Day One, and already she was lying in her journal. It was 1993, Suzanne Roberts had just finished college, and when her friend suggested they hike California s John Muir Trail, the adventure sounded like the perfect distraction from a difficult home life and thoughts about the future. But she never imagined that the twenty-eight-day hike would change her life. Part memoir, part nature writing, part travelogue, Almost Somewhere is Roberts s account of that hike.
John Muir had written of the Sierra Nevada as a vast range of light, and this was exactly what Roberts was looking for. But traveling with two girlfriends, one experienced and unflappable and the other inexperienced and bulimic, she quickly discovered that she needed a new frame of reference. Her story of a month in the backcountry confronting bears, snowy passes, broken equipment, injuries, and strange men is as much about finding a woman s way into outdoor experience as it is about the natural world she so eloquently describes. Candid and funny and, finally, wise, Almost Somewhere is not just the whimsical coming-of-age story of a young woman ill-prepared for a month in the mountains but also the reflection of a distinctly feminine view of nature.
About the Author
Suzanne Roberts teaches English at Lake Tahoe Community College and for the low-residency MFA program at Sierra Nevada College. Named The Next Great Travel Writer by National Geographic Traveler magazine, Roberts is the author of four collections of poetry, and has published work in numerous journals and anthologies.
My Take on the Book
I love the outdoors and reading about people's experiences within the outdoors and this book brings a whole new perspective into the idea of getting close to nature in my perspective. One of the things that I loved about this book was that the author brings forth a feminine perspective on such a trip. There are many books about a long-term bought with nature, but most that I have seen or read have been written by males and this was a fresh approach that I thoroughly enjoyed. Second, the author's style of writing allows you to sense, touch and feel the world that they were experiencing which is always a fun experience to have when reading. The book was honest and forthright and allows the reader to really know what the trip was like, both good and bad. At the same time it paints a picture of a trail that I would love to see for myself someday, though I do not know if I could make it as long as the author and her friends did based on the experiences that they had. This was a great book that will keep you engaged from beginning to end!
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