Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Pharr Davis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you Goodreads for your monthly contests, and for this book. I was interested "Becoming Odyssa" because my husband and I have hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail, most often in Tennessee. It was fun to have firsthand knowledge of some of the areas the author hiked, most notably Unicoi Gap and Clingman's Dome. I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. I felt like the author became more real, or more vulnerable in her writing as the book progressed.

I always like books about strong women, and this book is no exception. For a 21 year old to hike the trail alone takes courage and endurance. "Odyssa" proved she had both. She persevered through some really hard days, made good friends, learned a lot about her faith and herself. Having hiked some mountain trails, over paths made of tree roots, boulders and stones myself, I felt I could understand her challenges to a certain degree. I am so impressed that she hiked for over 2,000 miles, in rain, snow, bugs and never gave up. She pushed her body to the limits and became strong both mentally and physically. I loved how she became more in tune with nature, saying

The trail allowed me to feel a strong sense of freedom. And it helped me to see the oppression of a busy schedule and the way we multitask in civilization. I no longer saw what was civil about filling my life with commitments if I couldn't stop to watch the sunset or listen to the birds sing." She goes on to reflect, "the problem in college, and in life, was that there were a lot of people who knew what I was, but they didn't know who I was.

Although the illustrations in the book were lovely, I wish there had been actual photos, I was curious to know what the author looked like. I did peek at her photo on the back cover about halfway through the book. She looked so joyful--I felt like that joy came out as she moved forward on her journey.

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