A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail
Imagine a 7-year-old boy asking his father if they can hike the entire length of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail together. Then imagine that the father says yes. Now think "What are they getting themselves into?"For the author of this deeply felt book, the planned hike is an opportunity to bond with his son and be what he calls "Barbarians"—in touch with natural processes far from the comforts of home. It's also a chance for nature to do some healing in his life, too.For the boy, it's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.They start in West Virginia and head north, through cold and wet spring weather, carrying only what they need and picking up resupply boxes along the way. The boy is entranced by the freedom, asking questions nonstop and pointing out every interesting bug, bird, and blossom they pass. But he's also stubborn, sometimes scared, and occasionally too tired to trudge on.Dad relishes seeing the natural world through his son's eyes, but he also struggles with the responsibility of keeping the journey going forward. By the time they reach Vermont, with aching feet and frazzled nerves, their plan to take a train to Georgia and hike north to where they started is in serious jeopardy.But the trail beckons.Closely observed, wonderfully described, and bracingly clear-eyed, this inspiring book will appeal to nature lovers and would-be AT hikers alike. It offers a vivid evocation of both the camaraderie and dangers of trail life—as well as the difficulties of modern child-rearing and the powerful lure of an untamed natural world.
"1113580462"
A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail
Imagine a 7-year-old boy asking his father if they can hike the entire length of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail together. Then imagine that the father says yes. Now think "What are they getting themselves into?"For the author of this deeply felt book, the planned hike is an opportunity to bond with his son and be what he calls "Barbarians"—in touch with natural processes far from the comforts of home. It's also a chance for nature to do some healing in his life, too.For the boy, it's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.They start in West Virginia and head north, through cold and wet spring weather, carrying only what they need and picking up resupply boxes along the way. The boy is entranced by the freedom, asking questions nonstop and pointing out every interesting bug, bird, and blossom they pass. But he's also stubborn, sometimes scared, and occasionally too tired to trudge on.Dad relishes seeing the natural world through his son's eyes, but he also struggles with the responsibility of keeping the journey going forward. By the time they reach Vermont, with aching feet and frazzled nerves, their plan to take a train to Georgia and hike north to where they started is in serious jeopardy.But the trail beckons.Closely observed, wonderfully described, and bracingly clear-eyed, this inspiring book will appeal to nature lovers and would-be AT hikers alike. It offers a vivid evocation of both the camaraderie and dangers of trail life—as well as the difficulties of modern child-rearing and the powerful lure of an untamed natural world.
16.95 In Stock
A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail

A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail

A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail

A Child's Walk in the Wilderness: An 8-Year-Old Boy and His Father Take on the Appalachian Trail

Paperback

$16.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

Imagine a 7-year-old boy asking his father if they can hike the entire length of the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail together. Then imagine that the father says yes. Now think "What are they getting themselves into?"For the author of this deeply felt book, the planned hike is an opportunity to bond with his son and be what he calls "Barbarians"—in touch with natural processes far from the comforts of home. It's also a chance for nature to do some healing in his life, too.For the boy, it's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.They start in West Virginia and head north, through cold and wet spring weather, carrying only what they need and picking up resupply boxes along the way. The boy is entranced by the freedom, asking questions nonstop and pointing out every interesting bug, bird, and blossom they pass. But he's also stubborn, sometimes scared, and occasionally too tired to trudge on.Dad relishes seeing the natural world through his son's eyes, but he also struggles with the responsibility of keeping the journey going forward. By the time they reach Vermont, with aching feet and frazzled nerves, their plan to take a train to Georgia and hike north to where they started is in serious jeopardy.But the trail beckons.Closely observed, wonderfully described, and bracingly clear-eyed, this inspiring book will appeal to nature lovers and would-be AT hikers alike. It offers a vivid evocation of both the camaraderie and dangers of trail life—as well as the difficulties of modern child-rearing and the powerful lure of an untamed natural world.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780811738927
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Publication date: 02/19/2020
Pages: 224
Sales rank: 1,075,558
Product dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Paul Molyneaux is the author of The Doryman's Reflection and Swimming in Circles. He writes about commercial fishing for the New York Times and other publications and won a 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship to study sustainable fisheries in India, Chile, and Iceland. He and his family live in Maine and Mexico.

Table of Contents

1 The Flood 1

2 The Barbarian Utopia 12

3 Traveling Light: An AT Education 24

4 Rocks 36

5 Manhattan Skyline 56

6 The War Club 65

7 Midnight Train to Georgia 84

8 Watersheds 102

9 An Eye for Detail 118

10 Backflow: The Metropolitan Invasion 127

11 Seaweed 137

12 Volunteers 153

13 The Rain and the Pain 165

14 Maine 182

15 Katahdin 207

Acknowledgments 215

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews