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

By: Jane E. Congdon

Narrated by: Andrea Gappmayer

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

A mean feat hiking of and with Miles on the AT

When a wordsmith and former book editor chooses (and even in the earliest stages, feels an unsettled sense of misgiving) to walk as a hiking rookie with an admitted proponent of brevity, "Issues" will arise.

Ms Congdon's account of her travails and stumbles with Trail-named "Miles", a former underling at their previous employment.(Red flag, Ms Congdon!) Through significant portions of the Appalachian Trail in 2015, she reveals insights and introspection as challenging as her wariness and fear of thunderstorms and things which might or might not go bump in the night as the trail itself. I wonder if Ms Congdon is a Virgo, whose animal totem is the rabbit and, in the form of the gift of a tiny glass rabbit, was one of her most valued companions.

I cringed and gritted my teeth as the author related incident after incident in which her female companion, "Miles", berated, railed and demanded Ms Congdon to commit to meeting Miles's vaunted expectations of a trail companion. Knowing Ms Congdon grew up in a tiny West Virginia town with alcoholic parents did help me to understand her reluctance to challenge authority, but, oh, dear! How I longed for Ms Congdon to "grow a pair"!

In balance, if you seek a memoir of the Appalachian Trail, absolutely listen to her book. A note to potential younger readers: this is the account of your mother, grand-mother and great aunt. No skinny dipping, "smoking", boozing or intimate encounters on this trail! :-) But you will learn about perseverance and about the critical components of truthful commitment along the AT and in the journey of life.

Ms Congdon returned from this adventure and other forays into section of the AT with a significant appreciation of Nature and the esteem with which, at the end of the day, one cannot obtain from another without sourcing it within self.

A great listen

Funny, thoughtful and real. I looked forward to every chance I got to listen to her story.

Learn how to pronounce things before narrating

This book is great! However the narrator regularly pronounces numerous words incorrectly and it's very irritating!!!!

Enjoyed this book.

It takes a lot of courage for two women, aged 65 and 69, to go on such an adventure as a thru hike. It was fun to hear the author's descriptions of the other hikers and trail angels. It was a shame that there was conflict in the relationship between the author, Jane, and her hiking companion, Miles. Can't help but wonder how hurt Miles must have felt by such an unflattering portrayal. I think the book would have been better if there was less focus on conflict and more attention on this incredible journey these two women went on. They saw so many gorgeous places and met so many kind and friendly people. The author described the AT, the towns, and those shelters so clearly I almost felt I was there. After reading this book, I want to go!

Excellent

A great read and worthy memoir for any one considering a thru-hike. Writing was clear and author is an excellent story teller.