Peace Corps Worldwide – promoting Peace Corps writers since 1989

The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue, by Mike Tidwell (Zaire 1985-87)

Jun 08 2025

Title: The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue Author: Mike Tidwell (Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo, 1985-87) Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; March 25, 2025 Number of pages: 288 Available on Amazon, Bookshop, Goodreads, Thriftbooks, and more Reviewer’s name: Ben East (Malawi 1996-98) Reading The Lost Trees of Willow Avenue feels like strolling the hometown with an affable neighbor, one filled with deep respect for the natural world and a pragmatic concern for its demise. Along the way we meet other neighbors, including state and national political figures; students, scientists, arborists, and public works personnel; a farmer, a midwife, the local pastor. Despite dire news regarding humanity’s relationship with nature, the company makes for an exceptional walk. On one level Mike Tidwell recounts a single year—2023—in a Washington, DC suburb whose residents cope with the local effects of global climate change. These are the tombstone stumps of new-fallen trees, the sudden gaps in rich canopy across which the . . .

Before Before: A Story of Discovery and Loss in Sierra Leone by Betsy Small

Jun 01 2025

A debut author blends autobiography and ethnography in this exploration of Sierra Leone in the 1980s. The recent history of Sierra Leone is one often associated with violence, disease, and tragedy. From the decade-long Blood Diamond War of the 1990s through the Ebola outbreak of the 2010s that killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, the West African nation has been the epicenter of human rights crises for the past 30 years. In this book, Small not only encourages readers to place those tragedies within a larger post-colonial context, but also highlights a vibrant history of the nation from a grassroots perspective in the decade that predated the violence of the ’90s. A Peace Corps volunteer who was born only a year after Sierra Leone became an independent country in 1961, the author spent three years in Tokpombu, a village located 250 miles from the nation’s Atlantic coast (“Here I . . .

Peace Corps Worldwide: New Horizons

May 19 2025

A Legacy of Service Continues In October 2024, this group’s co-founders John Coyne and Marian Biel entrusted me with the stewardship of Peace Corps Worldwide and Peace Corps Writers. These platforms have been vital resources for the Peace Corps community for more than three decades, thanks to their unwavering dedication and countless hours of volunteer time, as well as to the contributions of Joanne Roll, Noah Biel, Dean Jefferson, and many others. As we gradually transition ownership and responsibilities, we are committed to celebrating, strengthening, and building upon their extraordinary legacy of service to the Peace Corps community. Their work has made immeasurable contributions to the Peace Corps’ Third Goal of promoting a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans, and I fully intend to to what I can to honor and amplify that legacy. Building a Foundation for Growth Meet Our Founding Advisory Council One of . . .

Married to Amazement: A Memoir, by Kathleen Coskran (Ethiopia 1965-67)

May 16 2025

Married to Amazement is both a memoir and a celebration of the life passages we all experience with a brush of wonder and amazement. It’s not a Pollyanna approach, there is loss and error here, nobody escapes pain, but the foundational gifts of author Kathleen Coskran’s life have been wonder, through undeserved luck, she says, and an instinct for paying attention. Like Mary Oliver, Coskran too doesn’t “… want to end up having simply visited this world.” The first essay quotes a fellow Ethiopia Peace Corps Volunteer who, every day, spread his arms wide as they walked down “a clay road that sucked at our shoes in the rainy season and streaked our clothes with dust in the dry season,” and proclaimed, “So This is Paris!” The essays that follow celebrate the joy of becoming a parent (with five children born in five countries on three continents), the love of . . .

The 2024 Paris Olympics, by Steve Kaffen (Russia 1994-96; HQ staff 2003-11)

May 07 2025

About the book The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris had everything: a stunning setting, precise planning and execution, welcoming hospitality and goodwill by the residents and the 45,000 volunteers, camaraderie among the visitors, and the Games themselves. It was an Olympics of fun, joy, and spirited energy for the millions, including many families, that came from Europe and throughout the world for an Olympic vacation and to support their countries’ participants. The individual and team performances of the 10,500 athletes representing over 200 countries captivated those in attendance and the billions watching at home, and gave everyone a rest and refocus from the political, social, and economic issues gripping the planet. Author Steve Kaffen arrived two months before the opening ceremony to observe the preparations and returned for the Games. Using descriptive text and hundreds of original photos, he takes us to the unique opening ceremony, 12 different sports, the . . .

