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Altitude Adjustment: A Quest for Love, Home, and Meaning in the Tetons
Aware that her youth is slipping by, Mary Beth Baptiste decides to escape her lackluster, suburban life in coastal Massachusetts to pursue her lifelong dream of being a Rocky Mountain woodswoman. To the horror of her traditional, ethnic family, she divorces her husband of fifteen years, dusts off her wildlife biology degree, and flees to Moose, Wyoming for a job at Grand Teton National Park. In these rugged mountains, unexpected lessons from nature and wildlife guide her journey as she creates a new life for herself. Set against the dramatic backdrop and quirky culture of Jackson Hole, this beautifully written memoir is a thoughtful, often humorous account of a woman’s bumbling quest for purpose, redemption, and love through wilderness adventure, solitude, and offbeat human connections.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 29, 2017
I’m always reading about private lives. Since I conduct writing retreats, much of what I read when working with prospective writers is about their struggles to live satisfyingly and with meaning. I’ve never become cynical about these writings because every one of us is doing the same thing: trying to figure out how to get the most from our time on earth. We can learn from one another.
Mary Beth Baptiste’s Altitude Adjustment has joined my shelf of books I will recommend to writers who are trying to figure out just how to write about that divorce, that disastrous love affair, or that terrible loss. With courage, and a discerning eye, she has looked at her own past, at the way she left a bad marriage in suburban Massachusetts to become a woodswoman in the Rocky Mountains.
Have you got a difficult story to tell? Read this book for clues on how to do it.
How do you handle the reactions of relatives to your decisions? Mary Beth’s parents weren’t happy about her divorce or her plan to move west. Sounding a lot like my mother, hers said, “No man would ever want you again.”
How do you handle swatches of your life that you don’t want to write about, because they were unsatisfactory or boring or nobody’s business? She tells us enough about the marriage she left to be convincing, but doesn’t hammer at the subject, understanding readers don’t need every detail in order for us to understand. In a sentence or paragraph, she summarizes several events that aren’t part of the quest of the subtitle.
What about love and sex? Mary Beth handles scenes of intimacy with relish but with restraint; your mother won’t be embarrassed to be caught reading this book.
Readers always ask writers of nonfiction, “Is this true? Did this really happen?” We’ve all become a little cynical after learning that writers we trusted made the whole thing up. Mary Beth has written an author’s note that clarifies the way she has handled the truth so well that I must quote the whole thing:
Besides all this, she writes with skill about her new home and the people in it; her prose is lyrical and strong. “Snow sheets over the ground and feathers up the mountainsides, lending a paradoxical softness to the landscape.”
Writing about your life? Mary Beth shows how to do it honestly and with grace. Mary Beth writes, ”The mountains called, and I came. I found my way home. . . . I finally feel the power of my life, and it matters. . . . I don’t pretend to understand it all, but this I know: Dreams won’t die, no matter how hard we try to slay them.”
She’s not only provided a lesson in writing about your life, but the book will give you goose bumps too.
# # #
Mary Beth Baptiste’s Altitude Adjustment has joined my shelf of books I will recommend to writers who are trying to figure out just how to write about that divorce, that disastrous love affair, or that terrible loss. With courage, and a discerning eye, she has looked at her own past, at the way she left a bad marriage in suburban Massachusetts to become a woodswoman in the Rocky Mountains.
Have you got a difficult story to tell? Read this book for clues on how to do it.
How do you handle the reactions of relatives to your decisions? Mary Beth’s parents weren’t happy about her divorce or her plan to move west. Sounding a lot like my mother, hers said, “No man would ever want you again.”
How do you handle swatches of your life that you don’t want to write about, because they were unsatisfactory or boring or nobody’s business? She tells us enough about the marriage she left to be convincing, but doesn’t hammer at the subject, understanding readers don’t need every detail in order for us to understand. In a sentence or paragraph, she summarizes several events that aren’t part of the quest of the subtitle.
What about love and sex? Mary Beth handles scenes of intimacy with relish but with restraint; your mother won’t be embarrassed to be caught reading this book.
