Description
Price: $17.99 - $12.04
(as of Oct 08, 2024 10:10:57 UTC – Details)
By: Ben Montgomery (Author)
2014 National Outdoor Book Award Winner…
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
Reviews
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Christine –
Inspiring Read!
It is nice to read a true story , especially of Emma Gatewood at 67(my age) hike the AT! It was a story well written that lets the reader into her early life and her journey on the AT.
K. Johnson –
Touching story about a gentle giant!
I had never heard of Grandma Gatewood, and living far closer to the John Muir Trail than the Appalachian Trail, I knew little about the AT itself. This book was actually an Amazon “suggestion” and I am soooo glad I heeded that suggestion!First, this is not a “how to” hike book on the Appalachian Trail. There are tons of those out there already. This is the true story of a determined, tough, unassuming, 67 year old grandmother, who on a lark, decided to thru-hike the AT. In doing so, and unbeknownst to her at the time, she became the first woman to do it solo, and garnered a level of attention that ensured that improvements were made to the trail and brought the AT into the American consciousness at a time when few people knew it existed.The author, very much like the woman herself, is unassuming in his storytelling. He refrains from melodrama and dramatic “enhancements”, but tells the story gently…..quietly….. just like Grandma Gatewood would. His reverence for her is evident, and through detailed research into her journals, and interviewing her family, we get a glimpse of an incredibly remarkable and inspiring woman. Weaving back and forth mainly between her first thru-hike of the AT, (and yes, she did it several times) and her tough, troubled marriage to an abusive and demanding husband, we see a woman who despite severe obstacles, and a troubled past, decided to do an incredibly difficult thru-hike with minimal equipment, but a lot of determination, and did so without once feeling sorry for herself or relying on tens of thousands of dollars of the latest ultralight equipment. She puts most Americans to shame!While there are adequate details about hiking the AT, the real story is Grandma Gatewood herself. She was an incredibly simple, self-sufficient and determined woman, made famous by the simple act of walking, and even if you have no interest in hiking whatsoever, you will find this to be an uplifting and engrossing story. As an interesting side note – I am familiar with the “Gatewood Cape”, yet had no idea it was named after her!
Karen M –
Inspiring
Grandma Gatewood is a true inspiration of what can be accomplished in our golden years. Not the most well-written book, bit definitely worth reading.
Ronan –
Must read
I lived this book, it kept me interested throughout. So glad she found peace in the end, poor woman.
Marcia Vimazal –
How Did She Survive
After surviving years of physical abuse, this 67 year old woman hiked the AT with very few supplies. This was a very inspirational book.
JL Pinon –
Interesting story
This book kept my interest and was heart warming to follow her finding happiness in her adventure. I reccommend it. I like storys that are written about actual events.
CMCloud –
I hope that the book will meet expectations.
It took longer for the book to arrive than I had expected; I had ordered 3 other books at the same time, and they all arrived more than a week before the Grandma Gatewood book. However, it was in good condition, and my daughter, who was here when it arrived, says that the book is well worth the reading. So I look forward to starting it in a few weeks. I must read the current book club book first! Thank you.
Sherri Davis –
If you are a walker or a hiker, and particularly if you are a woman of a certain age, you will love this book. It is the story of Ohio woman Emma Gatewood hiking the 2000 plus mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in 1955 at the age of 67. She became the first woman ever to do so. It is well researched and well written. She was stunningly ill prepared (no tent, proper knapsack or even a sleeping bag) and inexperienced but fired by grit, guts and incredible inner strength. Quite a story. And she did it twice more after her first successful sojourn.
Teresa Termini –
Storia che stimola e fa riflettere, lettura consigliata
Angela C Young –
One of the best reads in a while. Could not put the book down. Truly inspirational and such an amazing lady. Highly recommend âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸
Cliente Amazon –
I have a major cavil with this book entertaining though it was: I would really have liked to heard the story more from the protagonist and not in the novelized version.
Amazon Customer –
This book is just brilliant! So well written – Grandma Gatewood was brought to life in these pages. She’s one of the most inspirational characters I’ve ever come across. I’ve always been a walker myself, preferably in wooded paths. I find myself understanding her motivations and wanting to be more like her.