What would you do with a yellow envelope?
Plagued by anxiety and a persistent feeling that there was more to life than paychecks and mortgages, Kim and her husband decide to uproot their lives and travel around the world. Just before their departure, they’re given an unexpected gift that will shape their adventures: a yellow envelope containing a check and instructions to give the money away to those they encounter on their journey.
Through Ecuador, India, Nepal, and beyond, the pair encounter problems at every step, including major challenges to their marriage. But as Kim and her husband figure out how to give to the people they meet and to each other, they learn that money does not have a thing to do with the capacity to give.
The Yellow Envelope is a vividly insightful look at how travel stretches and pushes the traveler, and it tells the tale of the transformative power of giving, not just of money, but also of ourselves.
Read my blog post about the yellow envelope gift here.
Learn about The Yellow Envelope Project, our campaign to spread small acts of kindness around the world.
The Yellow Envelope is available for pre-order now and will be published on 4/4/17.
Advance praise for The Yellow Envelope
“I often say that once you embark on the road of adventure, you never know where you’ll end up. Kim’s story is the epitome of this lesson. Read The Yellow Envelope for an honest, refreshing account of personal transformation.”
– Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The $100 Startup
“The Yellow Envelope is an intriguing and riveting tale of Kim’s travel adventures. I was especially intrigued by her process of self-discovery, which is tightly woven into her experiences. She talks openly and honestly about earth-shaking moments, marital doubts, and quiet insights…often in the tone of sharing secrets with a best friend. Also, I loved the idea of the physical yellow envelope, a gift to be given away in ways that make you smile and make your heart sing. It’s a story with passion, risk, and humor.”
–Rita Golden Gelman, author of Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World
“An honest and heartfelt memoir about the ways marriage, travel, and personal dreams can sometimes clash with each other, The Yellow Envelope is likely to inspire both wanderlust and random acts of generosity in readers. Set against the changing scenery of a backpacker’s life on the road, the story examines important questions about what it means to give and what it means to let go. A captivating read from start to end, it’s impossible not to become entangled in Dinan’s devoted worldwide search for finding a balance between love, life, and one’s dreams.”
–Torre DeRoche, author of Love with a Chance of Drowning
“This is a capably narrated, decidedly introspective, soul-searching travel memoir of the Eat, Pray, Love variety and will likely draw the same audience.”
-Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association
“Many readers will enjoy the uplifting moments Dinan experiences during her quest.”
-Publishers Weekly
“A memorable adventure…”
– Kirkus