Readers always ask writers of nonfiction, “Is this true? Did this really happen?” We’ve all become a little cynical after learning that writers we trusted made the whole thing up. Mary Beth has written an author’s note that clarifies the way she has handled the truth so well that I must quote the whole thing:
“I sincerely hope that those who recognize themselves in these pages will understand that I wrote this story from a place of love and gratitude for all of you who crossed paths with me during this magical time of my life. The events in the narrative did occur. Whether others will recall them as I have is debatable. To protect privacy, I changed some names, genders, physical identifiers, draft numbers and birthdates, radio call numbers, and other finger-pointing characteristics, and I created a character to take the heat. Some local place names have been changed.
A chronology of events does not a memoir make. To create narrative flow, I reconstructed dialogue, scrambled chronology, and compressed time. To keep the book to a manageable length, some people and events had to be left out.”
Besides all this, she writes with skill about her new home and the people in it; her prose is lyrical and strong. “Snow sheets over the ground and feathers up the mountainsides, lending a paradoxical softness to the landscape.”
Writing about your life? Mary Beth shows how to do it honestly and with grace. Mary Beth writes, ”The mountains called, and I came. I found my way home. . . . I finally feel the power of my life, and it matters. . . . I don’t pretend to understand it all, but this I know: Dreams won’t die, no matter how hard we try to slay them.”
She’s not only provided a lesson in writing about your life, but the book will give you goose bumps too.
# # #
December 29, 2013
As an advance reader of this book, I am privileged to be the first to review it here. I was asked to read it for the purpose of supplying a jacket endorsement. While that task can sometimes be a chore, in this case it proved to be an honor and a joy. Here is my "blurb":
"Altitude Adjustment gives honest, inspiring testimony to the inexorable power of the human will when seized by a grand dream. We cannot help but root for Mary Beth Baptiste as she risks all to live more freely and meaningfully. With her combined skills as both poet and naturalist, she brings every character she encounters on her journey-whether surly moose cow, grizzly bear, or surly, grizzled ranger-to exuberant life."
To "risk all" in this case meant leaving a comfortable if boring marriage and life among extended family in Massachusetts,a life everyone else around her accepted without question, to pursue her dream of becoming a wildlife biologist at Grand Teton National Park.
I was impressed by Baptiste's considerable descriptive powers. Take, for instance, this description of New Year's eve among her Teton Park friends:
"We're one ragtag group, standing in our skis by the Chapel of the Transfiguration, taking turns pulling on the bell rope. As we count to ninety-five, cold-metal clangs jar the snow-muffled night. All that's visible lies in the thin columns of light from our headlamps; they tangle through the darkness in complex webs, illuminating falling medallions of snow and shafts of body parts. There's a black ponytail polka-dotted with snowflakes, blue parka arms holding the rope, a glint off someone's glasses."
Read it for the writing or for the inspiration. Regardless of why you read it, you cannot read it without feeling the stirrings of your own dreams.
"Altitude Adjustment gives honest, inspiring testimony to the inexorable power of the human will when seized by a grand dream. We cannot help but root for Mary Beth Baptiste as she risks all to live more freely and meaningfully. With her combined skills as both poet and naturalist, she brings every character she encounters on her journey-whether surly moose cow, grizzly bear, or surly, grizzled ranger-to exuberant life."
To "risk all" in this case meant leaving a comfortable if boring marriage and life among extended family in Massachusetts,a life everyone else around her accepted without question, to pursue her dream of becoming a wildlife biologist at Grand Teton National Park.
I was impressed by Baptiste's considerable descriptive powers. Take, for instance, this description of New Year's eve among her Teton Park friends:
"We're one ragtag group, standing in our skis by the Chapel of the Transfiguration, taking turns pulling on the bell rope. As we count to ninety-five, cold-metal clangs jar the snow-muffled night. All that's visible lies in the thin columns of light from our headlamps; they tangle through the darkness in complex webs, illuminating falling medallions of snow and shafts of body parts. There's a black ponytail polka-dotted with snowflakes, blue parka arms holding the rope, a glint off someone's glasses."
