From the South to the Summit: A True Story of Love, Faith, and Rebuilding Life in the Rural Mountains of Mexico

When Tiffany Montalvo packed her life into a few suitcases and crossed the border to Mexico with her husband and children, she wasn’t chasing a dream — she was following love, faith, and survival. What she found instead was a world that changed everything. In this honest, funny, and deeply moving memoir, Tiffany tells the story of how a self-described lazy Southern girl from the United States rebuilt her life in a mountain village in Veracruz. With her husband Tomas — a man who worked three decades in America before self-deporting — she learns what it means to start over without running water, without electricity at times, and without any safety net except the strength of family and community. From bathing in rivers and cooking with borrowed water to teaching English in a town where few outsiders ever stay, Tiffany’s journey unfolds through humor, heartbreak, and fierce love. She shares the faith that carried her through homesickness, the lessons learned from local women, and the joy of raising sons between two cultures. Her story reminds us that home isn’t a place you find — it’s one you build, one hill at a time. Set against the misty mountains of Astacinga, From the South to the Summit is a testament to resilience, marriage, motherhood, and the beauty of life lived off the map. A love story. A survival story. A story about choosing hope — even when the water runs out View Less