Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved The Appalachian Trail, by Ben Montgomery

As a child, I loved the outdoors. I still love going outside to "commune with nature," as my mom used to say.

Early on, I'd heard about the Appalachian Trail and, after asking my parents about it, thought that walking the A.T. sounded like a great adventure. I thought it would be fun. My parents looked at me askew, hoping I'd forget about such fun.

I never did get around to walking the A.T.; there's a chance I might never get around to it. But that's where reading comes in: one can live vicariously through other people's adventures, whether in fiction or non-fiction.

Ben Montgomery's Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved The Appalachian Trail is one of the latest in books dealing with one's adventures hiking the Appalachian Trail. Emma Gatewood, a 67-year-old mother of eleven, loved to walk. In 1955, after divorcing an abusive husband, she told her grown children she was going for a walk and left home with $200. The walk was along the then 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail, where she encountered not only breath-taking scenery, but two hurricanes, survived a rattlesnake strike and, at one point, spent the night with Harlem gang-members.

Unlike AWOL On The Appalachian Trail, by David Miller and Dennis Blanchard's Three Hundred Zeroes, Grandma Gatewood's Walk was written by someone other than the A.T. thru-hiker. It also moves at a slightly slower pace than the latter two books. Part of the slightly slower pace comes from introducing history and what was going on in the world at large during Emma's first thru-hike. The history part was both Emma's personal history - her marriage to P. C. Gatewood and, years later, her divorce from him, her relationship with her children, and why she decided to hike the A.T. - and history of the A.T. The book also weaves the outside world into Emma's walk, telling of the two hurricanes that, unbeknownst to Emma, were heading up the Eastern United States and would affect part of her hike. Also mentioned after her first hike, which takes up the majority of the book, are her second A.T. thru-hike (she was the first person - man or woman - to walk the trail more than once, going for three trail walks), as well as other walks, and mention of her guest appearance on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life.

While Grandma Gatewood's Walk takes a different look at the Appalachian Trail than either AWOL or Three Hundred Zeros (both reviewed here on June 6, 2013), Ben Montgomery wrote a totally engrossing book about Emma Gatewood and the Appalachian Trail. It should be noted that Montgomery was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize. I highly recommend picking up a copy and hiking through it.

Note: You can also read a review of Cheryl Strayed's Wild: Lost To Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, posted here on May 14, 2014.

Also reviewed here at Goodreads.

Brush Back, by Sara Paretsky

Brush Back by Sara Paretsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Live long enough, you're bound to have a person or two from the past you'd rather keep there. In Sara Paretsky's latest V.I. Warshawski mystery, Brush Back, that person is the difficult Stella Guzzo, a woman who spent twenty-five years in prison for the murder of her daughter, Annie.

When Frank Guzzo arrives at V.I.'s office with a favor to ask, Vic almost turns him down. Frank wants Vic's help in exonerating his mother, an angry woman who hated Vic's beloved parents - especially her mother, Gabriella - and who has recently gotten out of prison for the murder of her daughter. Against her better judgement, V.I. agrees to go back to the old neighborhood to ask questions.

Meanwhile, Vic also has company - Bernie, the daughter of one of her late cousin Boom-Boom's team mates, a likable and high-spirited teen who occasionally tags along while Vic checks out a few leads from Frank and Stella's past.

Before long, the questioning has Vic in trouble with several of the local corrupt politicos, some with ties to the Russian mob, as well as several of Chicago's gangs. The run-ins nearly cost Vic her life, as well as getting Bernie injured.

Will Vic get Stella exonerated? Will she manage to get Bernie back to her parents alive? How does Vic escape more gang and mob violence with her life? Will her latest love-interest, Jake, stick around? All these, and more, make this one of the best books in Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series - all of which are well-written nail-biting page-turners.

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The Art of Mending, by Elizabeth Berg

Some writers have a knack for telling a story that on its surface is just every-day life - visiting one's aging parents, taking one's children to the local county fair - but that, in reality, is startling in its life-changing honesty.

Elizabeth Berg has that knack. In her novel The Art of Mending, Berg tells of three siblings putting their lives temporarily on hold for their annual family reunion at their parents' home. The siblings' plans include going to the county fair being held while they are in town.

Laura Bartone, her husband, and children come to the family reunion hesitantly; Laura knows she will have to deal with her sister, Caroline, the family's black sheep, as well as their brother, Steve, who would rather not deal with whatever is bothering Caroline. But staying home and avoiding the reunion is not an option.

