Book Announcement: To Bembou and Back: The Misadventure Memoirs of a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa, by Daniel Egan (Senegal, 2007-09)

To Bembou and Back: The Misadventures Memoir of a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa is a raw, comedic, and profoundly human account of one young man’s two-year journey as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Senegal. Equal parts adventure story, cultural exploration, and coming-of-age narrative, this memoir dives headfirst into the chaos, beauty, and absurdity of cross-cultural service.

From navigating squat toilets and goat invasions to surviving sweltering 120-degree days in a village without electricity or phone service, author Daniel Egan captures the full sensory overload of adjusting to life in Bembou, Senegal. With sharp wit and brutal honesty, he recounts the wild highs and stomach-turning lows of Peace Corps life—from near-death minibus rides and baboon attacks to the shared laughter and deep bonds formed over communal meals and village gardens.

Egan’s experience is filled with hilarious missteps and meaningful victories: teaching environmental education lessons, starting the first co-ed sleepaway camp in West Africa, and learning the true meaning of patience and humility. Alongside fellow volunteers and his Senegalese hosts, he explores what it really means to serve, to struggle, and to grow far beyond his comfort zone.

At once hilarious and heartfelt, To Bembou and Back will resonate with fans of travel memoirs, Peace Corps stories, and tales of personal transformation. It’s a vivid reminder of the universal lessons waiting on the other side of discomfort—and the human connections that make it all worth it.

About the author

Daniel Egan grew up in Maryland but found his truest inspiration in the cool, clear waters of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. A graduate of the University of Delaware, he joined the Peace Corps after college, serving as an Environmental Education Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa.

His love for nature, culture, and education led him to marry his wife, Kara, in an indigenous Shuar community in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and eventually to a career in outdoor and experiential education. He spent over a decade teaching at an alternative, earth-centric charter school in the forests of northwest New Jersey, where he helped middle-schoolers connect deeply with the natural world and their own sense of purpose.

When not teaching, Daniel and his family travel the globe in search of meaningful adventures and authentic cultural experiences. They are dedicated volunteers at the Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm and Benny’s Bodega, a community food pantry supporting working families.

To Bembou and Back is his first published memoir. He is currently working on a follow-up, To Nantar and Back: Chasing Adventure and Avoiding Anacondas through South America.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FH39LZ2R
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Flatbrook Wild Publishing House
• Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 15, 2025
• Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 421 pages