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The Only Road North: 9,000 Miles of Dirt and Dreams
dangerous trek across Africa … a life-and-death struggle … and a call to live a life with no holds barred.Deserts and jungles, rebels and missionaries, bullets and acts of bravery, heaven and hell on earth―these are all part of a young man’s remarkable, true journey through thirteen African countries with his brother and two best friends.Erik Mirandette was completing a two-year stint with a humanitarian organization in Morocco when, continuing his quest to live the life he was created to live, he set off on an unforgettable pilgrimage. Beginning in Cape Town, Erik, his brother, and his two best friends covered 9,000 miles north by dirt bike, experiencing the poverty, beauty, and dangers of the African continent.Then in Cairo, having safely reached the end of their perilous journey, a terrorist’s bomb ripped Erik’s world and faith apart. The four travelers were now desperately wounded and on the brink of death.Erik’s struggle along his journey of faith is as gripping as his trek across Africa. The Only Road North takes readers to corners of the world and depths of the human heart they will never forget.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
March 5, 2013
I was really disappointed in this book. I have worked in Africa for many years and I've seen people like the author and his friends come and go. The story is the same. Wealthy suburban kids who probably do have good intentions at first, lured by the incredible need of the continent and the mystery and danger of the landscape. Often seeming to believe that the cruelties of fate, danger, death, blood and anguish are tourist attractions (as when they entered the DRC, getting excited that they were driving on roads where tens of thousands of people have been raped and killed, hoping and boasting they are the "only white faces" that have been on that road in years) - occasionally tragically discovering that they are not so special that the realities don't apply to them. And then - and only then - railing at God for betraying them, as if they had not just witnessed hundreds of starving children and grieving families who had just as much love for their lives and their murdered loved ones as the white men on expensive motorcycles.
At one point the author is gunning his engine past children dressed (as he described it) in "rags", and his only thought was to say a prayer that his motorcycle's suspension would remain intact. At another point the author's brother drives headlong into a van full of people, damaging what can only be the driver's hard earned livelihood (his van) and his response was to shove his hundreds of dollars into different pockets so he wouldn't have to pay compensation to the driver. The disregard the group showed for the people they encountered was breathtaking. Yet they continued to be "shocked" that the locals didn't universally welcome them with open arms. He considered the locals to be gossipy but uninformed. He considered the relief workers to be ignorant. He took advantage of so much hospitality - how often has the author picked up a hitchhiker in his own town, allowed him to ride along on his roof? Invited a stranger into his home, sharing his meal and bed? How many times did any of the boys offer to help someone travel on their bikes to a clinic, a hospital, between two villages? As they expected others to carry them and their gear when times got hard.
I was truly hoping that the take-home message in the end would be the realization that God owed him no more safety or happiness than he owed the men and women of the Congo. That his family had no special aura around them that entitled them to a different fate than the parasite riddled children sitting on the ground in the various towns he passed. That he was not more special, that he was not more loved, that his love for his brother was exactly the love of the Africans for their families, and he and his brother were no more entitled to safety and long life than the least of the people he so casually dismissed as he gunned his engine down the roads of their village. I was hoping to read that he now understood what hopeless, helpless and desperate felt like, not as a tourist passing by and looking at that same hopeless desperation as if it were an awesome exciting attraction - and that it made him feel more committed than ever to helping those who experienced loss and desperation. Because of course he got to go home, get medical care, grieve with a cold beer in safety, with the best physical therapy his money could buy, at times on a tropical island if that's what he felt like. He had the luxury to make money off his grief in the form of this book. He has exponentially more security than any of the people he passed on the road, who have experienced equal or greater loss.
I understand that he was young, and his brother was even younger. They were young, wealthy, entitled, healthy Americans and they felt that God was looking out for them in a way God was not looking out for the Africans. I can forgive them their incredible entitlement because it was bred into them. I feel terrible that his brother paid the ultimate price - and that he was one of thousands who passed away that day on that continent, many to violence. I just wish he would have emerged with some wisdom and understanding. A little less self-centeredness. A little more concern for others. A little more empathy. But the book ended abruptly with his thoughts still constantly on himself, unable to see past himself to the bigger picture. He reported that the Moroccans he and his brother had worked with were overwhelmed with grief at his brother's death. I wonder if he ever stopped to become overwhelmed with grief for their families, or to feel the connection between himself and the people whose van he so casually damaged, the people whose murdered loved ones were an exciting story to him. I realize this was written years ago - I do hope he's found some peace but I also hope he's found more wisdom and compassion.
