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Me, My Bike and a Street Dog Called Lucy

by Ishbel Holmes 

Publication Date:  05th Aug 2018


£8.33 £7.50

Me, My Bike and a Street Dog Called Lucy – Holiday reads and travel literature telling the story of Ishbel Taromsari, World Bike Girl, and Lucy, a dog she rescued in Turkey. This book also features Syria and Frank Gilhooley.

Published:  05th Aug 2018
Edition:  1

About this book

This new title from Bradt tells the inspiring and emotional story of Ishbel Holmes, also known as ‘World Bike Girl’, a Scottish-Iranian woman who became a champion racing cyclist in spite of having been abandoned by her family, and who set off on the adventure of a lifetime despite her lack of experience, money or equipment.
Ishbel Holmes was determined to cycle the world but her journey took a completely unexpected turn when, despite her initial instincts not to, she rescued a street dog in Turkey. Ishbel was lost and alone when she started on her epic trip, but in Lucy found a companionship never previously known. Between the two there formed a deep bond and their relationship was followed and supported by thousands of readers online, before becoming a media sensation overnight when Ishbel put out a plea for help to transport Lucy to an animal shelter three hundred miles away.
This heart-rending tale is about more than just the relationship between a woman and her dog. It is a testimony to the human spirit, overcoming present-day challenges and churning up long-buried and painful memories from Ishbel’s earlier life. It is also a tale of adventure, one person’s determination to cross an unfamiliar country by bike and the unforgettable scenes that greet her on the Turkey-Syria border and into Syria itself. And it is a loving portrait of Lucy, the street dog that was determined not to let Ishbel go and whose dogged persistence helped to break down the barriers around her heart and in so doing change her life in ways she had never imagined.
Ultimately, this is a tale of love and healing, a modern fable that touches the soul and reminds us all of the need to belong.

About the Author

Ishbel Rose Holmes, a.k.a. World Bike Girl, is a British-Iranian adventurer who is scared of spiders. In 2014, she set off to bicycle the world and has so far pedalled across 16 countries in Europe andSouth America. She cycles with a dog trailer that she uses to help injured cats and dogs get medical care and find homes. Before cycling the world, Ishbel was a velodrome sprinter for the Iranian National Women’s Team, and she has also road raced extensively in the United Kingdom. Ishbel is devoted to the social, environmental, and health benefits of cycling. She gives talks all over the world about her adventures and street dogs, and is a motivational speaker, promoting the positive effects of adventure and the great outdoors on mental health and quality of life.
Ishbel is an avid wearer of socks with sandals – much to the dismay of her friends.

Reviews

Who saved whom? Ishbel is a truly incredible and determined woman whose emotional story takes you on a journey of tears, laughter, hope and inspiration with her heartwarming friendship with a stray dog that becomes a connection and rescue for both of them. Beyond inspiring! – Dion Leonard, author of Finding Gobi

Ishbel has become a worldwide phenomenon – Daily Record

Hooked by page 2. Tears by page 5. This is a gem of a story written by a brave and inspiring young woman with an XXL heart. If you love travel and love animals, you’ll adore this book. – Jason Lewis

Down to earth, honest, funny . an incredible journey – Anna McNuff

In this beautifully-crafted book we see how the courage of one woman shines through after a childhood of incredible hardship – Frank Gilhooley

Additional Information

Table of Contents

Foreword by Jan Rees
‘A Hero of Mine’ by Frank Gilhooley
Me, My Bike and a Street Dog Called Lucy
How You Can Help
Author’s Note
Acknowledgements
About the Author