I’m a proud alumnus (1978) of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, USA, where I kept myself out of trouble by editing the college newspaper (The Roundtable) and taking as many writing classes as I could (in between learning to kayak through the outdoors club). I loved my years at Beloit, and the many friends I made there, and thrived on the academic challenges (having decided at a very young age I wanted to be a journalist).
So I was pleasantly surprised this week to find that the current issue of my alma mater’s magazine offers an enthusiastic review of my novel, Andreo’s Race. The link is below.
Thanks, Beloit!
https://magazine.beloit.edu/?story_id=246634&issue_id=246440
In the latest adventure novel for young adult readers by Pam Withers, the heart-pumping action reaches beyond the limits of sports to touch upon the even more terrifying and dangerous world of human trafficking.
Sixteen-year-old Andreo, adopted from Bolivia, is gearing up to compete in an Ironman competition located within the Bolivian wilderness. However, he and his friend Raul, a fellow Bolivian adoptee, begin to suspect that their adoptive parents may have acquired them illegally. Using the race as a front to explore the truth, Andreo and Raul find themselves embroiled in a race that goes far beyond a finish line, as they seek to expose a ring of baby traffickers.
Presented through the eyes of Andreo, the joys of competing in an international race quickly mesh with the unadulterated fright of coming to terms with a life that may not be what it seems.
The exhilarating story further showcases why Withers has become such a celebrated author, as Andreo’s Race comes on the heels of award-winners such as First Descent. Her visceral storytelling and compelling characters make the novel a brisk, thrilling read.
This is Withers’ second novel for Tundra Books, both of which utilize her passion for extreme sports and Latin American culture as a jumping off point for her action-packed prose. —Will Tomer’17