At one point the author is gunning his engine past children dressed (as he described it) in "rags", and his only thought was to say a prayer that his motorcycle's suspension would remain intact. At another point the author's brother drives headlong into a van full of people, damaging what can only be the driver's hard earned livelihood (his van) and his response was to shove his hundreds of dollars into different pockets so he wouldn't have to pay compensation to the driver. The disregard the group showed for the people they encountered was breathtaking. Yet they continued to be "shocked" that the locals didn't universally welcome them with open arms. He considered the locals to be gossipy but uninformed. He considered the relief workers to be ignorant. He took advantage of so much hospitality - how often has the author picked up a hitchhiker in his own town, allowed him to ride along on his roof? Invited a stranger into his home, sharing his meal and bed? How many times did any of the boys offer to help someone travel on their bikes to a clinic, a hospital, between two villages? As they expected others to carry them and their gear when times got hard.
I was truly hoping that the take-home message in the end would be the realization that God owed him no more safety or happiness than he owed the men and women of the Congo. That his family had no special aura around them that entitled them to a different fate than the parasite riddled children sitting on the ground in the various towns he passed. That he was not more special, that he was not more loved, that his love for his brother was exactly the love of the Africans for their families, and he and his brother were no more entitled to safety and long life than the least of the people he so casually dismissed as he gunned his engine down the roads of their village. I was hoping to read that he now understood what hopeless, helpless and desperate felt like, not as a tourist passing by and looking at that same hopeless desperation as if it were an awesome exciting attraction - and that it made him feel more committed than ever to helping those who experienced loss and desperation. Because of course he got to go home, get medical care, grieve with a cold beer in safety, with the best physical therapy his money could buy, at times on a tropical island if that's what he felt like. He had the luxury to make money off his grief in the form of this book. He has exponentially more security than any of the people he passed on the road, who have experienced equal or greater loss.
I understand that he was young, and his brother was even younger. They were young, wealthy, entitled, healthy Americans and they felt that God was looking out for them in a way God was not looking out for the Africans. I can forgive them their incredible entitlement because it was bred into them. I feel terrible that his brother paid the ultimate price - and that he was one of thousands who passed away that day on that continent, many to violence. I just wish he would have emerged with some wisdom and understanding. A little less self-centeredness. A little more concern for others. A little more empathy. But the book ended abruptly with his thoughts still constantly on himself, unable to see past himself to the bigger picture. He reported that the Moroccans he and his brother had worked with were overwhelmed with grief at his brother's death. I wonder if he ever stopped to become overwhelmed with grief for their families, or to feel the connection between himself and the people whose van he so casually damaged, the people whose murdered loved ones were an exciting story to him. I realize this was written years ago - I do hope he's found some peace but I also hope he's found more wisdom and compassion.
May 15, 2015
I had issues with this book from the start. It's difficult to write this review because I don't want to be overly critical. The author obviously had a very difficult journey, and suffered a horrible loss. I checked the book out of the library because I liked its cover. Usually, I have found that I actually can judge a book by its cover, but I guess there is some truth to the old adage.
My problem with the book stemmed from my own expectations of what I wanted it to be. The book follows the journey of the author and three of his friends from South Africa to Egypt on their dirt bikes. The summary on the back of the book led me to believe that maybe I would get a small glimpse into the social and political situation of each of the countries they travelled through. I slowly realized the book was actually about the author's adventures with his buddies, the death of his brother, and his spiritual growth as a result of this. This is all fine, it just wasn't what I was looking for.
At the very beginning of the book, the author was doing humanitarian work on the border of Morocco and Spain. I was really fascinated by the situation of refugees living on the border and was hoping for a more thorough description of this situation. However, I never got that information, or any information about Africa. The book continually centered around the author and seemed very self-indulgent.
I'm not sure if their adventure was supposed to have some sort of humanitarian point, but to me it seemed to be less of a humanitarian mission and more of a frat boy adventure. I was continually frustrated with the fact that the author wrote so little about the people he met on his journey and so much about his dirt bike. If you are going to write a three page description about a volleyball game you play with your friends, it would be nice to hear a little more than a few sentences about the Rwandan genocide. Or when the author discusses how much everyone he meets loves the dirt bikes they ride, and then stresses out about how in the world they are going to ship them back to the United States. The logical conclusion to me would be to leave your bikes there. I was suprised that wasn't the conclusion reached. I just found a lot of his descriptions of the journey to be arrogant and out of touch.
