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Evil on the Roof of the World
Evil on the Roof of the World: A Cycling Trip that Ended in Terror | William Elliott Hazelgrove
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On a bleak highway in the mountains of Tajikistan known as "the roof of the world", in July of 2018, Lauren Geoghegan and Jay Austin, along with two other cyclists, were brutally murdered by five ISIS terrorists. They were both Georgetown University graduates who had quit their well-paying Washington, DC, jobs to pursue a bike trip around the world, looking for a different kind of American Dream. Pieced together from Jay and Lauren's Simply Cycling travel blog and social media posts, interviews with their friends and family, and media coverage of their murder, author William Elliott Hazelgrove creates a complete, narrative retelling of Jay and Lauren's story. Evil on the Roof of the World combines biking and travel adventure with true crime elements, sensitively presenting the trajectory of Jay and Lauren's hopeful beginnings; the difficulties and meaningful experiences they found on their journey; the foreshadowing leading up to the attack; and the way they, their loved ones, the media, and the perpetrators made sense of this violent encounter. Like Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild, this is a story of a couple who went off the grid to find the great adventure of life.
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On 29th July 2018 four cyclists, including Lauren Geoghegan & Jay Austin, were murdered by ISIS terrorists whilst cycling in the mountains of Tajikistan. Lauren & Jay were a couple who had quit their jobs & embarked on the trip of a lifetime to see the world. Pieced together from social media blog & posts & interviews with friends & family, this book tells the story of their journey.

OutsmartYourShelf This was a poignant read due to knowing how the trip ended. It was well-researched using the social media posts & interviews, & it seemed like the author had a handle on who Jay & Lauren were. Jay especially comes across as someone who 'marched to the beat of his own drum' as they say - he didn't want to live life in the usual way, & both of them were active in their communities & workplaces in trying to make the world a better place. 1d
OutsmartYourShelf Yes they did, in fact, meet some lovely people who gave of their time, their homes, & their food free of charge, but to me it just brought home the point that you only have to encounter the wrong person at the wrong time once & it's all over. It's an interesting read that deals honestly with the brutal violence of that last day without sensationalising it. 4🌟
1d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 19h
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