While visiting, their father is hospitalized for what is thought to be a short stay. It is while the siblings are in the waiting room, taking turns to see their father, that Caroline lets on that she has a secret that she needs to unload on Laura and Steve. The three meet outside of the hospital, without any extended family, to hear what Caroline has to say. The secret is explosive, causing Laura and Steve to question everything they remember from their childhood.

On top of the secret, the entire family must deal with the unexpected loss of their father.

Back at her own house, Laura questions the validity of Caroline's story. But when their mother comes to stay with Laura and her family, Laura goes digging for the truth. In the end, she learns from her mother that the secrets revealed were, indeed, true, and forgiveness and healing can begin.

Seemingly slowly meandering, this novel is actually fairly fast-paced and while the surface waters seem calm, the undercurrent is swift and truthful. This book is a must-read for both fans of Elizabeth Berg and for anyone who likes reading about the reality of family life.

Read more at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128289.The_Art_of_Mending.

Kramer vs. Kramer, by Avery Corman

Many people who have thoroughly enjoyed a movie based on a book eventually want to read the book; the same can be said when one has enjoyed a book that has been turned into a movie: it becomes a must see. Some adaptations outshine the books that they are based on, while others don't do the book justice. Some, like the adaptation of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, leave portions of the book off film while still capturing the essence, the spirit and plot of the book, thus leaving the viewer/reader satisfied.

Shortly after viewing the movie adaptation of Kramer vs. Kramer, by Avery Corman, I vowed to read the book. While the movie came out in 1979, it has taken me until recently to read it.

The book and movie follows what happens when Joanna Kramer walks out on her marriage, leaving her soon-to-be ex-husband, Ted, to raise their son Billy. Ted, a workaholic, suddenly has to adjust to caring for his son while still pulling in a paycheck, something many women have had to do. The book (and movie) follow father and son's growing bond over the next two years...until Joanna decides she wants her son back. The custody hearing is emotionally trying for both parents, and results in Joanna gaining custody of Billy. Yet, as Ted and Billy wait for Joanna to pick Billy up, we learn - along with father and son - that Joanna has decided to let Ted remain the custodial parent.

The movie, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as Ted and Joanna Krammer, tugged heavily at the heart-strings, showing two flawed but likable people coming to terms with their new - and newer - realities.

In this case, the movie surpassed the book. The book began with Ted and Joanna meeting, dating, and finally marrying. While it gave good background on the couple, this section could have been shortened considerably. It slowed the book down, especially since the title lets the reader know that there is a divorce on the horizon.

The book also seemed to deal a lot on some of Ted's dating after the divorce. This, too, slowed the book and could have been condensed.

For the most part, though, the book is worth reading. However, it would be more satisfying to read the book first, and then watch the movie, rather than movie-then-book, as the book doesn't quite hold up to the movie.

Kitchen Boy, by Sanford Phippen

Most of us have stories to tell. One can't live for years without having something - or, rather, many somethings - happen that make up the layers of a life. Many of these lives could make extremely interesting books; many do make for interesting reading.

Kitchen Boy, by Sanford Phippen, brings us to a simpler time. Phippen grew up on the Eastern Coast of Maine, an interesting section of New England. Kitchen Boy deals with his "crucial years from ages 16 - 22" when he worked at Frenchman's Bay Manor, "a small summer resort hotel" where he worked as kitchen help during the summer months. In the Prologue, Phippen describes the Manor "was my raft down the Mississippi, my Pency Prep, the wedding of which I became a member, and, perhaps, even my Pequod." While much of the book is, indeed, interesting, giving the reader a look into a job that helped shape a young man, I'm not sure that it is quite as gripping as he might indicate. Throughout the book, I almost had the feeling that had someone other than F. Scott Fitzgerald had been assigned the writing of The Great Gatsby, moving it to Maine's east coast with a touch of Jay Gatsby in numerous people, it might have read as a second cousin to Kitchen Boy. Indeed, parts of the book felt almost Gatsby-ish...and then, moved on.

While I was intrigued Phippen's story, and found many of his adventures humorous, tender, or great character-studies, I almost expected some flash of light, something that would profoundly change his life. Many memoirs - and fiction, for that matter - climb an emotional mountain until the life-changing moment or moments happen. Kitchen Boy came across as more a body of water, tranquil most of the time, a few rough patches, the undercurrents of interpersonal relationships, but without any hurricanes whipping up the waters.

