From the author of the bestseller Eat and Run, a thrilling memoir about his grueling, exhilarating, and immensely inspiring 46-day run to break the speed record for the Appalachian Trail.
Pros
- It's interesting to peer into Jurek's thought process for running the Appalachian Trail (AT), from planning to what the day-to-day looked and felt like
- I appreciate that Jurek's wife, Jenny (an accomplished runner in her own right), is given time to share her thoughts and memories from the experience. She provides about 1/3 of the book / narration.
- The story includes a veritable who's-who of the ultra-running community.
- I was excited to see how the story would end (e.g. would Jurek capture the record?). I found it easy to feel "pumped up," by the last few chapters of the book.
Cons
- The writing can be a bit repetitive at times (i.e. talking about pain, the mental game of completing the race). This borders on a nit-pick, though, because I'm guessing that's what the author was actually experiencing.
- I wouldn't have minded if the author leaned into the Travel Log aspect of the story, given that he was running through so many states. Again, I can't really fault the author, though, because that's not what the book claims to be.
- It's a shame Jenny isn't highlighted on hardcover version of the work, given that she contributes about 1/3 of "North." She does appear on the Audible cover, however.
Conclusion
I think Jurek's tribe (i.e. runners, hikers, etc), will appreciate this work. Fans of sports-focused non-fiction will also likely enjoy this work. It may not change your life, but it may just serve as inspiration for your next project, outing, or goal.
Final Score
8/10
