American Retiree’s Memoir Reveals a Life of Service in Costa Rica

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Nanci Wright-Stevens never planned to build a charity when she left the United States for Costa Rica in 2003. Yet her new memoir, The Bribri and The Bridge, tells the remarkable story of how an ordinary couple traded a quiet retirement for nearly two decades of community service.

After settling in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, Wright-Stevens and her husband, Barry, encountered a hungry man and a boy from the local Bribri Indigenous community who longed for an education. Moved to act, they created El Puente Spanish for The Bridge, an organization dedicated to providing food, school supplies, and a sense of belonging to families who were often overlooked by government programs and large international charities. Operating out of their own home, the couple spent every cent of their savings within eighteen months, relying on faith and grassroots support to keep their doors open for 17 years.

Published by Your Best Publishing Limited Liability Company (LLC), The Bribri and The Bridge weaves personal stories with photographs and paintings that capture the vibrant wildlife and resilient people of the region. Wright-Stevens, an accomplished visual artist, pairs her narrative with colorful depictions of daily life that many travelers to Costa Rica never see beyond tourist enclaves. In addition to its intimate storytelling, the book pledges 20 percent of all profits to fund El Puente’s continued work, and all physical copies are printed on environmentally responsible paper.

Reviewers have hailed the memoir as both an inspiration and a reminder of what it means to give without expecting anything in return. Michele Kohan described the work as “a masterpiece,” adding that it encourages readers “to dream, to believe, and to know you have touched lives.” Alex May praised it as “nothing short of extraordinary,” calling it “a transmission of spirit, truth, and deep wisdom.”

Available in paperback from Lulu.com and as an e-book through Amazon, The Bribri and The Bridge offers a refreshing perspective on charity that grows from personal conviction rather than government intervention. In an era when large institutions often promise solutions that never materialize, Wright-Stevens’ story underscores how individuals can still make a lasting impact through determination, compassion, and a willingness to act.