Without building skills, money, or a knowledge of West Indian culture, author Sandra Russell, with only a shovel and a miner¿s pick, embarked on a mission in the Caribbean that resulted in a 14-year project that threatened everything she held dear -- her family, her beliefs, her life. Recovery from this challenge taught her that the evolutionary capacity of the human spirit is limitless. This is one of many lessons readers will share as Xlibris releases Russell¿s inspiring new book, Cafe Exile. Cafe Exile features a lively series of writings that traces the author¿s forty-year odyssey, a journey through exotic places and uncommon dangers in a personal quest for truth. These writings combine the irony of the short story, the provocativeness of drama, the rigorous self-observation found in the best of memoirs, with the conciseness of the poem. A masterful blend and juxtaposition of literary elements, filled with insight, drama, and sly humor, this volume will stir your imagination and immerse you deep into the author¿s life. The book takes us from the industrial Pittsburgh of the author¿s childhood; through the decadence of Key West in the 80¿s and the tragedy of the early AIDS epidemic there; to her confrontation with the elements as a lone caretaker on a desert island 13 miles off the Florida Keys; her surprising sojourn into the mountains of the Caribbean where, with few resources, she carved a "Tibetan Monastery;" as well as to Italy, San Marino, Haiti, and finally, New Mexico.... Russell¿s travels, replete with danger, eccentric characters, and remarkable achievement, were driven by a belief that personal truth can be found only in an environment that reflects an individual¿s soul.