American Rambler

Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed

De: Isaac Fitzgerald

New York Times bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald sets off to the heart of America, following the path of the legendary Johnny Appleseed on an epic journey that both takes him far from home and brings him closer to it.

“It’s a difficult thing, to separate legend from story from memory from fact.”


As a child, Isaac Fitzgerald was always captivated by Johnny Appleseed, drawn by family ties to the legend, his father’s larger-than-life stories, and a shared restlessness to leave home and discover what lies beyond. In American Rambler, he sets out, walking from Massachusetts to Indiana on a year-long journey to follow Appleseed’s path, turning a childhood fascination into a profound reckoning of loss and grief, ritual and faith, grimy gas-station bathrooms and scenic apple picking. A moving blend of memoir, history, and travelogue, American Rambler is at once an ode to the American heartland and an antidote to the breakneck pace of modern life.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"It takes a wild man to capture this wild land, and Fitzgerald is on the case. This time around, he brings his immeasurable charm and irrepressible humanism to bear on a genuine American legend, with fantastic results.”
—Colson Whitehead, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad

"An immersive walk through our country's forgotten history. Fitzgerald carves out a trail through his own past as he explores the landscapes and lives that shaped a nation."
—Tara Westover, author of Educated

"Part memoir, part history, American Rambler turns its clear-eyed gaze upon the myths that made us and the connections that sustain us. The spirit of Thoreau accompanies Isaac Fitzgerald on this pilgrimage of restlessness and renewal, and the people he meets along the way are rendered with humor, grit and humility. Adventure, insight, and abandon all tangle in this compelling account of one man’s meander along the paths of perseverance and discovery."
—Adam Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Orphan Master's Son

"What a profound pleasure it is to ramble along with Isaac Fitzgerald as he journeys deep into American history and his own searching heart. This absorbing, rollicking, and tender memoir made me laugh and cry, the way good books always do. Fitzgerald’s candid and clear-eyed portrait of a country, a family, and a life built one step at a time is a beautiful and unforgettable read."
—Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

"This rollicking, heartfelt walk through America made me feel the kind of wonder and hope I've been longing for."
—John Green, author of Everything Is Tuberculosis

"Part history, part travelogue, part meditative yawp, American Rambler is a quest for Johnny Appleseed that becomes a contemporary, warts-and-all portrait of the land he seeded. Isaac Fitzgerald taps into our need to lean on legends—apocryphal or not—in order to understand and justify the way we live now. This book is an absolute joy to read."
—Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye

"Told with loving tenderness and frank realness, American Rambler is a brilliant walking tour given by a sage party monk through the life of the man behind an American myth. A breath of fresh air that isn’t always all that fresh, but when it isn’t, it’s a little bit intoxicating. Fitzgerald’s voice is rare for its honesty and generosity, for how much you can feel his love in the writing."
—Tommy Orange, author of Wandering Stars

"What Fitzgerald learns about himself and the state of the nation is more compelling still, with all their triumphs and tragedies. Blue Highways with hiking boots, and a grand entertainment for travelers real and armchair."
—Kirkus (starred review)