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Walking to Listen: 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time
Life is fast, and I've found it's easy to confuse the miraculous for the mundane, so I'm slowing down, way down, in order to give my full presence to the extraordinary that infuses each moment and resides in every one of us.
At 23, Andrew Forsthoefel headed out the back door of his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, with a backpack, an audio recorder, his copies of Whitman and Rilke, and a sign that read "Walking to Listen." He had just graduated from Middlebury College and was ready to begin his adult life, but he didn't know how. So he decided to take a cross-country quest for guidance, one where everyone he met would be his guide.
In the year that followed, he faced an Appalachian winter and a Mojave summer. He met beasts inside: fear, loneliness, doubt. But he also encountered incredible kindness from strangers. Thousands shared their stories with him, sometimes confiding their prejudices, too. Often he didn't know how to respond. How to find unity in diversity? How to stay connected, even as fear works to tear us apart? He listened for answers to these questions, and to the existential questions every human must face, and began to find that the answer might be in listening itself.
Ultimately, it's the stories of others living all along the roads of America that carry this journey and sing out in a hopeful, heartfelt book about how a life is made, and how our nation defines itself on the most human level.
At 23, Andrew Forsthoefel headed out the back door of his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, with a backpack, an audio recorder, his copies of Whitman and Rilke, and a sign that read "Walking to Listen." He had just graduated from Middlebury College and was ready to begin his adult life, but he didn't know how. So he decided to take a cross-country quest for guidance, one where everyone he met would be his guide.
In the year that followed, he faced an Appalachian winter and a Mojave summer. He met beasts inside: fear, loneliness, doubt. But he also encountered incredible kindness from strangers. Thousands shared their stories with him, sometimes confiding their prejudices, too. Often he didn't know how to respond. How to find unity in diversity? How to stay connected, even as fear works to tear us apart? He listened for answers to these questions, and to the existential questions every human must face, and began to find that the answer might be in listening itself.
Ultimately, it's the stories of others living all along the roads of America that carry this journey and sing out in a hopeful, heartfelt book about how a life is made, and how our nation defines itself on the most human level.
373 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
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July 27, 2018I can’t rate this book, because doing so would feel like rating the author’s experience. Reading his journey was long and uninteresting at times, likely an honest reflection of the walk itself. The jubilance the author felt when reaching his destination mirrored my own for reaching the end of his story. While I do not regret the time I spent reading this, I am quite excited about never picking it up again.
October 7, 2018
Ugh! I fought to get to the end of this book. I was far more interested in the stories of the people he met than the repetitive belly button gazing he gave throughout this book. While he at least acknowledged that this was the journey of a young white privileged young man, it did not step beyond the journey of a young white privileged young man. I recognize that the loneliness that he felt was real, it was self-imposed and he never made the leap to see that.
When he met the young man with the savior complex and then later encountered the reality of the Aurora shooter, he never made the connection that he could have been the difference for the young man he met on the road. He only compared the shooter to his own experience.
He made the decision to buy the baby carriage because he needed it instead of letting the couple buy it who couldn't afford one for their actual baby.
Over and over he was gifted with food, shelter, and kindness from people along the road who really couldn't afford to give. And yet every time he was given the opportunity to give, he did not.
I think he needs to walk some more.
When he met the young man with the savior complex and then later encountered the reality of the Aurora shooter, he never made the connection that he could have been the difference for the young man he met on the road. He only compared the shooter to his own experience.
He made the decision to buy the baby carriage because he needed it instead of letting the couple buy it who couldn't afford one for their actual baby.
Over and over he was gifted with food, shelter, and kindness from people along the road who really couldn't afford to give. And yet every time he was given the opportunity to give, he did not.
I think he needs to walk some more.
February 3, 2019
Andrew is finished with college but doesn't know what to do next. He decides to take a walk. Across America. A walk to see if he can find out the important things in life.
He does. It's an almost year-long journey, from Pennsylvania, down South, through Texas, across New Mexico and Arizona, to California. Along the way, he meets people, and, true to the sign he wears, he walks to listen.
And, boy, do people talk. They tell stories about their lives, about the deaths of people close to them, about health troubles, about friendships, about worries, about jobs and work and play and food and all the other things that make up a human life.
Andrew listens. And writes it all down. Reflects on it. And keeps walking.
You don't want to miss this book.
He does. It's an almost year-long journey, from Pennsylvania, down South, through Texas, across New Mexico and Arizona, to California. Along the way, he meets people, and, true to the sign he wears, he walks to listen.
And, boy, do people talk. They tell stories about their lives, about the deaths of people close to them, about health troubles, about friendships, about worries, about jobs and work and play and food and all the other things that make up a human life.
Andrew listens. And writes it all down. Reflects on it. And keeps walking.
You don't want to miss this book.
March 22, 2017
Follow Andrew Forsthoefel on his walking journey from Pennsylvania to California as he shares the stories he heard from those he met along the way.
I wasn’t anticipating such a spiritual journey along with the physical one. I’m not sure why because, duh, it is bound to happen. I greatly enjoyed hearing the stories of those Forsthoefel met, especially the Navajo women. But, at times, I felt myself weighed down with his musings on death and dying. Maybe it was because I was not in a place to want to be contemplating such heavy subjects – it probably was because of this! Also, as I am a west coast gal, I was eager to get to the parts of his travels in Nevada and California. Then to find them mostly glossed over with only a couple of introductions to folks he met, I was severely disappointed. Yes, I understand it was the end of the journey and there was an energy to get to the end but I still found myself disappointed he didn’t immerse himself in more of the west coast culture (we aren’t all living coast side).
The lack of detail on his far-west journey and the at times to deep of a dive into thoughts of death brought down the star-rating for me overall.
I wasn’t anticipating such a spiritual journey along with the physical one. I’m not sure why because, duh, it is bound to happen. I greatly enjoyed hearing the stories of those Forsthoefel met, especially the Navajo women. But, at times, I felt myself weighed down with his musings on death and dying. Maybe it was because I was not in a place to want to be contemplating such heavy subjects – it probably was because of this! Also, as I am a west coast gal, I was eager to get to the parts of his travels in Nevada and California. Then to find them mostly glossed over with only a couple of introductions to folks he met, I was severely disappointed. Yes, I understand it was the end of the journey and there was an energy to get to the end but I still found myself disappointed he didn’t immerse himself in more of the west coast culture (we aren’t all living coast side).
The lack of detail on his far-west journey and the at times to deep of a dive into thoughts of death brought down the star-rating for me overall.
May 11, 2017
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and the publisher included a letter asking me to review to book in exchange for “winning” the copy.
I didn’t look too much beyond the title, and the blurb touting it as a journey across America (on foot) wherein the author explores the stories of the people he encounters along the way, which both sounded exciting and interesting. I was super excited when I was notified that I had “won” the book (that was over a month ago). It arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I was already in the middle of several books and trying to finish up some essays for classes, so I glanced at it and set it on the shelf next to my bed for reading later in the week.
