Domestic goddess Emily Leonard leaves the comforts of her home to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Having never spent the night in the woods alone, she is in for a life-changing journey. Spending the last 25 years taking care of the house and kids while her husband, Bruce, took care of the finances, she was ready to do something for herself. The six-month journey and 2,189.2 miles of wilderness would give her more than she expected. Life lessons, faith encounters, highs and lows, and even romance were just some of the gifts the trail gave her. Be ready to laugh and cry from Georgia to Maine as you hike with Emily on her trek through fourteen states, more than five million steps through the woods, across rivers, and over mountains.
Happy Hiking
Nobody knows what the AT does to you until you’ve done it yourself. We try to describe it in our books as well as we can, but it’s a life-changing hike that is an experience, not just a story. In Happy Hiking, Emily writes with humor and honesty, giving you a feel for life on the trail. More importantly, she has captured the way the trail will show you exactly what you have—or do not have—within you.
Paul Stutzman, author of Hiking Through
Genuine and inspiring. Full of spunk, Happy Hiking is an honest depiction of the famous Appalachian Trail from the eyes of one hiker, who against all odds, refuses to give up. The trek is told in helpful detail for anyone planning to hike the trail, while seamlessly blended with captivating flashbacks from the author’s life and musings on life lessons that help her each step of the arduous journey.
Aislinn Sarnacki, author of Family Friendly Hikes in Maine, Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path and Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine: Plus Parks, Beaches, Eateries, and Lodging