Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
'Grandma Gatewood's Walk' by Ben Montgomery is a biography that tells the inspiring story of Emma Gatewood, a sixty-seven-year-old great-grandmother who, in 1955, became the first woman to hike the entire 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail alone. Despite facing hardships such as raising eleven children during the Great Depression and surviving an abusive husband, Emma Gatewood's determination and resilience shine through as she embarks on this unprecedented journey. The book highlights her adventurous spirit, her love for nature, and her journey towards finding redemption and happiness through hiking.
The narrative style of the book captures the essence of Emma Gatewood's extraordinary life and her trailblazing accomplishments. Through vivid descriptions of her trek, the author paints a picture of a woman who defied societal norms and paved the way for future generations of hikers. The book not only explores Emma Gatewood's physical journey but also delves into the emotional and historical context of her life, making it a compelling read for those interested in tales of courage, perseverance, and the great outdoors.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
There are references to domestic abuse, which could be triggering for some readers; the portrayal of challenges faced during her earlier life is also notable.
From The Publisher:
2014 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in History / Biography
Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two hundred dollars. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, sixty-seven-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. By September 1955 she stood atop Maine's Mount Katahdin, sang "America, the Beautiful," and proclaimed, "I said I'll do it, and I've done it."
Driven by a painful marriage, Grandma Gatewood not only hiked the trail alone, she was the first person-man or woman-to walk it twice and three times. At age seventy-one, she hiked the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail. Gatewood became a hiking celebrity, and appeared on TV with Groucho Marx and Art Linkletter. The public attention she brought to the trail was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance, and very likely saved the trail from extinction.
Author Ben Montgomery interviewed surviving family members and hikers Gatewood met along the trail, unearthed historic newspaper and magazine articles, and was given full access to Gatewood's own diaries, trail journals, and correspondence. Grandma Gatewood's Walk shines a fresh light on one of America's most celebrated hikers.
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About the Author:
Ben Montgomery is a staff writer at the Tampa Bay Times and cofounder of the Auburn Chautauqua, a Southern writers' collective. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 and has won many other national writing awards. He lives in Florida.
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