A down to earth and candid reflection of the author's experience of living and volunteering in Nepal with her family. A great read for those wanting more insight into life in Nepal, those keen on volunteering abroad and for families thinking about embarking on.

This is a truly inspiring account of a family who moved halfway around the world to help others less fortunate than themselves. It is an easy read for all ages and will have you laughing and crying and then laughing again.
You must add it to your collection, regardless of whether you ever plan to go to Nepal or not.
You won't be sorry.

Like Nicola, my love affair with Nepal began many years ago and continues today - currently planning my 4th visit. Reading her book took me right back to the people and places I have come to love. She tells stories of everyday events with her family, neighbours and coworkers and will have you laughing and crying with her as you meet extraordinary people doing extraordinary things with limited resources.

If you're thinking about travelling to Nepal, this book will take you on adventures well beyond the reach of the average tourist and into the lives and homes of some of the most hospitable people you'll ever meet. And you'll pick up a smattering of Nepali along the way.

If you're thinking of volunteering in a similar role this book will help prepare you for some of the challenges you could never begin to imagine, but may well face on a daily basis. You'll learn how Nicola and her family (and almost the whole country) adapted and learnt to cope when strikes and road blocks cut off fuel and gas supplies, how they adapted when the hours of limited electricity ran into days and weeks without power and you'll share in some delightful moments as some of the poorest and most ostracised members of the community find help, healing and worth through the work of International Nepal Fellowship.

I can't recommend this book highly enough, but it comes with a warning. Reading this book could seriously change your life!

I suspect many people have dreams of working overseas, volunteering to work in an environment and culture vastly different to their own. Yet I also suspect very few actually realise that dream as fully as Nicola. Not content with dreaming about it, she did a year in Nepal, with a young family. This is a story of that year, and for many of us, it paints a picture of a dream that we can share with her.
This is not a romanticised story of volunteering and changing people’s lives. The book details many of the problems that working in countries that lack most of the western life ‘necessities’ can bring. Raising money to fund the trip, vaccinations, stomach bugs, power outages, language lessons, a different climate, food, water purity, garbage removal, standards of hygiene – all these are covered. So the reader really does get a clear picture of what this sort of job entails, and the sort of adjustments that must be made to live in Nepal for a year.
It is a reflection on the kinds of people that do this work that none of these problems are a cause for complaint. The very valid point is made – and shown – that these are the conditions that the people there cope with their whole lives, and do so with a high level of good humour and capability. Reading this book really makes you reflect on the lifestyle of the west, and how complicated and consumer focused it can be.
Throughout the book are descriptions of the beauties of Nepal, of the land and its people. It is clear that Nicola cares deeply about the people she meets, and their stories of courage and triumph with very little is heart warming. The photos are also a great insight into a very different culture.
Highly recommended for readers with an interest in Nepal, working overseas or sharing an adventure in an exotic land.