Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail Review "A quiet delight of a book." --"Kirkus Reviews"""Grandma Gatewood's Walk" is sure to fuel not only the dreams of would-be hikers, but debates on the limits of endurance, the power of determination, and the nature of myth." --Earl Swift, author of "The Big Roads""Inspiring story." --"Booklist""Montgomery's compelling tale secures Grandma Gatewood's place in the American pantheon as a cousin of John Henry and Johnny Appleseed." --Andrea Pitzer, author of "The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov""Before Cheryl Strayed, there was Grandma Gatewood. Ben Montgomery lets us walk with her--tattered sneakers, swollen ankles, and not an ounce of self-pity--and with each step experience our conflicted relationship with nature, the meanness and generosity of humanity, and the imperative to keep moving. This book makes me long for my backpacking days, and grateful for writers who keep history and spirit alive." --Jacqui Banaszynski, Knight Chair in Editing, Missouri School of Journalism"Just as Emma Gatewood helped save the Appalachian Trail from years of neglect and preserve it for generations of hikers, Ben Montgomery has kept her unbelievable story alive for anyone who loves the outdoors, underdogs, heroic women, and amazing tales. I wish I'd read it while standing on top of a mountain, but I almost felt as if I was." --Thomas Mullen, author of "The Last Town on Earth""""In a perfect world, "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" will hit the shelves with high praise and great acclaim. Readers deserve to have gems like this presented with fanfare." --"Paste "Magazine"In "Grandma Gatewood's Walk," a storyteller's storyteller digs deep into the long-forgotten tale of an inspiring journey, bringing forth a transcendent story of dignity, independence, and the dynamic human spirit." --Michael Brick, author of "Saving the School""With rich reporting and often poetic prose, Ben Montgomery takes readers on an intimate, backwoods adventure with a resolute old lady. Along the way, he explores the history of hikers and highways, the solace of nature and solitude--and the urge to escape." --Lane DeGregory, journalist, winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Feature WritingIn a perfect world, "Grandma Gatewood s Walk"will hit the shelves with high praise and great acclaim. Readers deserve to have gems like this presented with fanfare. "Paste "Magazine" 				    	 					 About the Author Ben Montgomery is a staff writer at the Tampa Bay Times and cofounder of the Auburn Chautauqua, a Southern writers’ collective. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 and has won many other national writing awards.