On a Wing and a Prayer

This book tells the incredible story of one woman's adventure into the heart of the rainforest.

As a young child, Sarah Woods imagined going on epic voyages to exotic, illusory lands filled with bizarre creatures, intoxicating rhythms, vibrant colours and other-worldly forests. As soon as she was old enough she packed a bag and set off to see the world for real, leaving friends and family behind to fulfil her childhood dreams.

To journey solo through Central and South America was perhaps the ultimate challenge. Leaving the tourist traps behind, Sarah ventured into the wilderness, experiencing disease-ridden swamps, shark-infested waters and dense tracts of primary rainforest that are home to jaguars, anacondas and tusk-gnashing peccaries.

One animal, though, is truly emblematic of these forests – the awe-inspiring harpy eagle. But to see it you have to be prepared for serious hardship…

Facing gruelling, energy-sapping jungle conditions and constant challenges that saw her question the deepest and most intimate aspects of her life, Sarah's intrepid travels on the trail of iconic wildlife took her through some of the toughest terrain imaginable, and led to encounters with extraordinary indigenous people of the forest, with whom she experienced kindnesses and cultures beyond her wildest dreams.