In the end, while it was an interesting, nice memoir, one that I'll probably read again, it still didn't have the excitement of many other memoirs. Would I recommend reading it? Yes. But don't look for any huge, earth-shattering excitement. But then, life isn't always earth-shattering, and many times, it's the people we meet and work with in our earlier years that shape our lives the most, often without our realizing it. That is where Kitchen Boy takes us.

Critical Mass, by Sara Paretsky

I love a good mystery. There, I said it. Give me a mystery with believable characters, believable plot that winds its way through the story rather than taking a short-cut from point A to point B, add crisp dialogue and clean writing, and there's a good chance I'll read straight through to the last line. Add a strong female character, and I'm hooked enough to want more. For these reasons, I love Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski mysteries.

If, like me, you've read through from the first novel (Indemnity Only) through to the latest offerings, you know that Ms. Paretsky has not kept Vic as a static person: Vic ages, has relationships that last through several books, updates her cars as needed, as happens in real life. She also works for herself as a Private Investigator; the mysteries deal with these.

Critical Mass deals with Vic's friend and mentor Lottie Hershel's past.

When Lottie calls to say a childhood playmate's daughter is in trouble, V.I. springs into action. Lottie and Kitty escaped the Holocaust together as children; however, the two have drifted apart. When Kitty's daughter calls Lottie, fearing for her life, she trusts that Lottie will try to save her; the doctor responds by sending Vic. The trail leads Vic to a remote area, and nearly costs her her life as she deals with drug dealers, crooked cops, and people paranoid over industrial theft.

Interspersed are flashbacks to Lottie and Kitty's past, first in Nazi Germany, then to the U.S., giving the reader probably one of the best glimpses to Lottie's past of any of the V.I. Warshawski books.

When Vic finds Judy - Kitty's daughter - she realizes that what looks like paranoia may be caused by someone trying to kill Judy - someone who does kill Kitty. The group responsible for Kitty's death is also trying to find Judy's son Martin, a science whiz who is trying desperately trying to uncover his family's past.

This is not the first V.I. Warshawski book to bring up Lottie's escape from Nazi Germany; Total Recall also touched on this back-story. However, Critical Mass dives deeper into the past while tackling a current problem. While it becomes obvious that answers won't fall into place until Kitty's grandson, Martin, is found, Vic isn't able to find him until the last few chapters.

While Vic still lives in Chicago, much of the action takes place away from the city; in fact, the book opens away from the city, with Vic looking through a drug den in the middle of nowhere, which felt a little disconcerting. Considering the story-line, though, it fit in perfectly.

In the end, though, Critical Mass is a thoroughly good read. For those who have followed and enjoyed Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski, this is a must read. For anyone who has yet to dive into the series, this is a good book to try.

Before And After Zachariah, by Fern Kupfer

Before and After Zachariah by Fern Kupfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Fern and Joseph Kupfer decided to have a second child, they had no idea how that decision would affect their lives, as well as that of their daughter, Gaby. In Before And After Zachariah, Fern describes Zachariah's failure to accomplish even the simplest tasks: walking, sitting, crawling, even holding his head up.

As an infant, Zachariah was breath-takingly beautiful: long lashes, blond hair. The book's cover shows a sleeping baby (Zach) with his parents and older sister. However, it soon because obvious that he was severely developmentally delayed. At one point, Joe was visiting his mother, who was dying of cancer, when Fern called after a visit to a hospital with Zach; the doctors where baffled by what was causing Zach's problems. Fern was an emotional wreck over the lack of a diagnosis. Fern describes the phone call with Joe as the worse case scenario, likening it to an over-turned boat: who do you save, your mother or your wife?

The couple go from doctor to doctor, parent-meetings, groups meant to help developmentally delayed children, any place that offers a shred of hope, to no avail. In the end, they place Zach in an attempt to save their own lives as well as Gaby's.

I had originally read Before And After Zachariah years ago, then recently reread it. The newer copy of the book has two epilogues. The first was written several years after the book first came out, then a second one in 1998. The epilogues tie up the loose ends, telling what eventually happened to Zachariah, to her marriage to Joseph, to Gaby, and how Zachariah's live affected all off them, as well as their extended family and friends.

Before And After Zachariah is a good read, and a book that should be read. For the reader who has never had experience with a child or sibling with developmental delays, this will give insight to one family's struggles, while those readers with this experience will find themselves nodding, thinking yes, yes, that's it exactly! If you're wondering what non-fiction book to check out, this one gets my vote.

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