After graduating from college, Jennifer isn't sure what she wants to do with her life. She is drawn to the Appalachian Trail, a 2175-mile footpa... read full description
reviews
Dec 09, 2011
Robyn
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I just started this book and was in tears in 5 minutes. Mostly because the topic is so close to my heart - a woman's journey on the Appalachian Trail. I just finished my 2nd hike on the AT in early September and already feel the pull to return. I love the way Jen describes her initial excitement and fears. She's clear about her mistakes and learning curves. So far, her descriptions are spot on. It's a difficult read for me because I miss the trail so much; it is such a part of my being and histo
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Sep 02, 2011
Christie
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When I was a kid, Jen and I would roam around her neighborhood, playing tennis, basketball, ping pong, swimming in the pool and in general just adventuring in the great outdoors. We would go to her brothers' high school and race around the track and explore the school grounds. In fact, I have very few memories with Jen (besides sitting in the classroom) where we weren't outdoors or doing something active.
I always looked up to Jen, we were the same age but she always seemed so confi More...
I always looked up to Jen, we were the same age but she always seemed so confi More...
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Dec 04, 2010
C
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Jennifer Pharr Davis is like a superhero but better. We are alike in some ways. We are only a year apart in age. We both spent part of 2005 in different areas of Maine. But Jennifer is the superhero. I couldn't imagine walking alone on the Appalachian Trail as a young female. I once tried to walk a couple miles around a lake after having eaten only a couple donuts the entire day and didn't get very far. As if I didn't think that was pathetic enough, imagine my shame when Jennifer hikes over
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Nov 20, 2010
Jim
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Typically, a human being spends the first 18 or 20 years of their life under the direct supervision of parents, teachers, guardians, etc. For a certain percentage of us, the transition into adulthood is celebrated by our first unsupervised journey. For one young woman, Jennifer Pharr Davis, that journey was a "thru-hike" along the entire 2175 mile Appalachian Trail.
Not only had she never camped outside alone, Jennifer had never even spent a night alone in her own home, had More...
Not only had she never camped outside alone, Jennifer had never even spent a night alone in her own home, had More...
Feb 12, 2012
Corinne
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While I didn't like everything about this book, it captured me. I was reading it every chance I could get and forfeiting sleep to get a bit further. It follows Jenn Pharr Davis' (AT speed record holder) first trek on the Appalachian Trail when she was 21.
As she writes the book it becomes more reflective and deep, which I like. This is probably a product of it being her first book. I overall was curious about her trip, and the things I didn't like are more of her personal choices on More...
As she writes the book it becomes more reflective and deep, which I like. This is probably a product of it being her first book. I overall was curious about her trip, and the things I didn't like are more of her personal choices on More...
Nov 29, 2010
Ellen
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Becoming Odyssa is the inspiring story of a solo female thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail. It would be unfair to compare this book to the only other book I've read about the Trail (Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods") because it is not necessarily a story of the trail itself but of the woman who hikes it. That said, Pharr Davis comes into her own as a writer as Odyssa (her trail name) comes into her own as a hiker. After a slow start of "I woke up early and hiked all day" t
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Nov 21, 2010
Barb
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Thank you Goodreads for your monthly contests, and for this book. I was interested "Becoming Odyssa" because my husband and I have hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail, most often in Tennessee. It was fun to have firsthand knowledge of some of the areas the author hiked, most notably Unicoi Gap and Clingman's Dome. I enjoyed the second half of the book more than the first half. I felt like the author became more real, or more vulnerable in her writing as the book progressed.
I More...
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Jan 16, 2012
David
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I found this book incredibly dull for the most part, and only managed to finish I out of shear stubbornness. The trouble wasn't so much the book itself, rather with how it sets the expectations so far off from what it actually ends up being.
For example, neither the description or first chapter Kindle sample gave me any hint at how much of the book would be focused on religion rather than the actual Appalachian Trail. In some places religion and spirituality were extremely relevant, More...
For example, neither the description or first chapter Kindle sample gave me any hint at how much of the book would be focused on religion rather than the actual Appalachian Trail. In some places religion and spirituality were extremely relevant, More...
Jan 18, 2012
Amanda
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Becoming Odyssa is another great trail memoir that inspires me to get out and hike! Jennifer Pharr Davis does a good job of balancing the details of her daily life on the trail with the personal growth she experiences while hiking. Compared to the Barefoot Sisters books (which I also recommend), Becoming Odyssa feels grittier - it stays closer to the trail with less of a filter.
