Book Description – Aren’t You Afraid?

This should come out on Amazon tomorrow after noon, Friday, September 11

79-Year-Old Mary, Triple Crown Long-Distance Hiker, Hikes Again.

Travel with Mary on this heart-warming trek across the United States. You’ll camp in the shadow of a pregnant camel, chat with several Old Boys’ Coffee Clubs, meet a man the hard way (when he knocks down her tent in the middle of the night), slog through trails of overgrown brambles, and experience the deep and lasting joy of making new friends and meeting old fans. (At one point, even the cops show up.)

On this journey, God laughs at Mary, and she laughs back. Maybe you’ll laugh, too.

Routinely, Mary takes two long hikes of 300-500 miles-a-year. She started the American Discovery Trail (ADT) in the middle, decided she liked it, and added more. These hikes were only half her yearly long-distance hikes,  but they make a worthwhile story of the first half of America, the people she discovered, and how she grappled with fear and unfear—her fear and the fears other people felt for her—as she hiked alone from 2015 through 2019.

As Mary hikes, she addresses tough issues: fear of other people, fear of strangers, fear of asking for what she needs, fear of anyone different, and fear of the unknown.  

This book is for day hikers and backpackers anywhere along the middle of America and for anyone who’d like to walk there. It’s also for hikers looking for a challenge after the National Scenic Trails or for anyone who wants a different kind of trail.  In addition to hikers, this book will delight everyone who wants to leave their fears behind, everyone who likes to armchair-hike.

Come along with Mary for a walk half-way across America, as she overcomes her fears,

and you might see ways to overcome yours.