History & Geography
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery — At 67 years old Grandma Gatewood told her family she was “going for a walk” but actually she was headed to walk the Appalachian Trail. She had a blanket for a sleeping bag, a shower curtain for a raincoat/tent, a pair of Ked tennis shoes, and a sack with just a little bit of food. She foraged for berries and stayed with people who lived along the trail and she became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone! But that wasn’t the end. She hiked it again years later and hiked several other trails. I enjoyed the book very much. I would love to hike the AT someday and to know Grandma Gatewood did it at 67 years old gives me hope! If I do it, however, I’m not going to do it in Keds with a shower curtain!
She introduced people to the A.T., and at the same time she made the thru-hike achievable. It didn’t take fancy equipment, guidebooks, training, or youthfulness. It took putting one foot in front of the other—five million times. ― Ben Montgomery
Walking Thru: A Couple’s Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail by Michael Tyler — As I live on the West Coast now, I thought a story about the Pacific Coast Trail might be nice. It was. The writing wasn’t top of the line, but I still enjoyed the stories and descriptions of the trail. One of my favorite things about the books was the way the author and his wife actually found their relationship was strengthened by the journey. It wasn’t even something they thought about until a family member brought it to their attention.
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard — Candice Millard is an excellent storyteller. I’ve read all three of her books now, including River of Doubt and Hero of the Empire, and I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. In this book, she writes the intertwined stories of President Garfield, Alexander Graham Bell, and Joseph Lister. I knew I wanted to read it because Millard is so good that I trusted it would be good, but how much of a story can there be when the president was shot after only 6 months in office? Well, months after reading it I am still marveling over the details and wishing I could have met this great man. It was SO good! I recommend everyone read this and I dearly hope Miss Millard is working on her next book.
What has survived of Garfield, however, is far more powerful than a portrait, a statue, or even the fragment of his spine that tells the tragic story of his assassination. The horror and senselessness of his death, and the wasted promise of his life, brought tremendous change to the country he loved – change that, had it come earlier, almost certainly would have spared his life. ― Candice Millard