Nanci Wright-Stevens moved from the US to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast in 2003 to retire, or so she and her husband, Barry, thought. Instead, after meeting a hungry man and a young boy yearning to go to school from the local Bribri (‘bree bree”) Indigenous community, they formed El Puente (The Bridge), a charity that provides food, school supplies, community, and hope, and operated it out of their home for the next 17 years!
Nanci has just released her long-awaited memoir, The Bribri and The Bridge: Tales from Life with the Indigenous of Costa Rica, published by Your Best Publishing LLC and available in paperback on Lulu.com and as an e-book at Amazon. In The Bribri and The Bridge, which has received multiple five-star reviews, Nanci describes how she fell in love with Costa Rica and moved there for good, using all of her and Barry’s money in eighteen months to help those in need, yet somehow keeping El Puente’s lights on and the love flowing long after. Also an accomplished visual artist, she combines her signature wit and wisdom with photos and paintings of the exotic animals and extraordinary people she’s encountered in this often-overlooked part of the country.
20% of all profits from the sale of The Bribri and The Bridge will be donated to El Puente, and for the benefit of the environment, all physical copies will be printed on forest-friendly paper.
“The Bribri and the Bridge is nothing short of extraordinary. I honestly couldn’t imagine a more amazing book to read. It’s not just a story—it’s a transmission of spirit, truth, and deep wisdom, told through the vivid and unforgettable lens of life in Puerto Viejo.” – Alex May
“This book, simply put, is a masterpiece. The nuances presented…are priceless. You will experience joy, frustration, wonder, and an array of every emotion. Each story is different, yet all have a common theme, and that is to experience life to the fullest. To give when you think you have nothing left to give. To dream and to believe. And to know, at the end of it all, that you touched so many people’s lives in so many ways. It’s an inspiration to all of us to do better. To give more. And to love unconditionally. And … yes, to laugh when the craziest things go wrong.” – Michele Kohan
“I have just finished your beautiful book. What resonated was the willingness and ability to alter one’s life for something simpler and more meaningful. I enjoyed every vignette of the people and animals that came into your life. I laughed and cried. Especially the story of Burrito. Your ‘What do you do with all this love, you love again’ message really hit home. Like your loss of Burrito, I lost my wife, and I was inconsolable. Until I found love again, and I felt whole again. Thank you for sharing your incredible life stories.” – Phillip Clermont
Paperback: https://bit.ly/4i0wtSE