A Cup of Stars, Stories by Joseph Monninger (Burkina Faso 1975-77)

Apr 22 2025

A Cup of Stars, Stories by Joseph Monninger (Burkina-Faso 1975-77) Available on Amazon ($10.99); 458 pages; ISBN 979-8649356534 Reviewed by Eugénie de Rosier (Philippines 2006-08) A Cup of Stars, Stories by Joseph Monniger, invites through oral lore and historic anecdotes and contemporary writing in this long book. Two fantasies about supernatural women—are re-spun tales inspired by an Irish myth and an Arctic fable. Kathleen’s Celtic spirit entangles with an injured WWI soldier healing in rural Maine. He walks across the state to claim and rebuild an inheritance, a ramshackle farm, and his life takes on paranormal shifts. Sedna, hemmed in by patriarchy, is forced into a bad marriage to a brutish “evil witch-man,” who changed shapes. Inspired by Inuit folklore, she flees her husband across a lifetime and around the globe, adopting metaphysical abilities to breathe in water, take to winged flight, and gallop with herds, until she confronts him for his cruelty. . . .

Ah, Where the Light Shines Through, by Patricia Waak (Brazil 1966-68)

Apr 18 2025

Review This self- published book of poetry by former Peace Corps Volunteer, Patricia Waak, will appeal to those who wish to commune with nature through words. It begins with the hope of changing seasons and ends with thoughts on growing old. The author, in lyrical phrasing, writes about the weather, plants, insects, and wildlife of the countryside of Colorado, where she is content in her natural world. Many of the 68 poems depict weather in changing seasons, and how light, wind, and snow affect the author’s spirit. “Crystal” is used frequently and found in trees, grass, and clouds. Besides insects such as moths and dragonflies, animals like coyotes, dogs, birds, chickens, and a lizard appear sometimes in rhyme, sometimes not. The most memorable and relatable pieces are about the inevitability of aging. This work is recommended for city-dwellers who long to recall the natural world of wide-open spaces, and for . . .

Eyes of Iris, by Joshua A.H. Harris (Mali 1996-98)

Apr 11 2025

Eyes of Iris, by Joshua A.H. Harris Book Description What did Iris see? Was it an accurate vision of the future or merely a drug-induced hallucination? Iris, a twenty-year-old genius, stumbles into the ER after participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony, claiming to have traveled to the future. Dr. Kairos–the hospital psychiatrist on call that day–surreptitiously hits record on his iPhone as she begins recounting her time-travel tale. Iris’s vivid descriptions of Earth circa 2300, its bizarre inhabitants, and her harrowing escape are far more detailed and imaginative than any delusional story Dr. Kairos has ever encountered. By the end of the interview, he believes he’s captured one of the most important delusional accounts ever told. But little does he know, her story–and his role within it–may, in the end, alter the fate of humanity. Inspired by H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine, Eyes of Iris challenges our perceptions of reality and . . .

Peace Corps Writers Keep on Writing

Apr 10 2025

Since the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961, our incredible network of Volunteers, returned Volunteers, former staff, and host country nationals has made lasting impacts—not only through service but through their voices as writers. Together, they have contributed to a staggering collection of no less than 3,600 books, spanning fiction and non-fiction, and capturing the essence of global engagement, personal growth, and cultural exchange. In this edition, we are thrilled to spotlight a remarkable group of 566 Peace Corps writers who have each authored at least two books. This list celebrates their creativity, dedication, and ability to share compelling narratives with the world. This remarkable achievement has been made possible thanks to the longstanding dedication of John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962-64) and Marian Beil (Ethiopia 1962-64), who founded Peace Corps Worldwide and Peace Corps Writers. Their initiatives have provided invaluable resources, guidance, and encouragement to aspiring writers, fostering a vibrant literary tradition . . .

African Travels 1967-2010, by John McWilliam (Sierra Leone 1967-69) and Joanna McWilliam

Apr 08 2025

African Travels 1967-2010, by John McWilliam and Joanna McWilliam Description The McWilliams have written a treasure trove of stories about their experiences living and working in Africa. On motor bikes, crowded lorries, and river ferries, they carry the reader across highways, dirt roads, and rivers into cities, towns and villages from Sierra Leone to Nigeria to Kenya. The Africans with whom they live and work welcome them, providing insights into cross-cultural and historical facts that few outsiders are able to know. This book provides that knowledge through captivating descriptions, unique adventures, and humor. Publisher : ‎ Moore Media, Inc. (2023) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 266 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8985278934 Also available on Amazon.com About the authors John McWilliam served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone from 1967 – 1969. After graduate school studying demography and development sociology, he returned to the . . .