Again, it is hard to write this because I'm sure the fact that the author's brother was killed at the end of the journey made him most interested in reflecting on his time with his brother, and not on other elements of his journey. Maybe if there wasn't such a tragic ending the the journey the author would have reflected more on these other elements and I would have found the book more enjoyable.
My problem with the book stemmed from my own expectations of what I wanted it to be. The book follows the journey of the author and three of his friends from South Africa to Egypt on their dirt bikes. The summary on the back of the book led me to believe that maybe I would get a small glimpse into the social and political situation of each of the countries they travelled through. I slowly realized the book was actually about the author's adventures with his buddies, the death of his brother, and his spiritual growth as a result of this. This is all fine, it just wasn't what I was looking for.
At the very beginning of the book, the author was doing humanitarian work on the border of Morocco and Spain. I was really fascinated by the situation of refugees living on the border and was hoping for a more thorough description of this situation. However, I never got that information, or any information about Africa. The book continually centered around the author and seemed very self-indulgent.
I'm not sure if their adventure was supposed to have some sort of humanitarian point, but to me it seemed to be less of a humanitarian mission and more of a frat boy adventure. I was continually frustrated with the fact that the author wrote so little about the people he met on his journey and so much about his dirt bike. If you are going to write a three page description about a volleyball game you play with your friends, it would be nice to hear a little more than a few sentences about the Rwandan genocide. Or when the author discusses how much everyone he meets loves the dirt bikes they ride, and then stresses out about how in the world they are going to ship them back to the United States. The logical conclusion to me would be to leave your bikes there. I was suprised that wasn't the conclusion reached. I just found a lot of his descriptions of the journey to be arrogant and out of touch.
Again, it is hard to write this because I'm sure the fact that the author's brother was killed at the end of the journey made him most interested in reflecting on his time with his brother, and not on other elements of his journey. Maybe if there wasn't such a tragic ending the the journey the author would have reflected more on these other elements and I would have found the book more enjoyable.
April 28, 2024
The easiest way to describe this book is by the photos in it which are mostly of the three profiled in the book. The photos are mostly of them, selfies and all, with an African scene in the background. In other words, it's like "hey, look at us, and yeah, that's some background of Africa there."
The book describes very little about Africa, aside from historical tidbits of a paragraph or two and how exotic it is. You know when you eat potato chips hoping to be satiated, because that's all you have to eat? But you keep eating, never feel full, get all that salt without nutrition and each chip tastes the same. You finish the bag and you feel unsatisfied, empty, wishing it could have been a nice meal rich in flavor.
It's sad. This book could have been so much more, but you really don't learn much about their environment when they travel through Africa. Describing a location as a village and nothing else?
I almost stopped reading when they were having fun throwing rocks and using a wrist rocket (slingshot) to shoot rocks at hippos and hit them in the head. However, I had to finish the embarrassing slow train wreck of a book just to enjoy all of its flaws pointed out by others.
The book describes very little about Africa, aside from historical tidbits of a paragraph or two and how exotic it is. You know when you eat potato chips hoping to be satiated, because that's all you have to eat? But you keep eating, never feel full, get all that salt without nutrition and each chip tastes the same. You finish the bag and you feel unsatisfied, empty, wishing it could have been a nice meal rich in flavor.
It's sad. This book could have been so much more, but you really don't learn much about their environment when they travel through Africa. Describing a location as a village and nothing else?
I almost stopped reading when they were having fun throwing rocks and using a wrist rocket (slingshot) to shoot rocks at hippos and hit them in the head. However, I had to finish the embarrassing slow train wreck of a book just to enjoy all of its flaws pointed out by others.
July 19, 2014
Four guys, three dirt bikes and 9,000 miles through Africa, what's not to like in this story? It is the ultimate adventure, and a reminder that there is more to life than a comfortable job and familiar American highways. I related to Erik Mirandette from the start, discontent with the American dream, an unquenchable desire to make a contribution to the world...to matter.
My only disappointment with this story is how much is left out. A two week backpacking trip through western europe is pages of notes, so I am sure that four months in the African bush could serve up a Tolsoy-sized novel. Still, the guys crossed through Uganda without a word. So many things left unsaid! And while I am encouraged to see four Christ-believing guys share openly about their faith, nearly every chapter concluded with personal reflection. I wasn't sure if this was a Christian inspiration story or an adventure novel. Let's just say I had hoped for even more adventure.
