7 Hours to Sofia

7 Hours to Sofia: challenges and discoveries of a Peace Corps Volunteer, Louise Mae Hoffmann

Hoffmann makes a powerful point in this book about democracy. Bulgarians struggle to come to terms with their own freedom. After retiring from her career directing a college library, and serving as president of the New Mexico Library Association, she decides to volunteer for the PEACE CORPS. The book tells the story of her tour of duty. 

Along the way, Hoffmann established a new public library in the city where she was teaching. She travels by train to many Bulgarian towns and cities. She visits the countries near Bulgaria with many friends, and shares letters from and to family members and friends in the U.S. She shares 24 wonderful Bulgarian recipes, which she prepared for students and friends who came to visit. The book reveals people and places we know very little about. Hoffmann is richer for her experiences in the Peace Corps and so are her readers.