Api Dogan

The Boy in The Orange Van

From Childhood Dreams to The American Dream

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

The Boy in the Orange Van is a memoir that begins with joy, veers into grief, and ultimately becomes a generational triumph. It tells the story of a Dutch-born Turkish boy who loses his father too young, fights his way through poverty and displacement, and builds a multimillion-dollar transportation company in Chicago - all while carrying the spirit of his father and the memory of their family's beloved orange Volkswagen van. Born in 1977 in Hengelo, Netherlands, Api lived a vibrant childhood filled with family road trips, warm holidays, and simple magic - until the day everything changed. When his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the family returned to a remote Turkish village, leaving behind their modern life for dirt roads and hardship. Api, the oldest son among five siblings, suddenly became the emotional head of a grieving family. At 19, he left for America with no English, no money, and no safety net - just his father's work ethic and an unshakable desire to create a better life. He delivered pizzas, cleaned gas station bathrooms, and studied English in the mornings. Over time, he broke into the limousine industry, driving Chicago's elite and building the foundation of what would become a transportation empire. But the memoir is not only about survival or success. At its heart is also a love story - an interfaith, intercultural marriage that redefined Api's sense of home. He fell in love with Karla, a Christian Mexican-American woman with roots just as humble and dreams just as big. Together, they built a life grounded in mutual respect, raising their children to honor both Eid and Christmas, and to celebrate the beauty of being open-hearted citizens of the world. The book's emotional crescendo comes when Api takes his wife and children on a road trip back through the Netherlands and Turkey - revisiting the paths he once walked barefoot. At his father's grave, he introduces his family to the man who taught him everything - a moment that closes a lifelong circle of longing, love, and fulfillment. The Boy in the Orange Van will resonate with readers of The Glass Castle, From Scratch, and Educated. It's a story of one man's journey across continents, across cultures, and across generations - a story about the strength of family, the power of memory, and the beauty of building something new without forgetting where you came from.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Api Dogan
• Seitenzahl: 222
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. August 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 12mm
• Gewicht: 329g
• ISBN-13: 9798999202109
• Artikelnr.: 75677363

Autorenporträt

Api Dogan was born in Hengelo, Netherlands, in 1977, to Turkish immigrant parents. He spent his early childhood in the Netherlands before moving with his family to a small village in Turkey following his father's terminal illness. At seventeen, he began a journey across Turkey that would ultimately lead him to the United States, where he built a new life from the ground up. Today, he is the founder and owner of Infinity Transportation Management, a successful charter bus company based in Chicago. Api wrote The Boy in the Orange Van to honor the memory of his father, preserve the lessons of perseverance and faith that shaped his life, and pass them on to his children. Karla Dogan, Api's wife, is his constant source of inspiration and support. She encouraged him to share his story, reminding him that the struggles of the past can be transformed into light for others. Special thanks to the many friends, colleagues, and family members who believed in this project, shared feedback during the writing process, and stood by Api through the years. This book is as much theirs as it is his.