Highly highly highly recommend for every adventurer! Now, can I go, too?
My only disappointment with this story is how much is left out. A two week backpacking trip through western europe is pages of notes, so I am sure that four months in the African bush could serve up a Tolsoy-sized novel. Still, the guys crossed through Uganda without a word. So many things left unsaid! And while I am encouraged to see four Christ-believing guys share openly about their faith, nearly every chapter concluded with personal reflection. I wasn't sure if this was a Christian inspiration story or an adventure novel. Let's just say I had hoped for even more adventure.
Highly highly highly recommend for every adventurer! Now, can I go, too?
October 8, 2011
A tough read. The tragic nature of this story (if known prior to beginning) casts a shadow over the entire book. Each page turn increases the feeling of... when will it happen? While this makes a difficult reading experience, it is nonetheless an incredible record of a trek across Africa. The perseverance and narrow escapes that harrowed these adventurers throughout their early journey is an astonishing story. Yet, all that is moot when laid beside the indescribable moments of suffering at the end. Yet, the tragedy is not without hope. Though, the hope may be weak and only in its fledgling, it is still incredible to see such a spirit revived. I highly recommend this book. And if you start to dismay early on, don't give up. Persevere to the end.
November 19, 2008
This was a very moving and inspirational story from a young man on his journey with friends and his brother on motorcycles through Africa. It's a fast paced account of their trials and tribulations along the way, the dangers they encounted, the militia, and the people they helped. His descriptions of the beautiful landscape and wildlife and the treacherous roads paint a perfect picture of the terrain they endured with each mile they put behind them. Whatever your beliefs, this books ending will make you stop and think about your life and how you are using it. It reminds us to live, not just be.
March 19, 2014
In the end, this was a tough book to read, but well worth the time. It makes you think about some tough questions when you close the back cover. The last few chapters were especially gripping, and the tragic ending is so poignant because you could feel the brothers' close relationship throughout the book. The adventure had a lot of interesting highlights along the way, but I did wish there was a bit more insight into their thoughts on certain places that they visited. I'm not a motorcycle rider, so those parts got a little long for me, but the real life adventure was great to experience through Erik's eyes.
August 27, 2009
Picked this up in the travevl section on a whim - if I'm not having my own adventure then I need to read about others. :) This journey through Africa on motorcycles by 2 brothers and their friends was to say the least, crazy! It is intense and leaves you on the edge of your seat with wild animals, visas that may or may not materialize, and friendly and not so friendly natives! I'm content to read the book rather than try this on my own. The sad ending leaves you deflated but not all stories are happily ever after.
April 10, 2008
This book was written by the friend of someone from my hometown. It's a great adventure story of 4 young men who decide to embark on a 9,000 mile dirt bike trip from South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. Little do they know what is in store for them, as they encounter problems at the border of many of the countries, wreck their bikes, nearly starve, and, upon reaching their destination of Cairo, their lives are forever changed by a chance encounter on the streets of Cairo.
March 31, 2021
This is a really poorly written book. Mirandette relies on some of the most frustrating cliches when describing Africa and the people he encounters (dark, mysterious - especially mysterious...) He also spends an irritating amount of time telling you how he wants you to feel about everything, rather than letting the merit of the story stand on its own.
December 17, 2016
I really liked this biography,told in a very real and transparent manner. He says in the beginning that he still doesn't have it figured out about why God allows pain and suffering for even those who are choosing to serve Him. I would like to read even a blog post of follow up to see how his faith has fared as he has had more time to process the events and loss.
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July 24, 2011Interesting. Good kid searching for something more and finding God's heart for him and the world.
April 7, 2024
It’s hard not to have empathy for someone who experienced the tragedy of massive injury and loss of his brother at a young age. While not (at this point) a skilled storyteller, the proximity of Erik’s self-actualization and personal crisis moments is pretty striking, and perhaps more interesting than the crosscontinental adventure story.
Erik’s trip with his buddies speeding across warzones on dirt bikes seems stupid reckless, but honestly not much moreso than what other risk-seeking 20 somethings can get up to (though certainly more expensive and logistically complicated!). The writing itself is fairly pedantic, with an overuse of phrases like “the African jungle” or “stallions” as a serious synonym for motorbikes. But the (moderate) introspection presented is genuine.
