I really liked this book. This is a unique account of what it's like to hike the Appalachian trail with a family of 8. This is not a blow by blow account of trail life, or historical lessons in trail factoids, or town facts, or do's or dont's, or shelter ratings, or best water sources, or restaurant reviews, etc... So if you're looking for a trail guidebook, this ain't it. This is a story of what it's like to hike with 8 distinct personalities of varying ages and how they helped one another overcome adversities to keep pushing forward. This is about forging unlikely friendships on the trail. This is about opening oneself up to the adventure, to the pain, to the helping hand. This is about trusting yourself and trusting the stranger. This is about letting go and accepting the lessons when they are provided no matter the source.

It really was an accomplishment that this family actually finished the trail. Yes, they had some help occasionally with lodging and food. But they did all the hiking all day long, up and down mountains, through bug infested forests and wetlands, in every conceivable weather situation. There was sickness. There were arguments and tears. There were roadblocks and problems. There were times when it was almost too much to muster the will to continue. But they kept putting one foot in front of the other mile after mile. They helped each other carry the burden of the gear needed, of the mental aspect of the hike, as well as helping each other carry the literal weight of the baby brother. Maybe you don't like the way they went about things and that is a legitimate gripe, I guess, for hiking purists. But you will have to give this family kudos for the fortitude to keep hiking, for the ability to suffer, for the willingness to enjoy opportunities to bond with fellow hikers. They proved their ability to reach their goal, Mt Katahdin. And no, let's face it, there is no real reward at the end. Nobody cares. Life returns to normal once the trail finally ends so many months later.

This is a view of an American family living an alternative American life. It's worth a read to understand there are different ways of doing things for any number of reasons. It's okay to think outside the box of societal norms. There are countless lessons to be learned outside of the classroom, outside of comfortable living rooms and warm, cushy beds at night. The Crawfords might not be raising their kids to be book smart. They are raising tough, courageous, resilient kids nonetheless and that is a noble goal.