Customer Reviews

Barefoot Sisters Southbound, The (Adventures on the Appalachian Trail)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What a great find! I had heard of the Barefoot Sisters long before this book was published, but I was skeptical that two authors could write a good read of this length. Clearly the Sisters are excellent writers, and it is refreshing to read an recounting of a thru-hike that goes beyond the typical trail journal. The writing was so well done, weaving together similar but different feminine styles, that I've given it to my non-hiking copyeditor wife to read! I'm now awaiting their sequel, which I hope will also make it into my Top 5 AT-related reads.

The Letcher sisters, Lucy and Susan (aka Isis and jackrabbit) hike the Appalachian Trail in a way different from most. First, they are women--sisters; second, they are south-bounders or "Sobos" in trail parlance, meaning that they start in Maine and head to Georgia; third, they manage to hike most of the trail barefoot. Now that is a different way to hike the AT!

Why did I like this book so much? The "Barefoot Sisters" co-narrate the book, each from her own perspective, each in her own voice. They do not re-hash the same events. Instead, with each segment they forge into new territory. The careful reader will be able to distinguish those narrated by Isis from those narrated by jackrabbit without having to read the byline which precedes each segment.

The Barefoot Sisters are social animals. Their trail saga is not the journey of the solo traveler for whom physical trials are paired with a journey of mind and spirit. Of course, physical trials are there for the Barefoot Sisters along with challenges to mind and spirit. What most distinguishes the sisters are two things: first, their relationship as sisters and how they manage to get along over this journey of many months. Second is a hunger for and a continuous searching out for the "Trail Community." The sisters form close bonds with at least a dozen trail-named Sobos whose personalties the reader will get to know well. Along the way, many other hikers, "trail angels" and trail town personalities enter and exit their lives. Of special note is "the Family," a husband and wife from Maine who are backpacking the AT along with their children, one of whom is so young and small that she must be carried and who is still actively nursing!

As young women in their twenties, the Barefoot Sisters are already fine writers who communicate in a clean and concise style that makes for easy reading. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings penned a line for which she is famous: "hard writing makes for easy reading." The Barefoot Sisters will make your armchair journey along the AT an easy one. Five stars!

Simply a wonderful book with great introspective and descriptive writing. A great adventure by two talented and creative women. Funny, sad and exhausting this book covers all the emotions that can occur while hiking America's premier long distance trail, The Appalachian Trail. And it's only part 1. Highly recommended.

rmw

The Appalachian Trail is a stew pot for great stories, as even the most casual backpacker knows. One short weekend of trail drama can often generate enough tales for a lifetime of retelling, and so there is certainly no shortage of terrific books written by the hardy souls who walk 2168 miles in the wilderness in under a year. There is always a heavy load of dramatic ore for a good writer to mine, and even the mediocre can produce books that are well worth reading. Once in a while somebody strikes it rich with a gem that does more than walk the same well trodden path; and Barefoot Sisters Southbound looks to be just such a jewel.
We follow a pair of sweet fair haired young ladies from Maine as they tackle the treacherous male dominated wilderness of the AT. Oh, they happen to be sisters, so there's sure to be some interesting paths to explore there ... and to top things off, they get the whimsical idea of hiking the trail barefoot over mountains of sharp rocks and through forests of protruding roots. We just have to stick around to see what happens.
As the tale unfolds the barefoot sisters prove to be a well matched tag team of fine trail writers, with a tasty mix of varied style and compelling subject matter. They are physically fit but still vulnerable to the obvious perils of months in the woods. They are well versed on gear but not too technical. Together they introduce us to the rich community of long distance hikers; a world of short but intense relationships, elongated through a social network of written messages left in shelters for those who follow. We witness all the body punishing drama of a sports event and the emotional intensity of a 60s encounter session as our toughened heroines get stretched to the breaking point by the physical and mental stress of their journey.
There's an old saying that goes "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step". Sometimes that step happens because a book inspires it, and this is the kind of book that is sure to inspire quite a few steps into the wilderness of the future.

