• How the Wild Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure

  • By: Jane E. Congdon
  • Narrated by: Andrea Gappmayer
  • Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (364 ratings)

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How the Wild Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure  By  cover art

How the Wild Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure

By: Jane E. Congdon
Narrated by: Andrea Gappmayer
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Publisher's summary

This is a terrific audiobook. It's interesting, well-written, and timely. It's the story of a textbook editor who retires, reads the popular book The Wild Effect and decides to hike the Appalachian Trail - and have an unexpected adventure!

The tone is wry humor, tongue in cheek - the author has a great sense of humor, is perky, and as she learns in this adventure, is often in over her head! She is a very likeable character.

©2018 Jane E. Congdon (P)2018 Bettie Youngs Book Publishers

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What listeners say about How the Wild Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A Little Disappointed

I will keep this brief... I did not dislike this book, but I ended up feeling like I had listened to a lot of personal whining. The basic information about the AT was good, very informative, but the decisions about personal relationships got a bit tiresome.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great motivation!

This book was recommended to me because I am scared of everything too. Especially wild animals and bugs. This was a great story about persistence and facing your fears and mind over matter and never giving up, even when you are with someone who judges you constantly and makes you feel inferior. I have read "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed, which is referenced in this book a lot. I am glad i read that book before this one. They go together very well. So not to give spoilers, I will say the ending was very inspiring, and validation is always so nice!

I wish the narrator had an older sounding voice, but she was good, with the exception of mispronouncing Cheryl Stayed's name the entire time. So be prepared to overlook that.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Book! LOVED IT.

Makes me wanna go hike! Very enjoyable book! Hope she hikes the PCT and writes a book!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Am I Old Enough?

I love reading stories about the Appalachian trail and anything to help me feel better about trying to make the difficult hikes. I am 61, at the writing of this review, and Miss Jane has helped me see and understand that not only can I do these things but I should get off my butt and do these things.
I really enjoyed hearing her insights into the relationships part of her story ~ from the home that she saw growing up to how it even affected her with different people on the trail, including Miles.
Thank you for the story. Thank you for the insights! Thank you for the inspiration!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wild Effect

I loved listening about the Appalachian trek from a woman's perspective and her honesty between herself and her hiking partner was appreciated.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Old age inspiration

For anyone over a certain age who longs to hike and fantasizes about the AT, this story will make you really seriously consider at least section hiking the AT!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Appalachian Trail ...personal memoirs

Loved this book....lived near the AT in the East for first 32 years of life and always loved the short hikes....for someone to try to take on 2200 miles is fascinating. JC is within a few years of my age and I wanted not only an older hiker's thoughts but also a woman's point of view...was not disappointed....was sad to get to the end!

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Meh

As a 56 yr old woman, I'm planning to thru hike the AT next year. So I was drawn to a book about an older woman doing it. Jane is likable enough but uncomfortably insecure. I was rooting for her but so disappointed in her continuing to put up with a bossy-pants hiking partner. I know "Miles" type, and there's no way in the world I would even do a day hike with her. lol But the book was well written, and hopefully Jane has found her inner badass by now. I admire her for embarking on the journey.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Know what you are getting into!

This book is about Jane's hike of the Appalachian trail with her friend Myles. If you expect a Wild - style book with reflections into author's life from the trail, this is not it. The author goes into great details about the specifics of the trail, and her journey. It might get boring soon if you expect a lot of reflection into the author's life just like Wild.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

interesting trail story

I don't love the narrator but once I got passed that, I found the story interesting.

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