New books by Peace Corps writers — November and December 2019

 

 

To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com — CLICK on the book cover, the bold book title, or the publishing format you would like — and Peace Corps Worldwide, an Amazon Associate, will receive a small remittance from your purchase that will help support the site and the annual Peace Corps Writers awards.

We now include a one-sentence description — provided by the author — for the books listed here in hopes of encouraging readers  1) to order the book and 2) to volunteer to review it. See a book you’d like to review for Peace Corps Worldwide? Send a note to Marian at peacecorpsworldwide@gmail.com, and we’ll send you a copy along with a few instructions.

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Eradicating Smallpox in Ethiopia: Peace Corps Volunteers’ Accounts of Their Adventures, Challenges and Achievements
Editors: Gene L. Bartley (Ethiopia 1970–72), John Scott Porterfield (1971–73), Alan Schnur (Ethiopia 1971–73), James W. Skelton, Jr. (1970–72)
November 2019
486 pages
$19.95 (paperback), $, $9.99 (Kindle)
Contributors: Warren Barrash (Malaysia 1970–72, Ethiopia 1973–74), Gene L. Bartley (Ethiopia 1970–75), David Bourne (1972–74), Peter Carrasco (1972–74), Stuart Gold (Ethiopia 1973–74), Russ Handzus (Ethiopia 1970–72), Dr. Donald Ainslie Henderson, Scott D. Holmberg (Ethiopia 1971–73), John Scott Porterfield (1971–73), Vince Radke (Ethiopia 1970-74), Michael Santarelli (Ethiopia 1970-73), Alan Schnur (Ethiopia 1971–73), James Siemon (Ethiopia 1970–72), James W. Skelton, Jr. (Ethiopia 1970–72), Robert Steinglass (Ethiopia 1973–75), Marc Strassburg (1970–72)

This book contains a wide variety of unique and perceptive stories about the experiences of PCVs who worked in the Smallpox Eradication Program (SEP) in Ethiopia between 1970 and 1975. The stories include vivid, first-hand descriptions of the challenges faced by the PCVs during the implementation of the SEP. The book contains 21 chapters written by 15 former PCVs and two world-famous epidemiologists, D.A. Henderson and Ciro de Quadros.

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The Advocacy
Melissa  Fischer (Ghana 1992–94)
Kilometer Thirteen
472 pages
November 2019
$19.99 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle)

A tale of modern Africa that is not distorted by famine or genocide or war, a story I was born to write to honor the beauty in life, to acknowledge the sanctity of what has been given to me.

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Not Exactly Retired: A Life-Changing Journey on the Road and in the Peace Corps
David Jarmul (Nepal 1977–79; Moldova 2016–18)
Peace Corps Writers
April 2020
300 pages
$15.00 (paperback), $9.99 (Kindle)

Not Exactly Retired tells the inspiring story of a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal who served again decades later in Moldova with his wife, an adventure of self-renewal that attracted readers in more than 100 countries.

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Minsk and The European Games
Steve Kaffen (Russia 1994-96)
SK Journeys Publisher
November 2019
131 pages
$10.00 (Paperback); $3.99 (Kindle)

The European athletic games took place in Minsk, Belarus, in June 2019. Experience the games, people, sights, and local color of historic and picturesque Minsk. Using over 200 original photographs and descriptions, the author showcases.

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Incredible India and Boundless Bhutan
Steve Kaffen (Russia 1994-96)
Bowker Publisher
101 pages
$10.00 (paperback), $3.99 (Kindle)

Journey with the author to two of the world’s most intriguing countries, presented in over 150 original photos with detailed explanations. Explore the far corners and vast interior of India, visit its historic sites and impressive landscapes, meet its residents and observe their lifestyles, and have interesting experiences along the way. Then, explore the dramatically scenic Kingdom of Bhutan, where the measure that matters most to its people is the Gross National Happiness Index.

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Woven: A Peace Corps Adventure Spun with Faith, Laughter, and Love
Nancy Heil Knor (Belize 1989-1991)
Peace Corps Writers
November 5, 2019
322 pages
$12.95 (paperback)

Woven invites you to accompany Nancy on her pilgrimage into the jungles of Belize, where she will introduce you to the beautiful Mayan families she comes to love, the captivating beauty of the K’ekchi Maya culture, the face of loneliness caused by separation from loved ones, and the thrill of building of the village’s first-ever library.

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Race across America Eddie Gardner and the Great Bunion Derbies
by Charles B. Kastner (Seychelles 1980-82)
Syracuse University Press
360 pages
December 2019
$75.00 (hard cover), $29.95 (paperback), $16.17 (Kindle)

Kastner traces Gardner’s remarkable journey from his birth in 1987 in Birmingham, Alabama, to his success in Seattle, Washington, as one of the top long-distance runners in the region, and finally to his participation in two transcontinental footraces where he risked his life, facing a barrage of harassment for having the audacity to compete with white runners