CNN Hero of the Year 2015, Maggie Doyne, launched her memoir ‘Between the Mountain and the Sky’ in April. During the event, Doyne opened up about her journey—how it began with her using the money she got from babysitting to build a home for orphans in war-torn Nepal. Now, she is the co-founder of the BlinkNow Foundation and Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School in Surkhet, Nepal which supports Nepali children by providing them with quality education and advocating for a safe environment.

Doyne’s book documents a journey of motherhood. It isn’t a how-to guide for aspiring nonprofit leaders or donors; rather, it tells the coming-of-age tale of a young lady caught between two worlds. Encountering love, sorrow, healing, and hope, she has come a long way. The candid memoir tells the story of her unwavering courage, kind nature, and the world-changing work she and her co-founder Tope do. The tales in this book will make you contemplate, smile, and cry.

The memoir is brilliantly written, using excellent descriptive language. Doyne is expressive with her narration. She has gone through unimaginable amounts of heartbreak, grief, hopelessness, anxiety, and peril. But what you take away from her narrative is her ceaseless love and passion for the kids she raises and the neighbourhood she lives in.

In the book, it is clear Doyne sees herself as a foreign guest (in Nepal) who wants to provide all the support she can muster for her growing community and not a white saviour.

Through her book, Doyne wants people also to understand Nepal thoroughly. She encourages Nepali youths to backpack across their country and see how not every child has access to what they have. Besides that, she emphasises the importance of being audacious enough to look at challenges and confront them.

People look at Doyne’s life and assume it is fun, surrounded by many kids who probably love to play around all the time, but she has gone through many challenging times to reach where she is today. She also details the many times she wanted to give up in the text.

Doyne has always been a big believer in how a loving environment is crucial for every child. A happy childhood and good education can make a world of difference which is a pivotal message that can be extracted from her book.

As you read Maggie’s words, you break down at the misfortunes and cheer at the triumphs. You begin to understand that she doesn’t want to make a blockbuster change that gathers the attention of the world. All she wants is a safe place for an underprivileged child to grow and receive education. While writing the book, she made sure not to glorify the journey but to provide raw and candid insights into her life. She couldn’t have done it on her own, as this isn’t just her story. Inside the book are many other stories of children, helping hands, parents, and other people that impacted her journey.

Books like ‘Between the Mountain and the Sky’ offer a glimmer of hope when you’re discouraged by reading or hearing about the horrific events and hate crimes happening in our world. Doyne’s story is a reminder that teenagers can bring great change and hope to this world.

When she was asked what could be a takeaway from the book at its launch, Doyne said, “We should not miss the power and beauty every child possess. If a child has all its needs met and a good childhood, that could change the world.”