Mike Carbonneau [LT 2004 "Strummystick"]
(AT 2016??? If I can still walk after retirement)

The sites, the smell of the woods and the trail are all recounted quite well by the sisters who are smart, articulate and funny. My 4 star rating was for the excessive use of the "F" word along with some lesser expletives, which I think the ladies are far too educated to have to rely on to express themselves.

As a northbound section hiker who is not only male, but old enough to be the authors grandfather why on earth would I find this interesting? Because it's well-written, reads true and brings back the smell of hiker funk. It kept me up way too late too many nights in a row gripping my Kindle as I remembered shivering on the trail in the Smokies. I finished it last night so I ordered Going Home today. I hope it's as good!

This book is a bit different than the typical Appalachian Trail journal. Obviously our heroes are walking south - Maine to George; whereas the vast majority of hikers go North. Of course the primary reason for the migration north is the weather. Most thru-hikers walk with (or into summer) spring, avoiding the dangers of winter. Our sisters are starting in Maine in black fly season and hiking directly into winter. They're doing this with the added challenge of attempting to hike the trail barefoot - at least for "as long as it's fun". For me it would be comfortable for about two minutes and I'd have my boots back on. But I don't think the sisters are crazy, they actually enjoy being close to the earth and are willing to patiently train their feet and minds to handle it. This process slows down there progress considerably, including an injury (that could have happened with or without boots) and puts them in the Smoky's in mid February.

Walking south, fighting winter and trail stories is not what sets this book apart. The book is written by two sisters alternating writing a few pages at a time. The reader gets both of their points of view. We get a genuine understanding of the thoughts and emotions of each of the hikers. They're not holding anything back. They're not sugar coating reality. From ranting about the AMC to Jackrabbit (Susan) struggling on an off with what appears to be mild depression. Jackrabbit is younger (just out of college), very athletic with a black belt in Taekwondo and a passion for playing the piano. Iris (Lucy) is a few year older. She feels responsible for her little sister but starts out on the trail feeling inferior - not in the same physical condition as Jackrabbit, she's afraid she will be left behind. Their adventures bring them to the depths of despair. Struggling with real life and death situations, learning to cope with loneliness as well as being engrossed in the beauty of nature and the solitude it allows. You can see them grow in mastery over their own minds and bodies as they approach Georgia. This book is honest and straight forward, filled with tenderness and love; it touches the depth of human emotions.

[...].

This book is beautifully written - with superb storytelling, crisp editing, and evocative descriptions of the Trail. Jackrabbit and Isis - the authors' trail names - are clearly gifted writers. My son (trail name "Gollum") and I ("Pilgrim") read every book that we could find about the Trail prior to our southbound thru-hike in 2000. The Trail has inspired some excellent books (Robert Rubin's "On the Beaten Path" is particularly good), but "Southbound" is simply the best. It is full of psychological insight, including the complex dance of caring and independence of two siblings. "Southbound" also captures the feeling of camaraderie and community that the Trail creates - and the irony that those who seek fellowship with nature on the Trail are drawn all the more tightly to each other as they face nature's harshness and grandeur.

I've recently become hooked on Appalachian Trail memoirs. This is the best one I've read so far. The sisters have a sharp eye for nature and landscape and they describe it beautifully. Their social interactions are entertaining. The winter weather they endured is dramatic. Very enjoyable book and I look forward to starting the sequel soon.

I felt as though I was hiking right along with the barefoot sisters, Isis and jackrabbit. I felt their pain, their exhaustion, their awe and their happiness. I'm a simple day hiker and hiking the Appalachian Trail is a pipe dream for me. Maybe it will happen someday. After reading this book, I have a greater understanding of what it takes to undertake such a feat.

What I loved about this book:

**the Appalachian Trail descriptions. I've hiked some parts and the descriptions brought it all back to me. For those new parts, I can really picture the scenery.

**the honest emotions expressed. Hiking is not all fun and games. I got to experience the sisters' fighting, crying, anger, laughing etc. You get to see it all.

**how the fellow thru-hikers came to life. I felt as though I knew these folks, based on the anecdotes.

This is a fun and inspiring read for all hikers; I highly recommend this book.

As if hiking the entire Appalachian Trail barefoot isn't enough, the sisters turned around and hiked back to Maine! For even more inspiration, I also recommend their follow-up book, Barefoot Sisters Walking Home