Read it for the writing or for the inspiration. Regardless of why you read it, you cannot read it without feeling the stirrings of your own dreams.
Read
July 30, 2014I was impressed by the very personal story told here, and the lush descriptions of a spectacular setting. As someone who grew up in the mountains, I could only imagine what it would be like to move west as an adult and have it all be so new. Mary Beth does a fine job of showing the reader what that was like and how she adjusted, grew and found a new home and way of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
September 29, 2023
Beautifully written and vivid memoir. Made me nostalgic for Jackson and excited for my eventual move out there. I love the emphasis on finding yourself and following your passions.
April 9, 2014
“These dreams of yours are too far-fetched,” Mary Beth Baptiste’s mother told her. That pulled me right into ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: A Quest for Love, Home, and Meaning in the Tetons, and I gladly followed Mary Beth as she yanked herself out of her Portuguese family culture and an unhappy marriage in Massachusetts. Off she went to work for the Park Service, “feeling very single,” as she says. It was both a relief and a fear. Battling loneliness, she navigates the ups and downs of relationships with her eccentric male colleagues, earning their respect and cultivating friendships. As a seasonal employee at the Grand Teton’s Division of Science and Resource Management, she adapts to living in a decrepit trailer to work as a wildlife biologist. With considerable emotional insight and a sense of humor about herself and her situation, Baptiste passionately shares her love for the forested world of birds, plants, sheep, ducks, elk and bears. ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT is a treasure, imbued with Baptiste’s resilient courage to venture into the wilderness of both heart and landscape.
August 3, 2014
I was drawn by the cover of this book- a magnificent photo of the Tetons- which allowed me to brush off the silly title. Having just left my own mountain experience, and feeling drained emotionally for it, I was curious what Baptiste would say about her own. I found the present tense narrative annoying and much of the text was so groomed with hyperbolic metaphors that it seemed almost stiff. All of that withstanding, Baptiste delighted me with the detail of her work as a wildlife biologist and her need for the mountains spoke to my own heart. Her insight into the cultural differences she found there were so spot on that I felt like she was speaking directly to me, answering questions I had struggled with for years. This is an unapologetic book filled with courage, yet humble and insightful beyond my expectations. Yes, the mountains and the West do call some of us so intensely, that we cannot say no, even when relocation is against our better judgment. But follow out hearts, we must. Baptiste renews our resolve to do just that.
January 9, 2015
When 40-year-old Mary Beth leaves her husband of fifteen years to move to Grand Tetons National Park as a temporary summer employee, the sense of place is what draws her there. Mary Beth has a masters degree in wildlife biology and in therapeutic counseling.
This memoir has all the ingredients of a story with humor, angst, and science. Mary Beth finds that when October quickly comes, she is without a home and a job. She discovers that the National Park System is a "good old boys" club and that a woman, a feminist at that, has little chance of getting a full-time government job.
She loves her job: finding problem bears, keeping cygnets alive, counting elk tracks, taking censuses of raptors, elk, and swans, and enjoying the camaraderie with the seasonal help who are ten or twenty years younger than she.
As well as being an engaging memoir, one learns much about wildlife in the out-country of a national park and how a sense of place can change, reorder and confuse s woman's life while still strengthening her bond with the Grand Tetons.
This memoir has all the ingredients of a story with humor, angst, and science. Mary Beth finds that when October quickly comes, she is without a home and a job. She discovers that the National Park System is a "good old boys" club and that a woman, a feminist at that, has little chance of getting a full-time government job.
She loves her job: finding problem bears, keeping cygnets alive, counting elk tracks, taking censuses of raptors, elk, and swans, and enjoying the camaraderie with the seasonal help who are ten or twenty years younger than she.
As well as being an engaging memoir, one learns much about wildlife in the out-country of a national park and how a sense of place can change, reorder and confuse s woman's life while still strengthening her bond with the Grand Tetons.
