Local cyclist Tom Sweeney is pleased to announce the release of Lisbon to Shanghai in Four Summers: A Memoir. Many of you may recognize Tom Sweeney’s name because of his annual Ride to School slideshow, which showcases photos from his daily bicycle commute to work. Sweeney’s book recounts his solo bicycle trek across twenty-two countries, beginning in Portugal and ending at the East China Sea. It describes the amazing, and often obscure, locales he visited, the logistical challenges of loaded bicycle touring, snippets of history and current events, and the people he encountered along the way. The story itself is grounded in Sweeney’s everyday life as a fifth-grade teacher in both Loveland and Fort Collins. Blending humble honesty and subtle humor, the memoir explores themes, perseverance, loneliness, and the repercussions that come with every choice we make.
From the dust jacket-
“Tom Sweeney was thirty-eight years old when he announced his ridiculous plan to ride his bicycle around the world. He had everything an adult is supposed to want: a good job, an amazing wife, and a nice home. But he felt like something was missing, like the humdrum of impending middle age wasn’t living up to its promises of fulfillment.
Over the course of four summers, Sweeney pedaled from Lisbon, Portugal, to Shanghai, China, crossing twenty-two countries and amassing a lifetime of fascinating stories. His memoir, however, is hardly an ordinary travelogue; it is grounded in Sweeney’s everyday life as a fifth-grade teacher in Colorado. Blending humble honesty and subtle humor, Sweeney explores themes of loneliness, perseverance, and the repercussions that come with every choice we make.
Real life, it turns out, doesn’t stop moving just because we embark on some grandiose quest. Sometimes, the answers we’re seeking show up in the most unexpected and ordinary ways.” Please visit lisbontoshanghai.com for more information. Facebook InstagramYouTube We’ll be featuring Tom on 10 Tracks later this week so stay tuned for that.Â
