Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Hiking Through by Paul V. Stutzman (Review)



About Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail
After losing his wife to breast cancer, Paul Stutzman decided to make some big changes. He quit his job of seventeen years and embarked upon a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,176-mile stretch of varying terrain spanning fourteen states. During his nearly five-month-long hike, he battled brutal trail conditions and overwhelming loneliness, but also enjoyed spectacular scenery and trail camaraderie. With breathtaking descriptions and humorous anecdotes from his travels, Stutzman reveals how immersing himself in nature and befriending fellow hikers helped him recover from a devastating loss. Somewhere between Georgia and Maine, he realized that God had been with him every step of the way, and on a famous path through the wilderness, he found his own path to peace and freedom.



My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this non fiction book. It is a combination memoir/travel genre. It is not depressing in tone at all even though the catalyst for the book is his wife dying of breast cancer. I think he writes and deals with the subject matter in a good way. His goal is to hike the entire AT from beginning to end and seek God while doing it. He was raised a conservative Mennonite but got away from it as he grew older. I liked his descriptions of the nature around him and the people he meets along the way. There are several lol moments in the book of incidents that happen along the trail. Fans of Bill Bryson might like this book along with Christian readers. Recommended.





About the author:
After Paul Stutzman’s wife died, Paul quit his job to hike the Appalachian trail to give himself time to think and to heal. Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail is his story. A former restaurant manager, he is now retired and planning his next big adventure: a cross-country bicycle trip. Stutzman currently lives in Berlin, Ohio. To see pictures of his hike or to find out more about Paul and his book, visit his website at http://www.hikingthrough.com/.




1 comment:

Natasha @ Maw Books said...

I just saw somebody else review this book and your review has caught my eye as well. This sounds really great and I'm adding it to my TBR!

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