Grit Under My Nails by Henda Salmeron

A South African woman arrives in America alone with two suitcases, a work visa, and a bottle of fine 1966 Portuguese port—her birth year and a farewell present from a friend. Her quest to escape a painful childhood and discover who her father is takes her from an office cubicle to the mountain peaks of the Himalayas. The successful real estate broker and self-proclaimed workaholic and couch potato turns into an accidental lobbyist for breast cancer and ultra-endurance racer in an agonizing five-day, 100-mile race in India. Unexpected friendships, crushing defeats, and unlikely victories conspire across several continents as the universe keeps her guessing how her own story will turn out.