INDIANA, Pa., Oct. 1, 2009 — Venturing on a cross-continental journey was always a dream for author and avid bicyclist Doug Freedline. After a failed attempt in 1974, Freedline enlisted the company of a friend three years later and set out to finish what he started. In his new book, “Summer of 1977: A North American Bicycling Odyssey” (published by iUniverse), Freedline outlines his life-altering bike trip that would take him around the Great Lakes, across Canada, down the Pacific Coast, across the Rockies, to the tip of Florida, and then back home to Pennsylvania.
This memoir chronicles Freedline’s more than 9,000-mile, four-and-a-half-month road trip that began and ended in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1977. It was a journey that took him across a continent filled with natural wonders, quaint towns, and unforgettable people. Freedline not only discovered that he had the inner resources to overcome the past and complete any endeavor he started, but found that the cold, cruel world that others professed to see did not actually exist.
Much more than a travelogue, “Summer of 1977″ demonstrates how one man’s dream served as the impetus for finding the courage to attend college, earn a degree, and go on to motivate others to improve their lives.
“Millions of pines flanked the highway. I plopped down under one of the taller trees and downed two boxes of granola. No sooner had I filled my empty belly with oats and honey than strong waves of fatigue swept over me. My eyelids drooped. The pine branches became blurry. My brain seemed to wink out. The sweet melody of mountain breezes grew faint, and my muscles felt weak. This stretch of U.S. 60 had really socked it to me. It was indeed the road from hell, nothing like the Virginia stretch three years before. Sinatra’s rendition of ‘The Impossible Dream’ from Man of La Mancha came from my radio. I took the lyrics to heart, and they seemed to revitalize me. I got back on the road and sang from my bicycle.”
About the Author
Doug Freedline was born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he currently resides with his wife, two cats, and his mountain bike. Since his youth, Doug Freedline has bicycled more than 60,000 miles, which includes five Canadian provinces and more than 20 states. Freedline is an outreach mobile therapist who serves families in their homes.
“Summer of 1977: A North American Bicycling Odyssey”
Available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.amazon.co.uk, http://www.amazon.ca
ISBN: 9781440100208 - 6 x 9 - Paperback - 592 pages - $33.95 USA - 20.50 pounds UK - $36.62 CA
iUniverse offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books. The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the U.S. iUniverse is based in Bloomington, Indiana.
Contact:
Kristy Ketterman
iUniverse Promotions Dept.
kketterman@authorsolutions.com
Toll-free: 800-839-8640 Ext. 5224
Fax: 812-961-3133
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