I picked it up shortly afterward to give it a good “once over.” The art on the dust jacket feels appropriate for the genre and for the title. I took my time reading the inside flap (front) and then I got to the inside flap (back) and felt a little sorry that I received this from the publisher. The letter that arrived with the book requested a review to be posted anywhere and everywhere that I would like to, but I got to the author blurb and photo on the back cover, and my opinion of the potentialities of this book dropped significantly. In the future, I will probably take more care when entering drawings by checking out the age and background of the author. I don’t want to know that much about a book before I start reading it, so I don’t spoil anything for myself (which has happened in the past), but in this case, I wish I had.
The author is a 23-year-old (at the time he set out on this journey) white, male (read privileged). My initial reaction was oh, a newly minted baby-man. He had only graduated from college, and he set off to discover himself and the world asking the people he met along the way what they would ask their 23-year-old selves in hopes of finding answers to questions, concerns, and issues he had about his own nebulous future.
The back cover has quite a few blurbs that make extravagant claims as to how important it is for people to read Walking to Listen and some even suggest that this book will redeem public opinion of millennials. I don’t have a low opinion of millennials in general; I think like all previous generations, the media seems to hype a divide that indeed exists (much the same way that the “mommy wars” exists), but that I feel is often artificial and inflammatory.
Once I got over my initial annoyance, and I’d had a chance to think about it, who else but a young, white guy could walk across the United States be relatively safe? Probably not a young woman of the same age as the author…heck, even at 46 I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing it. Maybe not a person of ANY color, even Forsthoefel questions at several points in his video what would have happened to him if he had been black instead of white on this journey. I think that a non-white person might be harassed more often, but I also think skin color (and maybe age) might change the demographic of who is willing to approach them and/or offer help. Once I wasn’t slightly indignant about the author’s demographic, I had a much more enjoyable time reading.
Having finished the book, I am 100% comfortable giving it a solid three-star rating. Walking to Listen is somewhat similar to other books of this nature, though most of my experience with this protracted journey on foot is with stories, blogs, and videos is the Appalachian Trail (Wild by Cheryl Strayed, for example). Forsthoefel’s book reads part travelogue and part personal journal. I feel like what keeps Walking to Listen from being bogged down by his (mostly melancholy) musings about the purpose of his life are the stories that he shares with the everyday people that he encountered on his journey.
I enjoyed the book most when he was writing about how hard I was just to get up and walk 20+ miles a day and what that did to his body, how he struggled with loneliness (especially has he got further along), and when Forsthoefel wrote about the people he talked to and who took him in.
I couldn’t see my way to giving it more stars though because I feel like this has been done (and done better) before, but also because he never provided an overall picture of his travels. How many nights did he spend camping because no one would take him in? He only speaks briefly about negative experiences on the trail. I really wanted to see some breakdown how many nights he camped out (with and without permission), how many nights he spent in hotels, and how many nights people took him in (and whether he asked them to or if they just offered), and how often was he stopped by law enforcement of some sort.
Overall, a solid read, interesting enough to keep me coming back, but it didn’t knock my socks off, and I don’t feel like this book in some way redeems millennials (who I don’t feel need to be redeemed) as some of the blurbs and press for the book claim. If you like soul-searching, dark night of the soul, travelogue-type books, then you will probably enjoy Walking to Listen. Happy reading
May 14, 2017
This was a great account of the authors walk across America and to his encounters with the people he meets along the way. His goal to learn something about himself, through self reflection, about his own behavior and beliefs, and also about the lives and beliefs of the people he meets.
This story takes us back and forth from the authors life before the walk, and the lives of the people he encounters, and interviews through his idea of walking to listen. He was hopeful that something in their stories would help him discover what he was looking for, within his own life. He feared that seeking stories of others, would leave him and empty receptacle for the lives of everyone else. But that is not the case.
I love all of the wisdom people gave him along the way and the many different points of view. He met so many people of different social status, race, and lifestyles and each one gave him a bit of themselves.
This book gives one a lot to think about, it allows us to also search our own needs and wants and giving us a glimpse of life outside of ourselves, a less selfish life perhaps.
He had so many wonderful encounters along the way and was able to, for the most part, do away with his preconceived fears and expectations.
One encounter he had and which stood out to me, was after leaving this one man after a 20 min talk, told him: “You know, all you're really doing is reading a book, just with your feet.”
As a constant companion he had various books with him, from Walt Whitman, Ranier Maria Rilke, to Khalil Gibran, and reflected upon them often.
He thanks the people at the end for: Teaching him what he asked to learn, showing him what he needed to see, and to telling him what he was open to hearing.
This is a very inspiring journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the ARC of this book
This story takes us back and forth from the authors life before the walk, and the lives of the people he encounters, and interviews through his idea of walking to listen. He was hopeful that something in their stories would help him discover what he was looking for, within his own life. He feared that seeking stories of others, would leave him and empty receptacle for the lives of everyone else. But that is not the case.
I love all of the wisdom people gave him along the way and the many different points of view. He met so many people of different social status, race, and lifestyles and each one gave him a bit of themselves.
This book gives one a lot to think about, it allows us to also search our own needs and wants and giving us a glimpse of life outside of ourselves, a less selfish life perhaps.
He had so many wonderful encounters along the way and was able to, for the most part, do away with his preconceived fears and expectations.
One encounter he had and which stood out to me, was after leaving this one man after a 20 min talk, told him: “You know, all you're really doing is reading a book, just with your feet.”
As a constant companion he had various books with him, from Walt Whitman, Ranier Maria Rilke, to Khalil Gibran, and reflected upon them often.
He thanks the people at the end for: Teaching him what he asked to learn, showing him what he needed to see, and to telling him what he was open to hearing.
This is a very inspiring journey.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the ARC of this book
April 16, 2018
I think I would probably give this more of a 2.5 than just a 2. If this memoir hadn't been selected as this months book club read I don't think I would have ever picked it up. Andrew's decision to walk across America to learn other peoples stories to more understand himself made me groan in annoyance after reading the preface. I just knew I was going to be annoyed throughout and I often was. I felt like this whole year was his whiny, I'm not ready to be an adult, excuse for not finding a job. I was so tired of every story circling back to learning a lesson about himself. Sigh. The first 1/2 of the book was slow for me. I decided if I was going to finish I had to just sit down and power through. Saturday was my day. I read the rest basically in one sitting. I will say I enjoyed the Navajo portion of the book and the ending. I could relate to Andrew's mothers' tears (I teared up too) when she received him at the beach at Half Moon Bay. I really feel its more because my daughter, Taryn, is out of the United States for a year so missing her is a daily worry and heartache too.
May 19, 2017
Bravo to Andrew Forsthoefel for embarking on a remarkable journey and sharing it in a tender, funny and beautifully written book. His observations of people, places and the natural world are honest, sometimes raw and always authentic. I cried at the end of this book because I felt the true effort of his emotional and physical journey. So good.
