a difference in the world will find it here, though, combined with a bit of luck, humor, and the strength to find a way to make dreams---yours and others---begin to come true." ---Booklist

"Full of vivid anecdotes, the narrative is most enjoyable when recounting the author's chronicles of her travel and interactions with Afghan. . . her respect and love for the Afghan people is apparent, as are her nerve and determination to help those in need. . . an inspiring personal story of an American mountain biker finding her vocation as an international activist." ---Kirkus