HOPE ON THE BORDER — American Writing Awards Book of the Year Finalist

A Landmark Work on One of America’s Most Misunderstood Frontiers

I learned early on that service to others is a portal to a rich and abundant life. We feed their stomachs, and they feed our souls.” — Gil Gillenwater

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES — The American Writing Awards is proud to recognize Hope on the Border by Gil Gillenwater as a Book of the Year Finalist in Nonfiction..

In Hope on the Border, Gillenwater draws from nearly four decades of hands-on, cross-border work to deliver a raw, insightful, and humanizing portrait of life along the world’s most dangerous migrant corridor. Combining narrative nonfiction, personal odyssey, and striking photography, the book invites readers to witness the border as few ever have: not as a political flashpoint, but as a living landscape of resilience, suffering, generosity, and profound connection.

“You think you know the border,” Gillenwater writes. “You’re about to learn the truth.”

A Vision Rooted in Service, Humanity, and Reciprocal Giving

Gillenwater is the founder and president of the award-winning Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, a pioneering philanthropic organization that has reshaped border-based service since 1987. His guiding philosophy—enlightened self-interest—is the bedrock of the book.

Through authentic stories and vivid images, Hope on the Border exposes the shared responsibilities of the United States and Mexico, while illuminating the deeper “poverty of purpose” facing modern America. Gillenwater challenges readers to rethink compassion, community, and what meaningful social change truly requires.

WHAT READERS WILL DISCOVER

• Real, unfiltered border experiences—free from partisan narratives
• Stories of resilience, generosity, and dignity on both sides of the line
• The intertwined nature of America’s spiritual poverty and Mexico’s material poverty
• A transformative model of reciprocal giving
• A call to personal responsibility in the face of global inequity

Every purchase supports humanitarian work: $5 from each copy benefits Rancho Feliz and its life-changing programs.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Bruce Babbitt, Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior

“Beautiful and profound… You are lighting candles in a dark time along the border.”

BookLife Reviews

“A stunning blueprint for lasting, meaningful change.”

Literary Titan, ★★★★★

“A masterpiece of empathy and vision… Part photojournalism, part personal odyssey, and entirely transformative.”

Midwest Book Review

“Original, informative, exceptional… A timely contribution to one of the most hotly contested issues of our day.”

Books Uplift

“Should be required reading in every school and for every citizen of the United States.”

Foreword Reviews

“Intense and compelling… celebrating the empowering successes of Rancho Feliz.”

BlueInk Review

“An instructive, visually engaging account… a rousing call for hope.”

AUTHOR BACKGROUND

Gil Gillenwater has spent nearly forty years working along the U.S.–Mexico border. His innovative philanthropic strategies—from the Rancho Feliz Foundation to the Free a Village program—have earned national and international recognition. His initiatives have been highlighted by President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative.

A lifelong student of Eastern philosophy, adventurer, and explorer of over 75 countries, Gillenwater’s experiences—from the Tibetan plateau to the Sonoran desert—inform a worldview grounded in compassion, dignity, and enlightened self-interest.

Email: gil@gillenwater.biz
Website: www.HopeOnTheBorder.com
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www.HopeOnTheBorder.com

EXCERPT FROM HOPE ON THE BORDER

CHARITY ISN’T JUST ABOUT GIVING —
IT’S ABOUT TRANSFORMING YOUR LIFE.

“At Rancho Feliz, we believe in reciprocal giving, where both giver and receiver walk away empowered. No handouts. No hierarchy. Just dignity, self-reliance, and lasting change… This journey isn’t just across borders—it transcends the heart and mind.”

Gil Gillenwater
Author
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Rancho Feliz | Gil Gillenwater