April 2, 2018
Loved his writing—he knows how to place words together, but I often felt a current of being preached at by a young 23 year old. Sometimes his epiphanies were rather cliche. I hate saying that...because I respect the journey and the effort...but I struggled with the fact that he pointed a “young finger” at older people, older ideas, older wisdom and wagged it as if he had a better, more sophisticated answer. It was at time condescending. I’d give it 2 1/2 stars...but I rounded up for youthful ignorance.
March 7, 2017
This is a remarkable story of a trip in the tradition of William Least Heat-Moon. I was inspired by this young man who went on a walk in an effort to find himself spiritually. He meets many people along the way who are interested in him, help him, and cheer him on. They include people of every race and religion, including native americans. This is one of my favorite nonfiction books that I have read in awhile. It gives me hope in people at a time that I needed that.
July 24, 2018
http://delsharm.blog.ir/1397/05/02/wa...
اندرو جوانی اهل پنسیلوانیا پس از پایان دورهٔ کارشناسی دچار سؤالهای بزرگ در مورد زندگی و هویتش میشود. او که در پانزده سالگی شاهد جدایی پدر و مادرش میشود، دچار تنشهای روحی شده، دنبال هدفی برای زندگی میگردد. بعد از شکست در پیدا کردن دانشگاهی خوب برای تحصیلات تکمیلی و پیدا نکردن شغل مناسب، در بیست و سه سالگی شال و کلاه میکند و تصمیم میگیرد از پنسیلوانیا (ساحل شمال شرقی آمریکا) به سانفرانسیسکو (ساحل جنوب غربی آمریکا) پیاده برود. او به کولهپشتیاش پرچم آمریکا و پرچم جهان (احتمالاً همان پرچم سازمان ملل) نصب میکند و نوشتهای روی کولهپشتیاش میگذارد با عنوان «پیادهروی برای شنیدن» که عنوان کتاب حاضر نیز است. با خود عهد میکند که هیچ مسیری را با خودرو نرود. حتی اگر برای استراحت یا دیدن دوستان سر راه با خودرو به جایی میرود، دوباره به همان جا برگردد و پیاده مسیر را از سر گیرد. دیگر این که بدون گوشی هوشمند یا گوشی برای شنیدن موسیقی به راه ادامه بدهد. توشهاش یک ماندولین، کتاب شعر والت ویتمن، کتاب پیامبر خلیل جبران و کتاب نامههایی به شاعر جوان است. بیشتر شبها را در کیسهٔ خواب یا چادر کوچکی که همراهش آورده میخوابد. مسیرش را اکتبر سال ۲۰۱۱ شروع میکند و تقریباً یک سال بعد به کالیفرنیا میرسد. او درگیر مشکلات اقلیمی بسیاری مانند سرمای زودتر از موعد در ایالت ویرجینیا، گرمای بالای ۴۰ درجهٔ مردادماه بیابانهای نوادا، و کوههای خشن کالیفرنیا میشود. از جایی به بعد درد کمر او را مجبور به خرید کالسکهٔ بچه میکند تا کولهاش را در کالسکه بگذارد. همین کار باعث به چشم آمدن بیشتر او در مسیر میشود. در این راه با آدمهای مختلف آشنا میشود. چیزی که توشهٔ راه این جوان است یک حرف است؛ مردم معمولی بسیار مهربانتر از آنی هستند که به نظر میآید. خیلی جاها بی آن که او را بشناسند شب به خانهشان دعوتش کردند. مثلاً او با ترس به سمت ایالت نیومکزیکو، اقامتگاه بومیان سرخپوست، میرود اما خونگرمترین میزبانان او همان سرخپوستها میشوند. بیذوقترین کسانی که او توصیف کرده، ساکنان درهٔ سیلیکون کالیفرنیا هستند که انگار نه انگار کسی با کالسکه در خیابانهای شهر راه میرود با آن که قیافهاش داد میزند او رهگذری عادی نیست. یکی از اتفاقات جالب این سفر، مواجهه با «رضا بلوچی» ورزشکار جهانگرد ایرانی است که بیشتر از پنجاه کشور دنیا را رکاب زده، چند بار عرض و طول آمریکا را پیاده رفته، و حالا قصد دارد همهٔ کشورهای دنیا را پیاده بپیماید. نویسنده خودش را در مواجهه با بلوچی به عنوان یک دلقک توصیف میکند چون تا قبل از دیدار او فکر میکرده که کار خیلی بزرگی را دارد انجام میدهد.
نویسندهٔ کتاب یک آمریکایی معمولی است. فکر کردنش به شدت شبیه آمریکاییهای دموکرات است. او در مواجهه با اِوَنجلیستهای سفیدپوست جنوب آمریکا، که به شدت معتقد به آرماگدون، مخالف شدید همجنسبازی و البته نژادپرستند، به هیچ وجه اعتقاد خود را پنهان نمیسازد. با آن که بیشتر صحبتهایش را ضبط کرده است ولی از صحبتها حرف دندانگیری که حتی به درد مردمشناسی بخورد دست آدم را نمیگیرد. مراجعهٔ مکرر به شعرهای والت ویتمن بیشتر نمودِ احساسات شخصی نویسنده را دارد تا یک اشارهٔ لطیف ادبی. او حتی در مورد پرسش مرگ که گاهی در سفر آن را در یکقدمی خود میدیده پاسخ درخوری نمییابد و صرفاً توضیحاتی شاعرانه میدهد. شاید تنها نکتهای که از نظرم عمیق بیان شده است، در تقدیر سکوت است؛ چیزی که در هیاهوی رسانهای دنیای امروز گم شده است. به قول نویسنده، چرا ذهن مردم شهرها باید درگیر اخبار بیهودهای مانند ازدواج یا طلا�� دو بازیگر هالیوودی باشد. چیزی که در انتهای کتاب به ذهنم رسید این بود که ای کاش همین کار را یک نویسندهٔ حرفهای یا متفکر نامآشنا، بدون آن که خودش را لو بدهد، انجام دهد. مثلاً یک لحظه تصور کنیم که یکی مثل همینگوی تمام آمریکا را پیاده برود و بعد بخواهد سفرنامه بنویسد. آنوقت احتمالاً با اثری قابل اعتناتر مواجه میشدیم. آنچه میخواهم بگویم آن است که پیرنگ این سفرنامه تا حدی مغشوش است و قصهها درهماند چون اتفاقات درهم افتاده است و نویسنده نتوانسته از پس یکدست کردن پیرنگ سفرنامه خوب بربیاید. البته بر او که به بهانهٔ سفر کتاب نوشته، نه آن که به بهانهٔ کتابْ سفر رفته باشد، نمیشود خرده گرفت. نکتهٔ دیگر، نبود عکس در سفرنامهای امروزی است. احتمالاً نویسنده نگرانی اجازهٔ نشر عکس دیگران را داشته که بیعکس کتاب را منتشر کرده است. بودن عکس در چنین کتابی میتوانست به جذابیت آن کمک کند. البته جزئیات سفر از جمله عکسها، همه در سایت این کتاب، https://walkingtolisten.com/، وجود دارد.
اگر از من بپرسند خلاصهٔ حرف این کتاب چیست، باید بگویم که مردم آمریکا صاف و سادهتر از تصویری هستند که از آنها در رسانهها نشان داده شده است. بیشتر آمریکاییها کارگر و روستاییاند و تصویری که بعضاً در ذهن ایرانیها در مورد آنهاست که مثلاً اکثر آمریکاییها تحصیلکرده و اتوکشیدهاند، نسبتی با واقعیت آمریکا ندارد.
اندرو جوانی اهل پنسیلوانیا پس از پایان دورهٔ کارشناسی دچار سؤالهای بزرگ در مورد زندگی و هویتش میشود. او که در پانزده سالگی شاهد جدایی پدر و مادرش میشود، دچار تنشهای روحی شده، دنبال هدفی برای زندگی میگردد. بعد از شکست در پیدا کردن دانشگاهی خوب برای تحصیلات تکمیلی و پیدا نکردن شغل مناسب، در بیست و سه سالگی شال و کلاه میکند و تصمیم میگیرد از پنسیلوانیا (ساحل شمال شرقی آمریکا) به سانفرانسیسکو (ساحل جنوب غربی آمریکا) پیاده برود. او به کولهپشتیاش پرچم آمریکا و پرچم جهان (احتمالاً همان پرچم سازمان ملل) نصب میکند و نوشتهای روی کولهپشتیاش میگذارد با عنوان «پیادهروی برای شنیدن» که عنوان کتاب حاضر نیز است. با خود عهد میکند که هیچ مسیری را با خودرو نرود. حتی اگر برای استراحت یا دیدن دوستان سر راه با خودرو به جایی میرود، دوباره به همان جا برگردد و پیاده مسیر را از سر گیرد. دیگر این که بدون گوشی هوشمند یا گوشی برای شنیدن موسیقی به راه ادامه بدهد. توشهاش یک ماندولین، کتاب شعر والت ویتمن، کتاب پیامبر خلیل جبران و کتاب نامههایی به شاعر جوان است. بیشتر شبها را در کیسهٔ خواب یا چادر کوچکی که همراهش آورده میخوابد. مسیرش را اکتبر سال ۲۰۱۱ شروع میکند و تقریباً یک سال بعد به کالیفرنیا میرسد. او درگیر مشکلات اقلیمی بسیاری مانند سرمای زودتر از موعد در ایالت ویرجینیا، گرمای بالای ۴۰ درجهٔ مردادماه بیابانهای نوادا، و کوههای خشن کالیفرنیا میشود. از جایی به بعد درد کمر او را مجبور به خرید کالسکهٔ بچه میکند تا کولهاش را در کالسکه بگذارد. همین کار باعث به چشم آمدن بیشتر او در مسیر میشود. در این راه با آدمهای مختلف آشنا میشود. چیزی که توشهٔ راه این جوان است یک حرف است؛ مردم معمولی بسیار مهربانتر از آنی هستند که به نظر میآید. خیلی جاها بی آن که او را بشناسند شب به خانهشان دعوتش کردند. مثلاً او با ترس به سمت ایالت نیومکزیکو، اقامتگاه بومیان سرخپوست، میرود اما خونگرمترین میزبانان او همان سرخپوستها میشوند. بیذوقترین کسانی که او توصیف کرده، ساکنان درهٔ سیلیکون کالیفرنیا هستند که انگار نه انگار کسی با کالسکه در خیابانهای شهر راه میرود با آن که قیافهاش داد میزند او رهگذری عادی نیست. یکی از اتفاقات جالب این سفر، مواجهه با «رضا بلوچی» ورزشکار جهانگرد ایرانی است که بیشتر از پنجاه کشور دنیا را رکاب زده، چند بار عرض و طول آمریکا را پیاده رفته، و حالا قصد دارد همهٔ کشورهای دنیا را پیاده بپیماید. نویسنده خودش را در مواجهه با بلوچی به عنوان یک دلقک توصیف میکند چون تا قبل از دیدار او فکر میکرده که کار خیلی بزرگی را دارد انجام میدهد.
نویسندهٔ کتاب یک آمریکایی معمولی است. فکر کردنش به شدت شبیه آمریکاییهای دموکرات است. او در مواجهه با اِوَنجلیستهای سفیدپوست جنوب آمریکا، که به شدت معتقد به آرماگدون، مخالف شدید همجنسبازی و البته نژادپرستند، به هیچ وجه اعتقاد خود را پنهان نمیسازد. با آن که بیشتر صحبتهایش را ضبط کرده است ولی از صحبتها حرف دندانگیری که حتی به درد مردمشناسی بخورد دست آدم را نمیگیرد. مراجعهٔ مکرر به شعرهای والت ویتمن بیشتر نمودِ احساسات شخصی نویسنده را دارد تا یک اشارهٔ لطیف ادبی. او حتی در مورد پرسش مرگ که گاهی در سفر آن را در یکقدمی خود میدیده پاسخ درخوری نمییابد و صرفاً توضیحاتی شاعرانه میدهد. شاید تنها نکتهای که از نظرم عمیق بیان شده است، در تقدیر سکوت است؛ چیزی که در هیاهوی رسانهای دنیای امروز گم شده است. به قول نویسنده، چرا ذهن مردم شهرها باید درگیر اخبار بیهودهای مانند ازدواج یا طلا�� دو بازیگر هالیوودی باشد. چیزی که در انتهای کتاب به ذهنم رسید این بود که ای کاش همین کار را یک نویسندهٔ حرفهای یا متفکر نامآشنا، بدون آن که خودش را لو بدهد، انجام دهد. مثلاً یک لحظه تصور کنیم که یکی مثل همینگوی تمام آمریکا را پیاده برود و بعد بخواهد سفرنامه بنویسد. آنوقت احتمالاً با اثری قابل اعتناتر مواجه میشدیم. آنچه میخواهم بگویم آن است که پیرنگ این سفرنامه تا حدی مغشوش است و قصهها درهماند چون اتفاقات درهم افتاده است و نویسنده نتوانسته از پس یکدست کردن پیرنگ سفرنامه خوب بربیاید. البته بر او که به بهانهٔ سفر کتاب نوشته، نه آن که به بهانهٔ کتابْ سفر رفته باشد، نمیشود خرده گرفت. نکتهٔ دیگر، نبود عکس در سفرنامهای امروزی است. احتمالاً نویسنده نگرانی اجازهٔ نشر عکس دیگران را داشته که بیعکس کتاب را منتشر کرده است. بودن عکس در چنین کتابی میتوانست به جذابیت آن کمک کند. البته جزئیات سفر از جمله عکسها، همه در سایت این کتاب، https://walkingtolisten.com/، وجود دارد.
