Cultivating a Revolutionary Spirit

“This is a story of extraordinary commitment, deep solidarity, uncommon integrity, and humility—of learning about struggle and transformation from strong and courageous Central American women. Beautifully told. Hopeful. Rooted in reality.”

—Marie Dennis, senior adviser, and co-president (2007–19) of Pax Christi International; program chair of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative; prolific author, most recently of Choosing Peace: The Catholic Church Returns to Gospel Nonviolence

“A story about solar ovens in Central America that you can’t put down? That is exactly what Cultivating a Revolutionary Spirit is: a page-turner. It’s an endearing story about a US tenured physics professor, the inimitable Bill Lankford, who visited Nicaragua for two weeks in 1984 and stayed, in one form or another, for decades. It’s a heart-warming story about how organizations formed to spread solar ovens became vehicles for women to empower and defend themselves in repressive macho societies. But it’s also a refreshingly frank story about the ups and downs of organizations that depend on outsiders for financial support and guidance, and the ups and downs of organizations forced to ride the waves of enormous political upheavals. What the book does, in spectacular fashion, is convey a sense of compassion, admiration, and solidarity with the women of Central America that transcends organizations, cultures, and borders. It is, in essence, a beautiful love story.”

—Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace; prolific author, most recently of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict

“This is a story of women learning to cook with the sun during a time of revolution and social change. It takes us deep into the kitchens, lives, struggles, and dreams of the women of Central America who harnessed the power of their solar ovens to cook, organize, and empower themselves and their communities. It is the story of accompaniment and solidarity at its best; of walking with, listening, learning, and letting the women lead the way. Thank you for sharing this extraordinary journey—it shines!”

—Jennifer Atlee, Friendship Office of the Americas, author of Red Thread: A Spiritual Journal of Accompaniment, Trauma and Healing