December 15, 2014
WOW, all I can say after reading this book. This is now one of my all time favorite books. I confess, part of the reason I liked it so much was because I lived it--I was there. I was not a close friend of Mary Beth's, more an aquaintance, but I knew all the people, the places, the experiences she spoke of, and what an experience indeed, bizarre in some ways, to read a book that you literally lived in. But even more than the fact that I was there, she perfectly described SO many of the very same feelings and frustrations I experienced trying to do the same thing she was--live in a mountain place that pulls you to it so powerfully that you just cannot stay away, and the yearning to find someone to share it with, and to have meaningful employment with some semblance of security. She is an AMAZING writer and I am so proud to have known her during the time of her life she describes in the book. Thank you Mary Beth for writing this wonderful book, it was pure joy reading it.
August 5, 2014
Such a great adventure. Altitude Adjustment is now one of my favorite books. The author uses beautiful language to describe her physical and emotion journey out of the standard comfort zone and into the adventure few have the courage to take in their lives. This is a great read!
April 28, 2015
A well-considered memoir that talks about a time of pain yet redempetion as the author rediscovers herself and the comforts she is willing to forego for her own sanity and happiness. *Rounded up from 3.5 due to gaps in writing and abrupt ending.
December 2, 2025
Rounded up to 3.5/5
My husband and I spent two weeks exploring the Tetons in the fall of 2024. We drove our RV from Oregon through Idaho and Montana, stopping briefly in West Yellowstone before arriving in the Grand Teton National Park. We camped at Headwaters Campground and RV Park in Moran, Colter Bay RV Park, Signal Mountain Campground, Gros Ventre Campground, and Alpine Valley RV Resort. Always on the lookout for books by local authors, I found Mary Beth Baptiste's book somewhere along the way, drawn to the cover with the stunning image of the jagged mountain peaks and John Moulton's barn in the foreground.
I enjoyed reading about Mary Beth's responsibilities in her various roles as a seasonal employee at the Grand Teton’s Division of Science and Resource Management, as well as her descriptions of the locations that Rod and I visited during our trip. I could easily picture Jenny Lake and Moose Pond, which is where I saw my very first moose. Actually, three. Mama, papa, and baby!
I also recognized Lupine Meadows, which is where I wound up after taking a wrong turn on the trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Oops. Thankfully, there were no bears around, although maybe there were and my loud singing scared them away. Speaking of bears, Baptiste has more moxie than I do! Able to hike off-trail with a 40 pound backpack for three days, beat her male coworkers at target practice (for tranquilizing bears), staying calm (well mostly, other than the time she crawled up the back of a fellow ranger) during various encounters with a moose cow and a grizzly bear. Her responsibilities were varied and unpredictable. One day she may help with a breeding bird count or locate and count elk tracks. On another, she might help clear vegetation to reduce fire hazard. One day she may hike with coworkers to count bighorn sheep or help transport a great blue heron to the vet's.
A twist of the binoculars' focus wheel and I gasp: two toddler-sized black bear cubs, one brown and one black, twined together high up in a spruce tree fifty yards away. I scan the ground for the mother. In a nearby huckleberry patch, her cinnamon-colored rump bobs like a swatch of scruffy hide on a clothesline.
It unnerves me, this lack of boundaries. Every animal, scat, or track I find brings a new fear--a mother bear will charge, a moose will explode from the brush and trample, something out there will break through and annihilate me into dust. I long for an owl's head-turning ability so I can take it all in and see what's coming before it gets me.
I turn and dash on tiptoes down the trail, my imagination conjuring up a multitude of lurking predators.
This is how I remember those first years on my own in a strange place: thimblefuls of fake courage thrown at a conflagration of fear.
Halfway into the memoir, my attention began to wane. The author recounts her on-again off-again romantic relationship with a coworker that had me wanting to shake some sense into her. Mary Beth's desire for a love life after her divorce came across as immature, and some parts of the book are filled with teenage angst. The woman was in her early forties, not twenty-something! I grew anxious to finish the book and move on to something fresh, but the stories regarding the job rather than her personal life took hold once again. I was pulled back in and enjoyed the remainder of the book. So, a little uneven, but beautifully rendered, especially regarding the landscape.
Before us, smug with audacious power, the Teton range surges from the valley floor and the green-black forests, snagging cloud wisps as it rips through a meek cobalt sky.
