Between the Mountain and the Sky This is the a fantastic book which the world needs at this moment. Maggie story is pianclle showing her ambition as a modern day particah. She so caring for the children her resilience really shines through.

I noticed this book because Cheryl Strayed blurbed it and I will read anything she recommends! Wild was one of the first truly gritty, painfully honest and self-deprecating memoirs I had encountered and it set the bar for memoir for me, to the point that I just can't stand a portion of the braggy, self-aggrandizing versions that I read.

Maggie Doyne's story is very different from Cheryl Strayed's. Maggie takes a gap year and is so moved by the need she encounters in Nepal that she can't go back to her sheltered suburban home and her college plans. Instead she raises funds and works on improving conditions in rural Nepal.

It's incredible how well she does with this gigantic challenge. She is 19, does not speak the language, does not know the first thing about non profit work, childcare, partnering with locals, etc. etc. Perhaps this not knowing is helpful as she does not have preconceptions and is open to learning as she goes. She seems to do amazingly well at avoiding white saviorism and handing the reins to her in-country partners.

This is an amazing story and a very heartwarming, soulful read without being sappy.

This is the book the world needs right now. It is so easy to "doom scroll" on social media and be convinced that there is only evil in this world, however, after picking up Maggie Doyne's book you will be reminded that there still is good in this world.

Maggie Doyne's story is absolutely life changing. Her ambition to make a difference in other people's lives is astounding and I am convinced she is the modern day Mother Teresa. This book will share the harsh realities of life in Nepal while simultaneously giving you hope that with heart, a lot of hard work, and the right people surrounding, we can work to make the world a better place.

Thank you Maggie Doyne for sharing your story! What a brave person you are to have given your life up as a very young adult to see if you could help others with what you have. You are an inspiration to human kind and you have encouraged me to use my privilege for good. We often think we have to already be important or have a lot of resources to ever do anything big or worthwhile. Maggie proves this isn't true, give what you have even if that is just love!
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

This memoir is a gift that will touch your soul and inspire you in the most beautiful way. Between The Mountain and the Sky details Maggie’s journey as she builds and operates an orphanage and school in Nepal. The children she cares for are all so lovely. As you read her story, I guarantee you will fall in love with their personalities and their resiliency. I cheered through the triumphs and cried through the misfortunes. This book will stay with me for a long time. ❤️

Maggie takes a gap year to travel the world before starting college. She ends up in Nepal. Fate brings her to meet a very young girl who is a child labourer crushing large rocks by the river. It begs the question: Why is this young child doing such gruesome work and why is she not in school? Maggie quickly learns that education is not free in Nepal. Parents cannot afford the tuition and they rely on their children working to support the family. This is the beginning of Maggie’s dream, Kopila Valley, an orphanage and school for the children of Nepal.

Thank you @maggiedoyne for sharing your amazing journey and having the courage and heart to undertake this huge humanitarian project. 🙏🏻❤️ Thank you to @netgalley and @harperhorizon for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #harperhorizon #booksofhcc #betweenthemountainandthesky #maggiedoyne #bookadoration #bookstagram #canadianbookstagram

There are few books that I sit down and read in a day, but this was one of them.

Between the Mountain and the Sky is a memoir written by a woman who started a home for orphaned children in Nepal. Her gap year between high school and college transformed into her now permanently living in a small mountain village in Nepal.

The memoir itself is beautifully written with great descriptive language. And the book is really easy to read because you want to hear more and more of her story. However, her story is far from easy. She has experienced an unbelievable amount of heartache, loss, despair, anxiety, and danger. But she has such obvious love and passion for the children she raises and the community in which she lives that that is what you take away from her story. Her love. In fact, she shares love notes that she’s written to every one of her 50 children and the numerous members of her team that help make it all possible.

The amount of things she’s accomplished in just over a decade since she started with the idea is astounding. In addition to the children’s home, the complex houses a sustainability-based school for the kids, a woman’s cooperative for the women of the community to learn a trade, a transition program for the kids as they near adulthood and find their way into the world, a safe home for at risk girls and young women (the threat of being sold or forced to marry young is very real), and a health and wellness clinic. In 2015 she was named CNN Hero of the Year. And what’s more astounding is that she’s done all of this and currently is only in her early 30s. Just amazing when you can write a memoir at 30.