The book ends on a dark note; the author has written this story perhaps not for us, but as part of his search for closure. Did he find it? What’s wild is, because this is a true story, you can actually see:
“Eventually, Erik resolved to honor his brother’s memory by taking a stand against those who propagated the violent extremism that took Alex’s life and that had mired his country in war. Erik returned to the Air Force Academy, commissioned, and spent the next six years leading counterintelligence teams in Afghanistan, Korea, Indonesia, Japan and the United States. Serving his country as an intelligence operator allowed Erik to meet with and experience the perspectives of the local population, opening his eyes to the complex social and economic challenges that lead to extremism and conflict. Erik holds a Master of Business Administration from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master's Degree in International Commerce from Norwich University.”
“Erik Mirandette has extensive experience in various roles, including Chief Business Officer, Head of Product and Ecosystem, and Head of Customer Operations at Tulip Interfaces. In this webinar - Redefining Manufacturing Execution Systems for the Next Generation of Manufacturers - Tulip’s Erik Mirandette will explore the evolution of MES, the role of composability in unlocking resilience and innovation, and how manufacturers are using composability to drive value gradually and with less risk.”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikmiran...
Can you grow to define yourself beyond one shattering experience where your faith and purpose was ripped out from under you? This book may not be courageous enough to answer that question, but I’d say its author does.
Erik’s trip with his buddies speeding across warzones on dirt bikes seems stupid reckless, but honestly not much moreso than what other risk-seeking 20 somethings can get up to (though certainly more expensive and logistically complicated!). The writing itself is fairly pedantic, with an overuse of phrases like “the African jungle” or “stallions” as a serious synonym for motorbikes. But the (moderate) introspection presented is genuine.
The book ends on a dark note; the author has written this story perhaps not for us, but as part of his search for closure. Did he find it? What’s wild is, because this is a true story, you can actually see:
“Eventually, Erik resolved to honor his brother’s memory by taking a stand against those who propagated the violent extremism that took Alex’s life and that had mired his country in war. Erik returned to the Air Force Academy, commissioned, and spent the next six years leading counterintelligence teams in Afghanistan, Korea, Indonesia, Japan and the United States. Serving his country as an intelligence operator allowed Erik to meet with and experience the perspectives of the local population, opening his eyes to the complex social and economic challenges that lead to extremism and conflict. Erik holds a Master of Business Administration from MIT Sloan School of Management, a Master's Degree in International Commerce from Norwich University.”
“Erik Mirandette has extensive experience in various roles, including Chief Business Officer, Head of Product and Ecosystem, and Head of Customer Operations at Tulip Interfaces. In this webinar - Redefining Manufacturing Execution Systems for the Next Generation of Manufacturers - Tulip’s Erik Mirandette will explore the evolution of MES, the role of composability in unlocking resilience and innovation, and how manufacturers are using composability to drive value gradually and with less risk.”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikmiran...
Can you grow to define yourself beyond one shattering experience where your faith and purpose was ripped out from under you? This book may not be courageous enough to answer that question, but I’d say its author does.
May 26, 2021
I'm not sure why this book caught my attention at my local library, but I am glad it did. It will especially appeal to dirt bike fans and those who like to travel as well as those with a special
interest in Africa. The chapters are brief and they give the reader a peak into life in the various countries the bikers visited. But what holds the story together in the relationships between the the bikers...two are blood brothers and the others their close friends.
I especially appreciated the chapter on Northern Ethiopia with its reference to Lalibela. This area is famous for a series of eleven churches carved from a single slab of granite in the late twelfth century.
The final chapter, "A Life Worth Living." puts this whole daring adventure into perspective.
Hope Irvin Marston, award-winning author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE, a Charlotte Award 2021 nominee.
interest in Africa. The chapters are brief and they give the reader a peak into life in the various countries the bikers visited. But what holds the story together in the relationships between the the bikers...two are blood brothers and the others their close friends.
I especially appreciated the chapter on Northern Ethiopia with its reference to Lalibela. This area is famous for a series of eleven churches carved from a single slab of granite in the late twelfth century.
The final chapter, "A Life Worth Living." puts this whole daring adventure into perspective.
Hope Irvin Marston, award-winning author of THE WALLS HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE, a Charlotte Award 2021 nominee.
October 19, 2018
The beginning of this book is great- made you think deeply about the meaning of life and the importance of serving others. The rest of the book mainly focused on their adventures throughout Africa and didn’t really focusing on serving others which confused me. The ending however is pretty interesting as his life turns and he started asking hard questions that everyone can relate to. I liked taking quotes from the book and saving it for myself to read in the future to challenge myself, and it was a fast paced read. I wish he explained more about the details of each country, and I wish he did more to serve others in each country too. But otherwise, it was still a good read!