Would I have appreciated Altitude Adjustment had I not visited the Grand Teton National Park? Probably not. And I doubt I'll read it a second time.
Recommend with reservations.
My husband and I spent two weeks exploring the Tetons in the fall of 2024. We drove our RV from Oregon through Idaho and Montana, stopping briefly in West Yellowstone before arriving in the Grand Teton National Park. We camped at Headwaters Campground and RV Park in Moran, Colter Bay RV Park, Signal Mountain Campground, Gros Ventre Campground, and Alpine Valley RV Resort. Always on the lookout for books by local authors, I found Mary Beth Baptiste's book somewhere along the way, drawn to the cover with the stunning image of the jagged mountain peaks and John Moulton's barn in the foreground.
I enjoyed reading about Mary Beth's responsibilities in her various roles as a seasonal employee at the Grand Teton’s Division of Science and Resource Management, as well as her descriptions of the locations that Rod and I visited during our trip. I could easily picture Jenny Lake and Moose Pond, which is where I saw my very first moose. Actually, three. Mama, papa, and baby!
I also recognized Lupine Meadows, which is where I wound up after taking a wrong turn on the trail to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point. Oops. Thankfully, there were no bears around, although maybe there were and my loud singing scared them away. Speaking of bears, Baptiste has more moxie than I do! Able to hike off-trail with a 40 pound backpack for three days, beat her male coworkers at target practice (for tranquilizing bears), staying calm (well mostly, other than the time she crawled up the back of a fellow ranger) during various encounters with a moose cow and a grizzly bear. Her responsibilities were varied and unpredictable. One day she may help with a breeding bird count or locate and count elk tracks. On another, she might help clear vegetation to reduce fire hazard. One day she may hike with coworkers to count bighorn sheep or help transport a great blue heron to the vet's.
A twist of the binoculars' focus wheel and I gasp: two toddler-sized black bear cubs, one brown and one black, twined together high up in a spruce tree fifty yards away. I scan the ground for the mother. In a nearby huckleberry patch, her cinnamon-colored rump bobs like a swatch of scruffy hide on a clothesline.
It unnerves me, this lack of boundaries. Every animal, scat, or track I find brings a new fear--a mother bear will charge, a moose will explode from the brush and trample, something out there will break through and annihilate me into dust. I long for an owl's head-turning ability so I can take it all in and see what's coming before it gets me.
I turn and dash on tiptoes down the trail, my imagination conjuring up a multitude of lurking predators.
This is how I remember those first years on my own in a strange place: thimblefuls of fake courage thrown at a conflagration of fear.
Halfway into the memoir, my attention began to wane. The author recounts her on-again off-again romantic relationship with a coworker that had me wanting to shake some sense into her. Mary Beth's desire for a love life after her divorce came across as immature, and some parts of the book are filled with teenage angst. The woman was in her early forties, not twenty-something! I grew anxious to finish the book and move on to something fresh, but the stories regarding the job rather than her personal life took hold once again. I was pulled back in and enjoyed the remainder of the book. So, a little uneven, but beautifully rendered, especially regarding the landscape.
Before us, smug with audacious power, the Teton range surges from the valley floor and the green-black forests, snagging cloud wisps as it rips through a meek cobalt sky.
Would I have appreciated Altitude Adjustment had I not visited the Grand Teton National Park? Probably not. And I doubt I'll read it a second time.
Recommend with reservations.
January 20, 2022
I was intrigued when a friend recommended this book and ordered it from the library. Like most people who've been to Jackson, Wy., I love the Tetons . I was thrilled to read about a 40 year old woman leaving her husband and a predictable, safe life behind for the unknown. I was surprised that emotionally she was similar to a college student with trysts, flirtations and almost silliness in reveling in nature with new found friends she felt was family.
The writing was a bit heavy handed with overstated analogies that made me smile, it felt like reading her personal journal. Considering she came from Massachusetts some of her language seemed tinged with quaint country expressions that were incongruous with her background.