I'd suggest skipping the preface and forward until after reading the book so they can be enjoyed in better c More...
I'd suggest skipping the preface and forward until after reading the book so they can be enjoyed in better c More...
Dec 06, 2010
Aaminah
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This was a "first read" opportunity and i admit i signed up to get it thinking of a friend whose dream is to walk the Appalachian Trail. i told her i would read it first to do a review for GoodReads (in thanks to the publisher for sending it to me free) and then send it on to her. i wasn't really looking forward to this book, thinking it would be dull and uninteresting to me, but i was wrong.
This book tells the true story of a just-graduated college student with no idea what More...
This book tells the true story of a just-graduated college student with no idea what More...
Jan 20, 2012
Rachael
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I honestly really liked this book despite the things that were obviously wrong with it, aka Jennifer Davis is not a professional writer and she is not a good writer. That being said, the book stands out for its honest account of the difficulties of thru-hiking. I found it a helpful primer for the language of the trail and her experience hiking was really informative regarding things that work and things that didn't. I found it very interesting she didnt carry a stove to cut down on weight.
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Sep 21, 2011
P.J.
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This book transcends just hiking on the Appalachian Trail.
It takes you through a journey of a young woman growing over her time on the trail. It shows different sides of her. Style. Belief. Growth. Fears. Hopes. The whole nine yards.
This isn't a normal play-by-play book about the Appalachian Trail.
The true different side to this is that this book is written by a woman who was hiking the trail alone. All of the other books I've read about the Appalachian Trail More...
It takes you through a journey of a young woman growing over her time on the trail. It shows different sides of her. Style. Belief. Growth. Fears. Hopes. The whole nine yards.
This isn't a normal play-by-play book about the Appalachian Trail.
The true different side to this is that this book is written by a woman who was hiking the trail alone. All of the other books I've read about the Appalachian Trail More...
Feb 04, 2012
Shelly♥
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This is the story of Jennifer Pharr (trail name: Odyssa) who at 21, decided to hike the Appalachian Trail alone. And it the hike from Georgia to Maine, she transforms her life, faces her fears, and embraces her inner Odyssa.
Another great AT memoir. I loved it. The part that I find most fascinating is that the author has since set the speed record for hiking the trail. Not the women's speed record, the speed record. The adventure of her first hike is a coming of age journey, but al More...
Another great AT memoir. I loved it. The part that I find most fascinating is that the author has since set the speed record for hiking the trail. Not the women's speed record, the speed record. The adventure of her first hike is a coming of age journey, but al More...
Jan 12, 2012
Jenny
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Wavering between a three and four star review of this one. I did really like the book, as a memoir of travel on the Appalachian Trail. The author made the trail sound like an amazing adventure--even with the hardship she faced, she made me want to go out and explore the trail and learn more about distance hiking culture. In reading more about her online, it's cool to see what an accomplished thru-hiker she's become. I just didn't expect so much religion to come into the story. Would recommend, w
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Dec 23, 2011
Amanda Lueck
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I have been meaning to read this FOREVER, no less because I know the author (she married a friend from grad school). She's impressive in real life, but reading this memoir made me respect her even more. I thoroughly enjoyed her journey on the trail, transforming from normal girl into epic record-breaker, discovering self-reliance, companionship, solitude, and meaning along the way. Her story telling is easy and comfortable, her experiences everything from harrowing to laugh-out-loud funny, and t
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Jan 12, 2012
Barbara
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This was a fabulous read. This is the true story of a 21 yr old recent college graduate who decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. She started in GA at Spring Mt. and finished at Mount Katahdin in Maine traveling approximately 2175 miles. She did this in 4 months. This book follows her on the trail and records her triumphs, trials and mishaps, the people she met and how this hike changed her life. Reading this book can be on the one hand inspiring and on the other hand daunting. I know f
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Oct 18, 2011
Sara
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A few months ago I read Just Passin' Through by Winton Porter after reading an article about the book in a magazine. It is about a man who packed up his family and moved to North Georgia to run a store along the Appalachian Trail. Before reading the book, the only thing I really knew about the trail was that the pastor at my church had a goal to hike the whole thing and every few months he would leave to hike for a few days. I really didn't know how long it was or where it went. After readin
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Jul 16, 2011
Sarah Ryburn
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 27, 2011
Jenny
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My friend Courtney met Jennifer's father while on vacation and learned about this book, and she in turn told me about it, and I'm so glad she did! What a great story about her first thru-hike on the AT. Her determination and maturity at an age when I know many, including myself, were worried about so many other trivial things in life is astounding. I truly believe and understand how she felt drawn to the AT and how she just *knew* it was what she was supposed to do, I have felt that way about ma
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Feb 01, 2011
lynn
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I enjoyed this tale of a ppost-college thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. It was different from many others I have read as it was not a delineation of each day but a description of her journey. Through what she experiences hiking the trail as a solo hiker, Jennifer evolves to the person she is today, full of faith, a lover of the outdoors, an avid long distance hiker and also a speed record holder for women on the trail. Quite enjoyable.
