Beyond the Next Village - by Mary Anne Mercer (Paperback)

About the Book

A moving memoir of a young nurse's experience trekking with a local health team in rural Nepal, Beyond the Next Village chronicles how, after arriving in the roadless district of Gorkha in 1978, Mary Anne Mercer experiences firsthand the interlacing of modern medicine with an ancient culture--and her life is gradually transformed by immersion in the daily lives of villagers and her team.

Book Synopsis

A moving memoir of a young nurse's experience trekking with a local health team in rural Nepal, Beyond the Next Village chronicles how, after arriving in the roadless district of Gorkha in 1978, Mary Anne Mercer experiences firsthand the interlacing of modern medicine with an ancient culture-and her life is gradually transformed by immersion in the daily lives of villagers and her team.

Review Quotes

2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in Travel/Travel Guide
2022 Foreword INDIES Finalist in Travel (Adult Nonfiction)

"Mercer's memoir of her months as a volunteer nurse in Nepal is moving, uplifting, and timely. Written with insight and humility, it illustrates the dilemmas of being a stranger in a strange land-even if you're a stranger with the best intentions and the tools to truly be of service. Mercer's eye for detail, humor, and frank self-reflections make Beyond the Next Village enjoyable as both memoir and travelogue. It's also a sobering reminder, during these pandemic years, of how wealth determines the standard of medical care--not just across international borders, but within developing countries."

--Jeff Greenwald, author of Shopping for Buddhas and Snake Lake

"'Was I ready to change my life?' a young American nurse asks as she ventures into Nepalese villages at a time when the Himalayas were mostly unknown. Mary Anne Mercer treks between worlds in this mesmerizing memoir of adventure and initiation into another culture, another way of healing, of understanding home."
--Brenda Peterson, author of Wolf Nation and I Want to Be Left Behind

"With deep compassion and sharp critical insight, Mercer chronicles the challenges of delivering healthcare in rural Nepal while also recounting a more personal story of a woman working through her own uncertainties and vulnerabilities to embrace her calling. This is a must-read for any traveler who hopes to 'help' in Nepal."
--Elizabeth Enslin, author of While the Gods Were Sleeping: A Journey through Love and Rebellion in Nepal

"You can only go to Nepal for the first time in your life once. The author came do meaningful work and has never really left Nepal. This candid, compelling memoir gives a glimpse why."
--Stephen Bezruchka, author of Trekking in Nepal

"This is a vivid and compelling story of a young nurse's challenging trek through rural Nepal to deliver health care to families in remote villages. With compassion and honesty, Mercer grapples with uncertainty and frustration as she adapts to local cultural beliefs and scant resources. In the process, she comes to better understand herself as a health-giver and to embrace the deeper mysteries of healing."
--Margaret Combs, author of Hazard: A Sister's Flight from Family and a Broken Boy

"Mercer's account of her year in Nepal takes us back to a formative time in the country, when modern medical care was making an inroads into rural communities in the 1970s. She examines local life with honesty, as an informed and engaged outsider, questioning local customs while also accepting her own limitations to change them. Beyond the Next Village will interest everyone who loves Nepal, with a portrait of times past that is vivid, tender, and deeply moving."

--Manjushree Thapa, author of Forget Kathmandu

"Mercer has written a vivid account of a volunteer American nurse in Nepal - honest,