However, she was very brave, well-intentioned and has a deep connection to the Tetons which I appreciate and she seems to be a peaceful person. The book ended with a very wise and articulate sentiment about following your dream. She writes: "In your own deep quiet, the only-left-with-you times, can you rest still in your cup of peace while emptiness laps at the rim? If your answer is yes, rejoice."
Very nice.
The writing was a bit heavy handed with overstated analogies that made me smile, it felt like reading her personal journal. Considering she came from Massachusetts some of her language seemed tinged with quaint country expressions that were incongruous with her background.
However, she was very brave, well-intentioned and has a deep connection to the Tetons which I appreciate and she seems to be a peaceful person. The book ended with a very wise and articulate sentiment about following your dream. She writes: "In your own deep quiet, the only-left-with-you times, can you rest still in your cup of peace while emptiness laps at the rim? If your answer is yes, rejoice."
Very nice.
October 12, 2025
I took this book on a trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, but did not actually read it until my return.
The story is of a 39 year old woman who had felt a calling to the mountains since her childhood, and finally, at the age of 39, (1981) divorces her husband, leaves her suburban life in Massachusetts, and goes west to pursue her dream. She ends up working a seasonal job at Grand Teton National Park. The story focuses on many topics -- starting over on her own, being single again, the variety of work experiences she has in the park (using her wildlife biology degree from long ago), park policies for employment, a bit of the good old boy network that seemed to exist during this time, just how hard temporary park jobs are and how difficult it is to get a permanent, year round job, and the interesting work that a wildlife biologist does. And the beauty of living and working in the Grand Tetons.
I felt the end was abrupt. I would have liked information on how long she stayed at Grand Teton, why and when she left, and how her life continued to evolve.
The story is of a 39 year old woman who had felt a calling to the mountains since her childhood, and finally, at the age of 39, (1981) divorces her husband, leaves her suburban life in Massachusetts, and goes west to pursue her dream. She ends up working a seasonal job at Grand Teton National Park. The story focuses on many topics -- starting over on her own, being single again, the variety of work experiences she has in the park (using her wildlife biology degree from long ago), park policies for employment, a bit of the good old boy network that seemed to exist during this time, just how hard temporary park jobs are and how difficult it is to get a permanent, year round job, and the interesting work that a wildlife biologist does. And the beauty of living and working in the Grand Tetons.
I felt the end was abrupt. I would have liked information on how long she stayed at Grand Teton, why and when she left, and how her life continued to evolve.
January 18, 2023
Altitude Adjustment was an interesting look at what behind-the-scene work is done in national parks, particularly Grand Tetons National Park which was far better than the woven-in story of how Baptiste began life again after her divorce. These adventures of working with the park service would have been an experience for me, if that had happened forty years ago! And this book makes me want to revisit the Tetons.
Baptiste wordsmithing was a joy to read. Limiting myself to two examples (but could easily give twenty), I chose only two.
. . . [T]he deep, inscrutable hours of sheet-churning nights . . . .
and
In American culture the allure of a log cabin in the woods holds an atavistic power, taking us back to our pioneer roots when life was uncomplicated and free of technology. It brings to mind Lincoln's modest beginnings and Thoreau's mindful solitude, without which we flounder and flop.
Baptiste wordsmithing was a joy to read. Limiting myself to two examples (but could easily give twenty), I chose only two.
. . . [T]he deep, inscrutable hours of sheet-churning nights . . . .
and
In American culture the allure of a log cabin in the woods holds an atavistic power, taking us back to our pioneer roots when life was uncomplicated and free of technology. It brings to mind Lincoln's modest beginnings and Thoreau's mindful solitude, without which we flounder and flop.
January 16, 2019
As a former employee at Yellowstone National Park, this story contained many elements with which I could relate. Mary Beth Baptiste left her life in the East, drawn to the beauty and grandeur of Teton National Park. The living and working situation, as well as the social culture, was similar to those I experienced at Yellowstone. I found that I was not especially interested in the details of her personal life. It distracted the reader from the focus of the story, and drifted off at the end without being finalized. However, her work as a biologist was intriguing. It was beyond my experience and revealed a differing viewpoint. If readers are interested in the various stories of those who have worked at Yellowstone and the Tetons, they should read other accounts as well. I enjoyed reading this one.
