Mud, Rocks, Blazes
Summary:
Despite her success setting a self-supported Fastest Known Time record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Heather “Anish” Anderson still had such deep-seated insecurities that she became convinced her feat had been a fluke. So two years later she set out again, this time hiking through mud, rocks, and mountain blazes to crush her constant self-doubt and seek the true source of her strength and purpose.
The 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Maine to Georgia, did not make it easy. Anderson struggled with its infamous rain, humidity, insects, and steep grades for 54 days. But because she had to fight for every step, she knew when she reached the summit of Springer Mountain, the AT’s southern terminus, that she had fully earned the trail. Of greater value, she learned to love herself and her body, and to feel the depth of her power. Examining emotional scars as well as her relationship with her mother, Anderson’s deeply internal yet highly physical journey in Mud, Rocks, Blazes is an essential story. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
I’m of two minds of this one. On the one hand, Anderson is an amazing author and her writing kept me glued to the pages. Following along with someone along the AT is always a blast and it’s hard to not to enjoy the adventure when someone is pushing themselves to the brink to achieve the crazy.
On the other hand, I found, save the last couple dozen pages being inside Heather’s head is an unhappy / unhealthy place more often than not on the journey. As with all endurance events, you expect a lot of trials and tribulations, but (as a trigger warning) it seemed like Heather relationship with food and body need to be evaluated. Everyone has inner demons and of course they’re going to come out with a big trial – I just hope that her peace at the end of the story was lasting. Had we had another chapter reflecting on those learnings I would have felt this story would be even more powerful!
Warning: May prompt you to sign up for a big adventure!
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Fans of the Appalachian Trail and adventure novels.