Alone in Wonderland by Christine Reed5/26/2023 Because I am like Christine: I have to fight for every step up and forward, and it never feels natural. Had this story been told by one of the irritating “gliders” who breeze up and down difficult terrain with little more than a broken sweat, I likely wouldn’t have read it with the vigor I did. And while Alone in Wonderland captures Christine’s tenacity and incredible strength to push forward (both in life and on these ambitious thru-hiking journeys) it is her own struggle to do so that she conveys so beautifully and endearingly. I enjoy a good hike, even though I’m slow and wheezy on the trail, but I'm a far cry from proclaiming myself an outdoorswoman. Picking up a book “about backpacking,” I hadn’t expected to see much of myself. The seemingly aimless and fruitless search to find identity to find comfort in oneself, alone and with others. No story I’ve read, in any genre, has been able to capture the specific breed of social doubt, or the isolating otherness that comes with feeling out of place in a room crowded with confident, vibrant people. This is a book I will aggressively recommend to every person I know.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |