Ben Montgomery's Biography of Grandma Gatewood and Her Epic Hike of the Appalachian Trail

Margaret Robertson: Very interesting since my nephew walked the A T a few years ago. It took him 9 months.

United States on Oct 10, 2023

Jasmine: This book was so very good and so inspiring. I found that once I picked it up I had a very hard time putting it down.
Grandma Gatewood was such an inspiration to everyone she came in contact with and she was an extremely strong and incredibly insightful person. This book will stay with the reader for a long time!

United States on Sep 28, 2023

Maid Marian: If you enjoyed "Peace Pilgrim" and "The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America" then "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" will totally blow your (hiking) socks off! You will not be able to put this book down. "In 1955, Emma 'Grandma' Gatewood told her children that she was “going for a hike in the woods” – little did they know that this hike would be the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest hiking-only footpath in the world. Though hiking the entire A.T. is already an impressive feat, Gatewood’s trip was even more remarkable for a number of reasons; she was 67 years old at the time, a mother of 11, a grandmother of 23, and a survivor of more than 30 years of domestic abuse. When she summited Katahdin on September 25, 1955, she became the first woman ever to complete the entire A.T. alone in one season. A pioneer in long-distance hiking and a portrait of resilience, Gatewood broke barriers in the outdoors, sending the message that 'if those men can do it, I can do it.'”

United States on Aug 23, 2023

Kathy Walker: Meeting Grandma Garwood was fascinating. She hiked the entire Appellation trail, over 2000miles, after reading about it in National Geographic Magazine. She planed ahead, prepared what she thought she would need, and set out with determination to complete the trek.
The author referred to her written notes from her diary, kept on the hike. Some of her back story was also include . S he was active in hiking groups and participated in design and work on a trail in Ohio.
Her determination, problem solving, and friendliness makes her an fearing character. She was followed by newspaper reporters and photographers so her story held national interest.
A wonderful read!

United States on Aug 17, 2023

Amazon Customer: This book is just brilliant! So well written - Grandma Gatewood was brought to life in these pages. She's one of the most inspirational characters I've ever come across. I've always been a walker myself, preferably in wooded paths. I find myself understanding her motivations and wanting to be more like her.

Canada on Apr 18, 2023

Ann Thomson: This is the story of a truly amazing woman - the story is well told, and kept my interest.

United Kingdom on May 02, 2022

Margaret McCrank: Grandma Gatewood, aged 67, mother of 11 children, married to an abusive husband, decides to take a walk - and chooses the Appalachian Trail, a 1500 mile trek, a
trail in need of repair and updating. And she does it- the entire trail! And this is way back in the 50s. I loved her story.

Canada on Feb 21, 2022

Juzu: Inspiring grandma....a courageous trailblazer.....am in awe of her achievements....she had such fortitude and grit....am grateful to have read this bio of a truly awesome woman what a character she was....her family must be so proud of her...

United Kingdom on Aug 29, 2021

catlaydee: I bought this as a gift for my mother, who is a voracious reader and in her day was an active outdoorswoman. She loved this book. She was impressed by Grandma Gatewood's spirit and joie de vivre despite many challenges. Mum said the book was uplifting, and very well written. An engaging true story. She has recommended it to several friends.

Canada on Apr 12, 2021

Mountain BuddhaMountain Buddha: In Ben Montgomery’s eye-opening profile, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, readers encounter the real life folk heroin Emma Gatewood.  On the trail, her story is legend; and it takes on such proportions for a plethora of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with hiking.  She gave birth to eleven children and somehow managed to find the time and energy to help her husband run a farm—several, in fact.  She found time to read the classics.  She wrote poetry and kept a detailed journal.  She hiked.  She spent lots of time in the woods.  She knew all the local flora and fauna, what was edible, what was medicine, and what to avoid.  She endured the tragedy of a violently abusive marriage to one P.C. Gatewood, a “relationship” in which he consistently physically assaulted and raped her; on at least one occasion he broke one of her ribs.  She was a fighter, a survivor, and a trailblazer in every sense of those words.  And yes, she was the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail: not once, not twice, but three times—also a first.  Emma Gatewood, perhaps...

United States on Sep 01, 2018