اگر از من بپرسند خلاصهٔ حرف این کتاب چیست، باید بگویم که مردم آمریکا صاف و سادهتر از تصویری هستند که از آنها در رسانهها نشان داده شده است. بیشتر آمریکاییها کارگر و روستاییاند و تصویری که بعضاً در ذهن ایرانیها در مورد آنهاست که مثلاً اکثر آمریکاییها تحصیلکرده و اتوکشیدهاند، نسبتی با واقعیت آمریکا ندارد.
July 17, 2019
1.5 Stars
The book itself felt like I was slogging through 4 miles of pages...it was so undeservingly long...and boring and so self philosophical at times that I groaned in frustration and tried to physically will Forsthoefel to stop writing about it. I rushed through the ending with the exhilaration that Forsthoefel felt at the end of his trip. I needed it all to end.
I'm not going to lie that his experience is awesome, his idea for walking and the fact that he completed his trip and learned from the amazing human beings he encountered on the walk...that all is truly laudable. But the way in which he describes it irks me so much. The book as a whole posed such large questions, questions such as: What is life? Why do we have to die? and then you would follow Andrew for about 5 pages or so as he tries to answer the questions in a blabber of words relating to his own self.
If anything, it seemed like he's an insecure writer (harsh, I know but seriously this book was just...) which relates to why I gave one of my lowest scores on Goodreads to this particular book. Andrew relied on Whitman and Rilke to give relevance to his thoughts, as if they could reiterate what he said in a better way but instead every single time I came across either one of those names I would roll my eyes and try to get through the quote and his own thoughts regarding it without cringing. Rilke and Whitman are great writers but as a writer yourself, you simply cannot rely on other people's work to relay your point. A quote here and there is okay but every 5 pages?! In a 340 ish page book?! I can't. I just can't.
Other than that, I enjoyed some parts of the book. The experiences and quotes lifted from interviews with the people he met are very interesting as are his detailed investigation of his surroundings which came across strikingly beautiful.
If he could've just cut most of those philosophical thoughts out, and while including some, also just talked about his day to day trivial life...I'd have enjoyed it a lot more.
The book itself felt like I was slogging through 4 miles of pages...it was so undeservingly long...and boring and so self philosophical at times that I groaned in frustration and tried to physically will Forsthoefel to stop writing about it. I rushed through the ending with the exhilaration that Forsthoefel felt at the end of his trip. I needed it all to end.
I'm not going to lie that his experience is awesome, his idea for walking and the fact that he completed his trip and learned from the amazing human beings he encountered on the walk...that all is truly laudable. But the way in which he describes it irks me so much. The book as a whole posed such large questions, questions such as: What is life? Why do we have to die? and then you would follow Andrew for about 5 pages or so as he tries to answer the questions in a blabber of words relating to his own self.
If anything, it seemed like he's an insecure writer (harsh, I know but seriously this book was just...) which relates to why I gave one of my lowest scores on Goodreads to this particular book. Andrew relied on Whitman and Rilke to give relevance to his thoughts, as if they could reiterate what he said in a better way but instead every single time I came across either one of those names I would roll my eyes and try to get through the quote and his own thoughts regarding it without cringing. Rilke and Whitman are great writers but as a writer yourself, you simply cannot rely on other people's work to relay your point. A quote here and there is okay but every 5 pages?! In a 340 ish page book?! I can't. I just can't.
Other than that, I enjoyed some parts of the book. The experiences and quotes lifted from interviews with the people he met are very interesting as are his detailed investigation of his surroundings which came across strikingly beautiful.
If he could've just cut most of those philosophical thoughts out, and while including some, also just talked about his day to day trivial life...I'd have enjoyed it a lot more.
April 17, 2019
I was excited to read this book because I love adventure tales and road trip tales, but the author spent weaaaaaay too much time philosophizing and not enough time on the interesting part: the actual nitty gritty details of walking across the U.S. What did he pack, what did he wear? What was his morning routine? Evening routine? How often did he stop, and for how long? What kind of physical complaints did he suffer? How did weather affect him? He obviously never learned the old English class saw, "show it, don't tell it." Halfway through I started skipping over the quotations and musings, and there was barely any story holding them together.
January 23, 2017
In “Walking to Listen” there was a bit too much talk on inner family dynamics/processing that took away from the hyped excitement of walking 4000 miles. But the story about coming face to face with a gorilla and the talk about black bears made it worth the read.
good luck
**ARC/publisher/NetGalley
good luck
**ARC/publisher/NetGalley
September 12, 2017
I was so impressed with this book; the author's youth did not impede his quest or his personal growth. I would not have expected this of many 23 year olds. His writing and insights were extremely thought provoking and hopeful for those of us who think about how we fit into our communities while enjoying our solitude.
November 2, 2017
I've ridden my bike across the country, and let's just say this book space was as slow as his walk was. I understand the Merit of this book and I can see parallels to his journey as I doing mine. However, I wish you describe the scenery more and picked up the pace a little bit more with his story.
April 1, 2018
This book is somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 for me. I really enjoyed and admired the concept of what Andrew Forsthoefel did by walking across the country with the sole purpose of listening to what others had to say and learning from the conversations he had with the people he met. I also loved reading about the generosity of so many of the people he met along the way who helped him out with food and shelter when most of them didn't know who he was. Sometimes though it was hard to feel like I was so much in Andrew's head as I read, but I suppose him sharing so many of his personal thoughts/fears/emotions was all part of his journey that had to be shared. I also would have really enjoyed seeing some of the photos he described taking along the way.
April 12, 2018
A quick and easy read. Loved his connection to his Mom. I appreciate his ability to make us care about his walk across America and the interesting people he met along the way. The walking cane story was my favorite. Thanks for recommending J-9. A perfect book to get me out of my funk.
March 5, 2021
A twenty- three year old fresh out of Middlebury College in Vermont with no prospects for the future sets off on foot from Philadelphia in Oct of 2011 to “Walk and Listen” — and makes it all the way to the west coast. He learns a lot about himself in this interesting book, but I’m still marveling that his folks had the inner strength to let him go. A startling read.
July 4, 2019
Andrew was boldly vulnerable capturing his reflections and experiences during his adventure. The compassion and care he took describing the people along the way was inspiring. Truly remarkable book with passages that spoke directly to my soul.
June 21, 2017
Since I am into coming of age and "road" stories, this book was a natural mix. Young college grad sets off from Pennsylvania, walking to the California coast, taking time along the way to listen to the folks he encounters. Good to see so many generous folks still living in the U.S. and hearing their interesting stories through his tales. I also enjoyed his references to Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" poetry as he relates it his changing situation. He also references Rainer Rilkes, a poet I was not familiar with but whose work seems relevant to the task. I was a bit frustrated that despite his descriptions of the specific roads he was hiking, no maps accompanied the narrative. No photos either, despite his numerous mentions of taking pictures whose inclusion would have added to the reading experience.