June 13, 2024
Slow start to this book—but if you’re living here in Jackson or you’ve ever needed to make a fresh start (post divorce ) or traveled to a new town alone= this book may resonate with you.
I especially liked her honest descriptions of her romantic efforts in her adopted town- makes the reader (this is more of a chick book) connect to the dating philosophy that life isn’t a white picket fence and take what you have when you have it- but keep your heart open despite setbacks. And who doesn’t love a (True!) happy ending?!
Lots of wildlife details as well!
I especially liked her honest descriptions of her romantic efforts in her adopted town- makes the reader (this is more of a chick book) connect to the dating philosophy that life isn’t a white picket fence and take what you have when you have it- but keep your heart open despite setbacks. And who doesn’t love a (True!) happy ending?!
Lots of wildlife details as well!
July 20, 2024
Every now and then, a book comes and changes your life. For me, that is this kind of book. More important than it being a moving memoir, this book is a wake up call of getting out and living one’s life however they can - seizing opportunities that come your way. Set against the brilliant backdrop of the Tetons, this is the kind of book you will read twice and underline plenty of times for inspiration.
Eat Pray Love cannot compare to this book!
Eat Pray Love cannot compare to this book!
August 30, 2018
This was pretty cool to read about, especially if you are interested in wildlife biology and the Grand Teton area. She does talk about her personal life and experiences in relationships which some people may not mind. I think you possibly have to be a certain type of nature animal lover/ romance kid of reader to fully enjoy this one.
September 17, 2019
While I enjoyed the author's journey, and her honesty, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping. There were too many people/characters mentioned and it was difficult to keep track of everyone. I found the sneak peek into living/working in a national park interesting, however I think I didn't connect to the author and her journey. And that was challenging.
June 14, 2024
I just couldn’t continue with this one. Got up to about chapter 10, and called it quits. Had I realized this was a memoir, I would not have bought it. Oh well… Live and learn. Certainly a magical time of this author’s life, and wonderful Teton Mountains experiences for her. Reading about it, sadly, wasn’t for me.
September 13, 2017
This is a solid 3 star memoir. The author is clearly passionate about working in the outdoors and sometimes goes into too much detail about her job. I appreciated her insight and her choice to uproot her life for something completely different.
June 23, 2018
Realistic and suspenseful.
I am a writer and a prodigious reads your vocabulary is lyrical,y your knowledge of your territory,plants and animals is impressive enjoyed your book and was happy you did not provide me with a sugar coated ending. Gail Geary Sandy springs game
I am a writer and a prodigious reads your vocabulary is lyrical,y your knowledge of your territory,plants and animals is impressive enjoyed your book and was happy you did not provide me with a sugar coated ending. Gail Geary Sandy springs game
December 29, 2018
This book is heartwarming and inspiring to anyone looking to start new from a broken relationship or to jumpstart their dreams. It’s never too late. I found a personal connection with this booking working for a land management agency as well as knowing the Jackson area well.
November 2, 2018
I wish I had the nerve to follow Ms. Baptiste's lead.
August 31, 2022
Loved the details and descriptions of the author’s life in the Tetons. And the message that you can start over and follow dreams really resonated with me.
September 20, 2022
Such a well written, interesting read. I read this while I was in the Teton/Jackson area on a trip. It complimented the trip and vice versa. I highly recommend this book.
July 29, 2023
Reminds me of the summer I sent over 100 applications to the National Parks Service for a seasonal worker job. Did I ever hear back? No. But I still dream of what could have been.
September 11, 2024
An excellent book. I want to tell Mary Beth how much I loved it!
March 22, 2025
Enjoyed reading about the Tetons and life in the Park Service.
Didn't enjoy reading about her divorce and disdain for her husband.
Especially didn't want to read about her sex life.
Didn't enjoy reading about her divorce and disdain for her husband.
Especially didn't want to read about her sex life.
May 18, 2025
I loved her descriptions of nature and her fire
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews