Bookish Thursday - Force of Nature by Joan M. Griffin

Yes, it's time for another book review!

This read had some special meaning to me, but first the business out of the way!

I am reviewing this book for WOW-Women on Writing. Check out their review of the book. 

More about the book and the author...

Book Summary

Three friends, women in their fifties, set out to hike “the most beautiful long-distance trail in the world,” the John Muir Trail. From the outset, their adventure is complicated by self-inflicted accidents and ferocious weather, then enriched when they “adopt” a young hiker abandoned by her partner along the trail.

The women experience the terror of lightning at eleven-thousand feet, the thrill of walking through a towering waterfall, and the joy of dancing among midnight moonshadows. For a month, they live immersed in vast natural beauty, tackle the trail’s physical demands, and find camaraderie among an ensemble cast of eccentric trail characters. Together, they are pulled forward toward the trail’s end atop the highest peak in the High Sierra, Mt. Whitney, and the culmination of their transformative journey.

Publisher: Black Rose Writing (September 2023)

ISBN-10: 1685132812

ISBN-13: 9781685132811

ASIN: B0CGRP2V35

Print length: 396 pages

Purchase a copy of Force of Nature on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author

Joan lives under the spell of wanderlust. She takes wing, whenever possible, for actual destinations near and far and for literary locales in the pages of books. A native Californian, Joan lives in the Northern California foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada, a world she loves exploring. Joan navigated her way through two careers—marketing computers, then sailboats—before applying her love of storytelling to her dual passions for teaching and writing.

In addition to working on her next book, Joan teaches women's history and literature for the OLLI

programs at Sierra College and UC Davis Extension.

You can find her online at:

Website – https://www.joangriffin.us/

Substack/Blog – https://joangriffin.substack.com/

Facebook Author – www.facebook.com/joangriffinauthor

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/griffin.joan/

Now for my opinion!

Why was this book 'special' to me?

I am 66 now. However, when I was approaching my 50's and hopefully retiring at 55, the idea of hiking the Appalachian Trail was a thing in my mind. After all, I lived in North Carolina and part of the trail goes through the western edge of the state. I was walking. Not really hiking or doing long walks, but I was walking about 5 miles a day. 

Then life happened. I did retire at 55, but I moved to Montana. Helena, Montana makes Raleigh, North Carolina look like it is built on a pancake. My joke with hiking buddies while in Montana was everything was uphill. You could go uphill and turn around to go back and it was still uphill!

So I am basically an armchair hiker now. I realize with all my other 'interests' the training and dedication necessary to make this sort of hike is beyond me at this point in time. Slider and I will save our 'hiking' to a few hours at a time and on more level surfaces.

In reading the day by day trek on the John Muir Trail of Joan, Cappy and Zoe was a delight. I knew a bit about the pain and difficulties they were going through. Being caught out in rain, trails so steep you swear you are climbing a ladder, and food. Yep, the food. Sorry, but the freeze-dried, dehydrated hiking food just doesn't but it for me for one day, much less weeks. 

I felt for Cappy on the last day when her feet were hurting her, walking was a chore. I've carried a toddler on a day hike for about 5 miles, so I know the weight of a heavy pack. But I wasn't carrying one for days on end, knowing it was the key to my survival. 

Written in 'chapter of the day' manner, this is an easy pick-up and put-down read. Plus it has increased my resolve to visit Yosemite National Park. However, my visit will be limited to a few miles of hiking, not almost 200!

But don't take my word for it. Check out other opinions of Force of Nature.

(Note: It is available for free on Kindle Unlimited at the present time.)