"Ben Montgomery adds his name to those famous Americans--from Henry David Thoreau to Rosa Parks to Fats Domino to Forrest Gump--who have celebrated the revolutionary power of walking." --Roy Peter Clark, author of The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Mystery and Magic of Practical English
"Grandma Gatewood's Walk is sure to fuel not only the dreams of would-be hikers, but debates on the limits of endurance, the power of determination, and the nature of myth." --Earl Swift, author of The Big Roads
"Go, Granny, Go! . . . This astonishing tale will send you looking for your hiking boots. A wonderful story, wonderfully told." -- Charles McNair, Books editor for Paste Magazine and author of Pickett's Charge
"Montgomery's compelling tale secures Grandma Gatewood's place in the American pantheon as a cousin of John Henry and Johnny Appleseed." --Andrea Pitzer, author of The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov
"Before Cheryl Strayed, there was Grandma Gatewood. Ben Montgomery lets us walk with her--tattered sneakers, swollen ankles, and not an ounce of self-pity--and with each step experience our conflicted relationship with nature, the meanness and generosity of humanity, and the imperative to keep moving. This book makes me long for my backpacking days, and grateful for writers who keep history and spirit alive." --Jacqui Banaszynski, Knight Chair in Editing, Missouri School of Journalism
"Ben Montgomery adds his name to those famous Americans—from Henry David Thoreau to Rosa Parks to Fats Domino to Forrest Gump—who have celebrated the revolutionary power of walking." —Roy Peter Clark, author of The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Mystery and Magic of Practical English
“With rich reporting and often poetic prose, Ben Montgomery takes readers on an intimate, backwoods adventure with a resolute old lady. Along the way, he explores the history of hikers and highways, the solace of nature and solitude—and the urge to escape.” —Lane DeGregory, journalist, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing
"
Grandma Gatewood's Walk is a brilliant look at an America–both good and bad–that has slipped away seen through the eyes and feet of one of America's most unlikely heroines. Gatewood's story suggests anything possible; no matter your age, gender, or quality of your walking shoes." —Stephen Rodrick, author of
The Magical Stranger
“
Grandma Gatewood’s Walk is sure to fuel not only the dreams of would-be hikers, but debates on the limits of endurance, the power of determination, and the nature of myth.” —Earl Swift, author of
The Big Roads
“Go, Granny, Go! . . . This astonishing tale will send you looking for your hiking boots. A wonderful story, wonderfully told.” — Charles McNair, Books editor for Paste Magazine and author of
Pickett’s Charge"A quiet delight of a book." —
Kirkus Reviews"Inspiring story." —
Booklist“Montgomery’s compelling tale secures Grandma Gatewood’s place in the American pantheon as a cousin of John Henry and Johnny Appleseed.” —Andrea Pitzer, author of The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov
“Before Cheryl Strayed, there was Grandma Gatewood. Ben Montgomery lets us walk with her—tattered sneakers, swollen ankles, and not an ounce of self-pity—and with each step experience our conflicted relationship with nature, the meanness and generosity of humanity, and the imperative to keep moving. This book makes me long for my backpacking days, and grateful for writers who keep history and spirit alive.” —Jacqui Banaszynski, Knight Chair in Editing, Missouri School of Journalism
“Just as Emma Gatewood helped save the Appalachian Trail from years of neglect and preserve it for generations of hikers, Ben Montgomery has kept her unbelievable story alive for anyone who loves the outdoors, underdogs, heroic women, and amazing tales. I wish I’d read it while standing on top of a mountain, but I almost felt as if I was.” —Thomas Mullen, author of The Last Town on Earth