The personal story of a woman’s coverage of the second Gobi Desert Cup as a media coordinator and consultant, Girl Forward: A Tale of One Woman’s Unlikely Adventure in Mongolia reveals how Heather Wallace, American mother of three, bravely set out to conquer her own self-doubts and trepidation through blogging and photographing the race held in 2018. Much of the work is about Wallace’s own past leading up to the race, and her review of what the entire experience meant for her. Wallace’s involvement in the 480-kilometer international endurance race is described from start to finish, including the preparations that she had to make, her overview of the race itself, and the effect that participating as an official in the race has had on her in the long term. Heather Wallace’s love of animals, especially horses, is clearly shown throughout Girl Forward: A Tale of One Woman’s Unlikely Adventure in Mongolia, with her enthusiasm for the Mongolian breed being contagious. The hazards of the adventure and the difficulties (including the security screening problems at Beijing Airport) encountered in reaching and returning from the destination (Ulaanbaatar) should sound familiar to many a seasoned traveler. Despite my own ineptitude as a photographer, I found that I could empathize with the concerns expressed by Wallace as she tried to protect her photographic equipment from damage as the officials were jounced along the terrible roads in converted Russian trucks. Although the only drawback of Girl Forward for me was the lack of photographs in the text, these images are available on Facebook and other websites. I found this story so interesting! A must-read for travel and adventure fans.

Loved every moment of this book as Heather took us on her wild journey to Mongolia for the Gobi Desert Cup! With detailed descriptions and imagery, I felt like I was right there with her, and I look forward to other upcoming releases by this author!!

I've read each of Heather's books and this one is definitely her best yet. It was both fun and interesting. I got through it quickly because I didn't want to put it down.

I really enjoyed the behind the scenes trials, tribulations, and successes that Heather Wallace chronicles in her newest memoir. I felt like I was on the trip to Mongolia with her! As with all of her books, Heather's message of being bold and pushing through fear to find a deeper experience of life rings through. I enjoyed reading along as she recounted an adventure of a lifetime.

A lively but cautious Jersey girl accustomed to the comforts of home with her children and pets applies for the adventure of a lifetime--covering an endurance horse race in Mongolia for social media. Her story includes everything you wondered but were afraid to ask about her experiences on the steppes, especially as someone accustomed to First World comforts. How does she bring herself to, not only do her job but look forward to next year, and how the experience changes her along the way makes for a fascinating story.