June 18, 2023
Surprisingly enjoyed and was the perfect book to meander through reading - meaning read a few chapters a week and not forget a plotline or character backstory.
August 6, 2022
Walking to Listen
Author: Andrew Forsthoefel
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.5/5
Walking to Listen is about one young man’s journey to find answers to “those” questions
regarding life that we have all asked ourselves in our younger years, some of us, even in our twilight
years. Andrew took a walk across America listening to people’s stories to learn; learn he did!
Starting this journey walking on railroad tracks from his Pennsylvania backyard, he headed south. He traveled through Appalachia, into Alabama, to New Orleans, through Texas, across the
Mojave as well as Death Valley before reaching the Sierra Nevadas as he made it to the Pacific
Ocean. There were a couple of times, that he didn’t think he would make it, especially toward
the end of his “walk.”
On his backpack he displayed a small handmade sign that said simply: “Walking to Listen.” He
graduated from college, with confusion and a desire to do this “thing,” - he needed to walk these “4,000 miles, across America, one story at a time.” That he did!
There were always people along the way offering him food, water, and shelter, along with their stories. He recorded their voices and tales of wit and wisdom. Blogging along
the way, the folks who offered assistance would follow his blog and contact friends and family further down his travels to let them know Andrew was on his way. This hospitality awed Andrew... who
realized he gained more than he expected. He gained he trust of these stranger-citizens.
That was one of a few of the major turning points in this “coming of age” experience. If you can imagine
walking 4,000 miles and think about this... he spoke to folks from every walk of life, every skin
color, every belief and non-belief, etc. His last day was the best of all his days.
I love that he carried books of poetry (Walt Whitman and Rilke) with him to “guide” his wonderings and he wandered. Many times, he would randomly open one of the books and the reading from the book would offer him solace, validation or guidance from his day’s experience. I don’t think that is a coincidence at all.
Forsthoefel will be speaking at our local university’s convocation in August. His memoir is the
incoming freshman read for the university and also for our local high school seniors. This event
and the book selections over the years seemed to find their way on to my TBR list for August. I am looking forward to hearing him speak! It is my hope that those who read his first-hand story will value and appreciate the numerous lessons of wisdom this young man shares in his “pilgrimage” Walking to Listen. I found Andrew’s philosophical search uplifting, inspiring, somewhat surprising and hopeful!
Author: Andrew Forsthoefel
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4.5/5
Walking to Listen is about one young man’s journey to find answers to “those” questions
regarding life that we have all asked ourselves in our younger years, some of us, even in our twilight
years. Andrew took a walk across America listening to people’s stories to learn; learn he did!
Starting this journey walking on railroad tracks from his Pennsylvania backyard, he headed south. He traveled through Appalachia, into Alabama, to New Orleans, through Texas, across the
Mojave as well as Death Valley before reaching the Sierra Nevadas as he made it to the Pacific
Ocean. There were a couple of times, that he didn’t think he would make it, especially toward
the end of his “walk.”
On his backpack he displayed a small handmade sign that said simply: “Walking to Listen.” He
graduated from college, with confusion and a desire to do this “thing,” - he needed to walk these “4,000 miles, across America, one story at a time.” That he did!
There were always people along the way offering him food, water, and shelter, along with their stories. He recorded their voices and tales of wit and wisdom. Blogging along
the way, the folks who offered assistance would follow his blog and contact friends and family further down his travels to let them know Andrew was on his way. This hospitality awed Andrew... who
realized he gained more than he expected. He gained he trust of these stranger-citizens.
That was one of a few of the major turning points in this “coming of age” experience. If you can imagine
walking 4,000 miles and think about this... he spoke to folks from every walk of life, every skin
color, every belief and non-belief, etc. His last day was the best of all his days.
I love that he carried books of poetry (Walt Whitman and Rilke) with him to “guide” his wonderings and he wandered. Many times, he would randomly open one of the books and the reading from the book would offer him solace, validation or guidance from his day’s experience. I don’t think that is a coincidence at all.
Forsthoefel will be speaking at our local university’s convocation in August. His memoir is the
incoming freshman read for the university and also for our local high school seniors. This event
and the book selections over the years seemed to find their way on to my TBR list for August. I am looking forward to hearing him speak! It is my hope that those who read his first-hand story will value and appreciate the numerous lessons of wisdom this young man shares in his “pilgrimage” Walking to Listen. I found Andrew’s philosophical search uplifting, inspiring, somewhat surprising and hopeful!
October 6, 2020
There's a line in a blink 182 song that "nobody likes you when you're 23." I didn't like the author of this book.
The author was kinda floundering in life and decided to "walk across America", and just listen to people's stories. He had a big yellow sign on his back pack that said "walking to listen. He walked south from Pennsylvania, to Georgia, then straight across to California. You get some big pauses in Alabama and Louisiana. The book other wise moves fairly quickly.
His parent's are divorced, and you never really find out why, but he blames his dad. He tries to come across as lower middle class, but he did four years of private boarding school in Delaware and then a private university in Vermont- so, that rings hollow.
All of his gear was gifted to him by Outdoors Magazine.
He does talk about how he can only safely do what he's doing because he's a white male in America. That a woman couldn't do it, and a black man couldn't do it- that they would face dangers he wouldn't. That's a discussion you have to have in a book like this- but parts of it are just too... earnest.
He's obviously likable. He gets picked up and taken care of by strangers all along the way. This probably says more about what America is like at heart - a welcoming and caring country- and that he doesn't look scary. Clean cut young white kid out on an adventure. But if he is likable, it's hard
to find that in the pages he's written.
He takes three books with him: Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, and Gibran's The Prophet. He quotes very heavily from Whitman and quite a bit from Rilke. He doesn't even crack open the Prophet until the very end of his 10 month trip. I can't imagine carrying around that extra weight for ten months... Anyway, tells you something about him that those are the three books he decided to live with for the better part of a year.
About halfway into his trip he decides the bag is too heavy and buys a baby stroller to push his backpack instead of carrying it. (For those with young kids, it's a BOB he bought on super sale at REI). So that's probably why he could afford the extravagance of carrying a book he doesn't even read.
He spends some time in the Navajo Nation, which was cool.
I like books about long walks, but this one is a dud. But props to him for doing it. I'll admit that I am a bit jealous of his accomplishment.
The author was kinda floundering in life and decided to "walk across America", and just listen to people's stories. He had a big yellow sign on his back pack that said "walking to listen. He walked south from Pennsylvania, to Georgia, then straight across to California. You get some big pauses in Alabama and Louisiana. The book other wise moves fairly quickly.
His parent's are divorced, and you never really find out why, but he blames his dad. He tries to come across as lower middle class, but he did four years of private boarding school in Delaware and then a private university in Vermont- so, that rings hollow.
All of his gear was gifted to him by Outdoors Magazine.
