joseph roda

Soren West’s journey was heroic, and his book does justice to it. Soren is an excellent writer, and his account grips the reader from the onset, with its constant image of seventy-five year old man and his beloved dog tackling this arduous trail, one step, one day, one week and month at a time. You feel like YOU are carrying the backpack, watching Theo and lifting him in places where he needed help, or huddling in the tent in the rain, at night, or coming upon the all too infrequent stops where a shower and camaraderie were available and so appreciated. Above all, you constantly wonder HOW did they managed this, HOW they overcame the daunting distance ahead of them when they started, HOW they overcame what had to be the constant second guesses in the face of the all too frequent harsh conditions, and HOW did they overcome what had to be the physical cries from their bodies day after lonely day. Settle in with this account for the long run once you start, and reserve space for two new entries in your list of those whom you admire most. Joseph Roda, Lancaster, PA