Feb 10, 2012
Hayley
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I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure what made me read it as it's not at all the type of book I usually read, but I am glad I did.
I found myself relating to the author throughout the book --not so much the hiking part, but the way she handled the situations she encountered and the way she related to the people she met along the trail. I found myself smiling & laughing along with her & cheering her on. This book was definitely an enjoyable read.
I found myself relating to the author throughout the book --not so much the hiking part, but the way she handled the situations she encountered and the way she related to the people she met along the trail. I found myself smiling & laughing along with her & cheering her on. This book was definitely an enjoyable read.
Jan 07, 2012
Shannon
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There is a lot to like about this book and I can relate to Jen/odyssa's experience in many ways. I can even shift my perspective to see how she sees something differently than I would. While this book isn't one that will leave you spellbound, it is a nice read for the dreary days of winter so you can live vicariously through her journey on the AT.
Feb 07, 2012
Kim
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After thoughts of Jennifer helped me get through MMTR 50+ miler I figured I had to read her book! Really enjoyed following her first through-hike of the AT, couldn't put it down. Not sure if my excitability was enhanced because I knew her or not but it still is a worthwhile read for all of the outdoorsy folks!
Apr 03, 2011
Julie
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Love it! I rarely read non-fiction and even though I've lived in the shadow of the AT my entire life, I never had any emotions about it. This book was written so well and the experiences shared were very interesting. She was able to make me feel like I was a part of her journey, both physical and spiritual.
Jan 12, 2012
Angela
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So far it's a smooth, easy read that draws you in.
I like seeing how she interacts with the various people she meets along the way, and what ensues. Her continual attack on each mile so she may reach her goal, only being pushed forward by pure willpower (and maybe the occasional desire to avoid another hiker) is, to me, awe-inspiring.
This chick kicks ass!
I like seeing how she interacts with the various people she meets along the way, and what ensues. Her continual attack on each mile so she may reach her goal, only being pushed forward by pure willpower (and maybe the occasional desire to avoid another hiker) is, to me, awe-inspiring.
This chick kicks ass!
Oct 31, 2011
Sharon
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Iam beginning to think I like true stories best of all. In Jen Pharr's trek from the beginning of the appalachian trail to the end in Maine,she gave the reader an inside look to the trail she traversed. She met other people doing the same thing,these persons always had a nick name to be annonyamous. The distances of the hike were intersperced with magic moments. These moments where strangers providing food and shelter along the whole trail. She was hiking to find her real self and how she woul
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Jan 21, 2012
Allie
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Engaging read on a young woman's journey along the AT. I liked Davis' voice, and her upfront recounting of the joys and difficulties of trail life. Not on the same level as Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, but it's still a good story.
Sep 19, 2011
Trisha
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This was a fast read and an incredible story. I have never even thought about doing a major hike and she somehow had me wanting to trek through the woods to experience a small bit of what she went through (although nothing near 2,000+ miles). Very enjoyable story.
Aug 06, 2011
Nicki
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As someone who has always dreamed of thru hiking the AT and who day hikes it frequently, I loved this book and the story of a lone woman hiking it after college. Even though I am an atheist, the Christian references weren't too overwhelming, though I do think a less PG trail blog is a lot more fun!
Jan 15, 2012
Jennifer
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Although at times I was distracted by the writing, overall I was fascinated by her account of her journey. I am completely in awe of what she (and anyone else who thru-hikes the AT) accomplished.