Beloved Reconciliation, By Margaret Maxwell McLaughlin (Senegal 1972-73 & Jamaica 1977-79)

Apr 03 2025

Beloved Reconciliation Book 1: (1820-1916) Beloved Reconciliation Book 2: (1917-1923) By Margaret Maxwell McLaughlin (Senegal 1972-73 & Jamaica 1977-79) Description This is a story not only about the strength of Irish women, but of women throughout the world who stand up right next to their male colleagues for justice and equality. They are inspired for the sake of their children, and their children’s children, to reconcile differences and bring peace to their families and homelands. In everyone’s life, whether we admit or not, there is an “Una”–be it a magical spirit or human mentor. In this historical fiction, Beloved Reconciliation Book 1: 1820-1916, Una is a radiant spirit who appears in ever-shifting form to five Irish women, reassuring them that they have the power to play crucial roles in their country’s struggle for independence. From the Great Famine to the Easter Rising, she and the five women invite us to . . .

Above All, We Are Jews: A Biography of Rabbi Alexander Schindler, by Michael A. Meyer (China 1995-97)

Mar 31 2025

Above All, We Are Jews: A Biography of Rabbi Alexander Schindler by Michael A. Meyer (China 1995-97) Published February 2025 Available from the Central Conference of American Rabbis Rabbi Alexander Schindler (1925-2000) was an extraordinarily influential leader in the history of Reform Judaism. From 1973 to 1996, he served as president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (today’s Union for Reform Judaism), where his charisma and vision raised the Reform Movement to unprecedented influence. Never afraid to be controversial, he argued for recognizing patrilineal descent, institutionalized outreach to interfaith families and non-Jews, and championed LGBTQ rights and racial equality. He was a tireless advocate for Israel while maintaining diaspora Jews’ right to speak out independently on the Jewish state. In this nuanced biography, historian Michael A. Meyer draws on extensive archival research and interviews to paint a definitive portrait of Schindler’s life. About the author Michael Meyer went to . . .

Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore by Matthew Davis (Mongolia 2000-02)

Mar 26 2025

Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore Imprint publisher: St. Martin’s Press November 2025 / ISBN 9781250285102 Available for preorder on Macmillan Publishers A comprehensive narrative history of Mt. Rushmore, written in light of recent political controversies, and a timely retrospective for the monument’s 100th anniversary in 2025 “Well, most people want to come to a national park and leave with that warm, fuzzy feeling with an ice cream cone. Rushmore can’t do that if you do it the right way. If you do it the right way people are going to be leaving pissed.” Gerard Baker, the first Native American superintendent of Mt. Rushmore, shared those words with author Matthew Davis. From the tragic history of Wounded Knee and the horrors of Indian Boarding Schools, to the Land Back movement of today, Davis traces the Native American story of Mt. Rushmore alongside the narrative of the . . .

The Peace Corps In Tanzania, by Lawrence E. Y. Mbogoni (Tanzania HCN)

Mar 24 2025

Editor’s note: The Peace Corps In Tanzania, by Lawrence E. Y. Mbogoni, is quite possibly the first Peace Corps history book written by a “host country national.” With thanks to Peter Reid (Tanzania 1964-66) for bringing it to the attention of Peace Corps Worldwide, we welcome your help in identifying other books published by our Peace Corps host country partners. Published: January 2025 Publisher: Kent State University Press 244 pages, 6 x 9 Paperback $39.95 ISBN 978-1-60635-488-9 Description In 1961, the first group of Peace Corps volunteers in Tanzania—surveyors, engineers, and geologists—arrived in Dar es Salaam with three core objectives: meet the newly independent country’s needs for trained personnel, promote a better understanding of Americans, and promote a better understanding of the people served by the volunteers. The Peace Corps in Tanzania traces the program’s progress, successes, and challenges, including analysis of the tensions that led to the program’s closure in 1969. The program . . .

Book Review: The Vanishing Point: Stories by Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963-1965)

Mar 19 2025

I’ve read and reviewed the last seven books from the “Dean of Travel Writing,” Paul Theroux. I wrote my latest book, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, in honor and appreciation of Theroux and another travel writer, “who personally knew and was inspired by Moritz Thomsen and passed their enthusiasm on to me.” Thomsen wrote the Peace Corps experience classic, Living Poor: A Peace Corps Chronicle. Theroux’s book, The Tao of Travel, celebrates 50 years of travel writing and inspired my series, “The Yin & Yang of Travel.” Theroux is probably the most prolific of the Returned Peace Corps writers, with 33 works in fiction and 56 books overall. He’s also a prolific essay writer who published Figures in a Landscape in 2018. Figures in a Landscape was his third volume of essays, following Sunrise with Seamonsters (1984) and Fresh Air Fiend (2001) for 134 essays written over . . .