He does talk about how he can only safely do what he's doing because he's a white male in America. That a woman couldn't do it, and a black man couldn't do it- that they would face dangers he wouldn't. That's a discussion you have to have in a book like this- but parts of it are just too... earnest.
He's obviously likable. He gets picked up and taken care of by strangers all along the way. This probably says more about what America is like at heart - a welcoming and caring country- and that he doesn't look scary. Clean cut young white kid out on an adventure. But if he is likable, it's hard
to find that in the pages he's written.
He takes three books with him: Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, and Gibran's The Prophet. He quotes very heavily from Whitman and quite a bit from Rilke. He doesn't even crack open the Prophet until the very end of his 10 month trip. I can't imagine carrying around that extra weight for ten months... Anyway, tells you something about him that those are the three books he decided to live with for the better part of a year.
About halfway into his trip he decides the bag is too heavy and buys a baby stroller to push his backpack instead of carrying it. (For those with young kids, it's a BOB he bought on super sale at REI). So that's probably why he could afford the extravagance of carrying a book he doesn't even read.
He spends some time in the Navajo Nation, which was cool.
I like books about long walks, but this one is a dud. But props to him for doing it. I'll admit that I am a bit jealous of his accomplishment.
July 11, 2017
This is a wondrous, adventurous soul-searching book, and a great read for those who suffer from Wanderlust, love the writings or Rilke & Whitman, or just seek a little affirmation that people are still basically good.
23-year-old Andrew Forsthoefel makes his way across the U.S. on foot, armed with a backpack full of provisions, an audio recorder, and a sign that reads "Walking to Listen". What he encounters over the next 4000 miles, as he treks from Pennsylvania southward and then from the Southeast to the West, is the quilted patchwork of American humanity. As he asks to pitch his tent in backyards, farmers' fields, and outbuildings, he meets curiosity, distrust, and (mostly) kindness. He faces his assumptions and stereotypes, as well as his own inner demons and doubts.
The book is broken up between his experiences as he walks, pushes a baby stroller named Bob (which he eventually breaks down and buys to tote his pack), and reflects on his experiences with the people he's met, and a series of short interviews with some of these people. These interviews serve to break up the longer chapters and focus completely on the words of his subjects, who offer stirring and often surprising wisdom, whether coming from a cattle farmer, elderly high school sweethearts, a Presbyterian minister, a bounty hunter, firefighters or artists.
A book like this, which has a potential element of gimmick to it (It's Kerouac meets "Eat. Pray. Love." in some regard), avoids such trappings by staying reflective without getting maudlin, philosophical without getting judgmental, and optimistically open to experience.
As a writer, the young Forsthoefel has great expressiveness, describing his environments, his subjects, and his conflicted emotions with observant and - at times - poetic detail. The influences of Rilke and Whitman, who both accompany him on the trip via their seminal works - are evident.
For me, this book made me believe that one can find what they look for in others, and Forsthoefel chose to find goodness at every opportunity - a meal, a conversation, a jug of water, a bag of candy bars, or a welcoming invitation into a stranger's home. Of course, by the end of the next day's breakfast, those people were no longer strangers, to Andrew or to the reader.
As a big believer in Interdependence and our desire to feel connected as human beings (hell, as earthlings), this book struck a powerful chord with me. Mostly, it taught me that everyone, no matter how horrific a card they've been dealt, or how hardened life may have made them, wants to be listened to. People have stories, and the greatest gift we can offer is to turn off our own incessant chatter and actively lean in and empathize with who they have become and how they got there.
In this regard, we are all Walking to Listen.
23-year-old Andrew Forsthoefel makes his way across the U.S. on foot, armed with a backpack full of provisions, an audio recorder, and a sign that reads "Walking to Listen". What he encounters over the next 4000 miles, as he treks from Pennsylvania southward and then from the Southeast to the West, is the quilted patchwork of American humanity. As he asks to pitch his tent in backyards, farmers' fields, and outbuildings, he meets curiosity, distrust, and (mostly) kindness. He faces his assumptions and stereotypes, as well as his own inner demons and doubts.
The book is broken up between his experiences as he walks, pushes a baby stroller named Bob (which he eventually breaks down and buys to tote his pack), and reflects on his experiences with the people he's met, and a series of short interviews with some of these people. These interviews serve to break up the longer chapters and focus completely on the words of his subjects, who offer stirring and often surprising wisdom, whether coming from a cattle farmer, elderly high school sweethearts, a Presbyterian minister, a bounty hunter, firefighters or artists.
A book like this, which has a potential element of gimmick to it (It's Kerouac meets "Eat. Pray. Love." in some regard), avoids such trappings by staying reflective without getting maudlin, philosophical without getting judgmental, and optimistically open to experience.
As a writer, the young Forsthoefel has great expressiveness, describing his environments, his subjects, and his conflicted emotions with observant and - at times - poetic detail. The influences of Rilke and Whitman, who both accompany him on the trip via their seminal works - are evident.
For me, this book made me believe that one can find what they look for in others, and Forsthoefel chose to find goodness at every opportunity - a meal, a conversation, a jug of water, a bag of candy bars, or a welcoming invitation into a stranger's home. Of course, by the end of the next day's breakfast, those people were no longer strangers, to Andrew or to the reader.
As a big believer in Interdependence and our desire to feel connected as human beings (hell, as earthlings), this book struck a powerful chord with me. Mostly, it taught me that everyone, no matter how horrific a card they've been dealt, or how hardened life may have made them, wants to be listened to. People have stories, and the greatest gift we can offer is to turn off our own incessant chatter and actively lean in and empathize with who they have become and how they got there.
In this regard, we are all Walking to Listen.
December 6, 2021
Maybe it is because I am an unofficially certified (or possibly certifiable) dreamer, but I found this book to be absolutely wonderful, one of the top 5 I've read this year. I recently read "Between two Kingdoms" and what I found in that book (while I loved it) was that I longed for more of the second half of the book, more about the stories of connection with others, more about the strangers who became friends.
I picked this one up on a visit to an independent bookseller and in "Walking to Listen", I found more of what I was wanting in BTK.
The story of the walk, while amazing, was punctuated with so much kindness, inner reflection and stories of Andrew's relationship with strangers who became friends, that I found the book difficult to put down. I actually read some reviews on this platform when I got to page 150 or so and was surprised to find that folks found Andrew "privileged" or that he didn't handle the subject of race relations appropriately. I would argue that he understands any privilege he may be perceived to have and he handles race and gender relations in a very understanding and kind manner. This was an amazing endeavor and a wonderful way to tell it.
Mind you this book was written pre-pandemic, but even with all that has happened Andrew had an understanding of appropriateness in race, gender and diversity, so I had no issues there. Actually his description of his visit to Selma Alabama and the history he learned of there was one of the best portions of the story for me. That along with his adoption within the Native American communities to the point that some of his new friends met him at the Pacific to assist him in ending his journey was a testament to his ability to make lasting friendships along the road.