June 10, 2018
This was very well written. Alex, Erik & two friends travel from South Africa to Ethiopia by dirt bike. When the trip is over they go through H_ _ L and question their faith. They are thankful but like alot of us that go through life-changing events, We have questions of God: like why, what for, & what now? It was kinda left hanging, where he is with his faith, but I would be too. Great book.
July 22, 2023
This is a solid read. I really enjoyed hearing Erik's journey and his quest to find faith. There were many great mini stories along the journey. However, I really wanted more. I wanted to see the beauty of the lands he was writing through. It was missing. The writing was somewhat poor and did not provide much imagery. However, the story could easily be turned into a movie which many could enjoy.
May 2, 2020
Didn't really catch me at the beginning, but then it took me back to all my memories, days and adventures spent in Africa, and back to all those I met there, and I loved it for this. The end reminded me once again that life is worth lived to the full, not just spent.
September 4, 2019
What a powerful, exciting read and to think that this was a true experience. Thank you Erik for sharing your story, your heartbreak.
October 6, 2019
Great adventure book. Erik does a fantastic play-by-play narrative of his trip. It make me think about weighing and mitigating the risk of my own personal adventures.
August 17, 2022
Wow. Crazy ride through Africa. Erik really painted the picture of their travels. My only question is does he still believe….
February 19, 2025
And amazing true story that tugs at your heart and opens your eyes. Loved it!!
September 14, 2025
An incredible story, but not a Christian one. The author went through a difficult time and demonstrated incredible perseverance. But Christianity is not a choose your own adventure story.
February 16, 2017
This is a very thrilling and sad story.
June 24, 2012
I give Erik credit for writing this book, but it bothered me from start to end. I see the adventure lovers crave for this, but where I thought I'd get a bit of thrill and adventure I read about bike parts. A traveler myself, I was surprised at how little details some of the towns the boys stayed in reflected upon. I think he's just a kid who had great ideas and didn't think them all through entirely. First, four boys went to experience an entire continent, but only gave themselves 4 months. Next, instead of getting to to know the people of the nations they passed through- they blew past on their dirt bikes, often times trekking into unwanted territory. When it seemed as if they were bragging that they were the first white people who had been there, perhaps they should have realized why and not tested that ground. It seemed like I read the entire book waiting to get to the good stuff, and expected what the beginning prefaces. I had hoped than experiences in a remote and beautiful land of amazing, terrifying and deeply intense histories. Easy enough read, just more on the Christian inspirational side rather than adventure.
November 21, 2011
I've just finished this book, was gripped by the story and the last few chapters gave me the goosies BUT like a few others here i think it was poorly written and focussed way to much on their dirtbikes than the people they met and the experience they were having. Perhaps due to the tragic events at the end, the book was written purely to show the love between two brothers but it could have been so much more. Having been to west africa myself, i know that its difficult to convey the circumstances there faced by most of the people, but this book seemed to bypass the people entirely concentrating on the bikes and the next destination they were trying to get to.
August 9, 2007
This was an extremely gripping non-fiction story from the opening line to the final word. The story of a young man's journey through Africa as a humanitarian where he finds what life is worth. He ends up taking a bike trip from the tip of South Africa up into Egypt along side his Brother and two best friends, which ends up in the worst tragedy Erik could've imagined. It affected me deeply in more ways than one. I heard of the book because the author (and the three men who accompanied him in Africa) were all graduates of the same High School I attend, which makes it hit close to home.
June 14, 2015
This is a awesome, amazing, fast paced, highly readable story that tells a epic journey through Africa by dirt bike. The story is not just limited to this journey but also explores the author's life story before and after this journey. This is a highly interesting and enlightening book because it discusses many subjects and sites of geographical, biblical, spiritual. historical, and political interest in a variety of countries throughout Africa. This is a must read for all fans of real life adventures, travel, or spiritual journeys. The sheer role of God in this story was upllfting!
July 10, 2007
I liked the idea of this book, but I felt that it was perhaps rushed to publication. There was a lot more opportunity for the author to reflect on his spiritual journey and relationship with God throughout the book. I felt that there wasn't a whole lot of energy put into it until the end, when he returned to Michigan. It was a very entertaining story though. I just wish he had gone a little deeper.
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