This was a wonderful story about an amazing walk across our country. I recommend it to anyone wanting to read about relationships and who might struggle with who they are and who they might want to be or become. The book has no answers for individuals, but lends itself to the type of thought provocation and reflection that might provide answers.
This one will hold a spot on the bookshelf so I can read it again when the story and the message fades some.
I picked this one up on a visit to an independent bookseller and in "Walking to Listen", I found more of what I was wanting in BTK.
The story of the walk, while amazing, was punctuated with so much kindness, inner reflection and stories of Andrew's relationship with strangers who became friends, that I found the book difficult to put down. I actually read some reviews on this platform when I got to page 150 or so and was surprised to find that folks found Andrew "privileged" or that he didn't handle the subject of race relations appropriately. I would argue that he understands any privilege he may be perceived to have and he handles race and gender relations in a very understanding and kind manner. This was an amazing endeavor and a wonderful way to tell it.
Mind you this book was written pre-pandemic, but even with all that has happened Andrew had an understanding of appropriateness in race, gender and diversity, so I had no issues there. Actually his description of his visit to Selma Alabama and the history he learned of there was one of the best portions of the story for me. That along with his adoption within the Native American communities to the point that some of his new friends met him at the Pacific to assist him in ending his journey was a testament to his ability to make lasting friendships along the road.
This was a wonderful story about an amazing walk across our country. I recommend it to anyone wanting to read about relationships and who might struggle with who they are and who they might want to be or become. The book has no answers for individuals, but lends itself to the type of thought provocation and reflection that might provide answers.
This one will hold a spot on the bookshelf so I can read it again when the story and the message fades some.
July 22, 2022
2.75ishhhh stars
This book has taken me two tries to get through and I almost gave up. I’m glad I stuck with it, even if the ending was a little underwhelming. As another reviewer wrote, it feels weird to rate someone’s experience, but I’ll give the story my feedback. Andrew’s journey guided me through many different parts of the U.S. that I will never see. It was beautiful to hear his interactions and the moments where he dropped his judgements and stumbled into a friendship. There were people I wanted to meet and cultures I would have loved to sit with. But….
he seemed to contradict himself and not actually truly listen and absorb what was being told to him. Briefly at the beginning he acknowledged his walk would look different as a woman or minority, but that was all that was said. It was impossible to see myself on this walk (as a woman) and many moments I cringed at his lack of wisdom in situations. People on the road were right- if I was his mother I would be losing my mind.
The last thing that kind of bugged me is that this book is praised for his deciphering religion, race, and family but his analysis fell flat in all these areas. Any religious (mainly Christian) person, he would just suffer through the conversation and briefly wonder what it would be like to believe that. Race- also fell flat. His 5 minutes of awe as he met protestors and visited historically sensitive sites in Alabama didn’t translate well when 10 minutes later on the highway he was belting out a “soul” song, knowing it could offend the people around him if they heard…. Wait, my personal favorite is when he said men don’t cry.
Overall, it gave me perspective (even if it went over his head) and it was nice to be apart of a journey across America since I could never do it myself.
This book has taken me two tries to get through and I almost gave up. I’m glad I stuck with it, even if the ending was a little underwhelming. As another reviewer wrote, it feels weird to rate someone’s experience, but I’ll give the story my feedback. Andrew’s journey guided me through many different parts of the U.S. that I will never see. It was beautiful to hear his interactions and the moments where he dropped his judgements and stumbled into a friendship. There were people I wanted to meet and cultures I would have loved to sit with. But….
he seemed to contradict himself and not actually truly listen and absorb what was being told to him. Briefly at the beginning he acknowledged his walk would look different as a woman or minority, but that was all that was said. It was impossible to see myself on this walk (as a woman) and many moments I cringed at his lack of wisdom in situations. People on the road were right- if I was his mother I would be losing my mind.
The last thing that kind of bugged me is that this book is praised for his deciphering religion, race, and family but his analysis fell flat in all these areas. Any religious (mainly Christian) person, he would just suffer through the conversation and briefly wonder what it would be like to believe that. Race- also fell flat. His 5 minutes of awe as he met protestors and visited historically sensitive sites in Alabama didn’t translate well when 10 minutes later on the highway he was belting out a “soul” song, knowing it could offend the people around him if they heard…. Wait, my personal favorite is when he said men don’t cry.
Overall, it gave me perspective (even if it went over his head) and it was nice to be apart of a journey across America since I could never do it myself.
May 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Forsthoefel, a recent college graduate without resources to complete a post-college move to Africa decided instead to walk across America from Philly suburbs to California via the Deep South. With a sign on his backpack that said, "Walking to Listen", Forsthoefel met everyone from rural families in the Appalachian mountains where google ran amok to a Navajo father and son and everything in between. Crucially, he traveled mostly without a smartphone or headphones so he was forced to interact with the world and people around him. He planned to travel until his budget was exhausted and reevaluated the trip in New Orleans, but stayed the course. I especially loved his time in Selma over MLK Day and the trails of the Navajo Long Walk. A solid read, although like other reviewers I was surprised he left out Manzanar, although Death Valley did a number on him and he might not have realized it.
September 25, 2019
Someone close to me bought me this book as a surprise.
She began by telling me about a guy who walked across the United States and wrote a book about it and I thought: "Damn, that was my idea! He beat me to it!" Well, he did beat me to it, but rather than be upset about it, I was super excited to read the book when she finally pulled it out and surprised me.
I thought the book was excellent, and well-written. The story is fascinating and the conversations the author had with people along the way are interesting, enlightening, sometimes exciting, sometimes even disturbing-they're all very real.
My copy of the book is signed by the author!
I may still make the walk and write the book one day. My walk will be different, my experiences will be different, and so will my book.
Great book! Give it a read!
She began by telling me about a guy who walked across the United States and wrote a book about it and I thought: "Damn, that was my idea! He beat me to it!" Well, he did beat me to it, but rather than be upset about it, I was super excited to read the book when she finally pulled it out and surprised me.
I thought the book was excellent, and well-written. The story is fascinating and the conversations the author had with people along the way are interesting, enlightening, sometimes exciting, sometimes even disturbing-they're all very real.
My copy of the book is signed by the author!
I may still make the walk and write the book one day. My walk will be different, my experiences will be different, and so will my book.
Great book! Give it a read!
January 11, 2019
This book is by far the best book I’ve ever read. Andrew Forsthoeffel thinks in a way I’m sure most people do, but are too embarrassed to admit. He talks about his hopes, dreams, and lack thereof. His epic search for the answers is a true journey of self discovery and acceptance. As a 24 year old I felt like the book personally spoke to many of the same fears I’m having in my own life and helped me to accept them just a little more. Andrew is genuine and funny in his writing. I found myself crying and laughing most chapters. This book is about life and so beautifully paints it, more than any writing I’ve ever seen. Don’t pass this book by! It’s a great read you won’t regret.
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