A memoir of one young man’s coming of age on a journey across America--told through the stories of the people of all ages, races, and inclinations he meets along the way.
Andrew Forsthoefel is a writer, radio producer, and public speaker. After graduating from Middlebury College in 2011, he spent nearly a year walking across the United States. It was the greatest privilege and blessing of his life. He now facilitates workshops on walking and listening as practices in personal transformation, interconnection, and conflict resolution. He is currently based in Northampton, Massachusetts.
The ideal antidote for even the strongest bout of national doubt .
. . [with] frequent descriptive gems.
*Washington Post*
More than a story of the physical trials and tribulations of
walking across the country (although there's plenty of that too!),
this is a deeply felt account of the trials and tribulations of
growing up . . . the 'how do I fit into this world?' kind of
exploration. Enjoy a journey across our country through this
fascinating young man's eyes as he recounts and ponders the stories
and life philosophies from people he meets along the way.
*Boston Globe*
A remarkable book that calls to mind William Least-Heat Moon's
Blue Highways.
*Library Journal*
Soulful . . . [Forsthoefel's] openness provides a window into the
extraordinary lessons to be learned from ordinary people. This is a
memorable and heartfelt exploration of what it takes to hike 4,000
miles across the country and how one young man learned to walk
without fear into his future.
*Booklist*
In this moving and deeply introspective memoir, Forsthoefel writes
about the uncertainties, melodramas, ambiguities, and loneliness of
youth . . . Forsthoefel’s walk becomes a meditation on
vulnerability, trust, and the tragedy of suburban and rural
alienation . . . [his] conversation with America is fascinating,
terrifying, mundane, and at times heartbreaking, but ultimately
transformative and wise.
*Publishers Weekly*
Forsthoefel offers moments of genuine kinship and transcendence . .
. An intriguing portrait of America.
*Kirkus Reviews*
[Andrew Forsthoefel] considers weighty issues, such as race,
privilege, religion, and family, and offers a fresh spin on
familiar themes as he ponders how to approach the world and all its
beauty and pain and how to listen to others. VERDICT This title
will appeal to thoughtful teens and may serve as a tie-in to
history, literature, and philosophy discussions.
*School Library Journal*
Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, you need to read this book.
You need to read it for its searing honesty, its hopefulness, and
its grace. You need to read it because its story is your story,
too. Andrew Forsthoefel walked across a continent to listen to
strangers and learn from them. There is great wisdom in his
footfalls, and you are holding it in your hands.
*Sue Halpern, author of A DOG WALKS INTO A NURSING HOME*
In a world of congestion and noise Andrew Forsthoefel has written a
book that opens up an ocean of sublime reflective space. As
refreshing as it is timeless and endearing, Forsthoefel deftly
shifts between his inner being and the people’s lives that flow
through him, mile by mile. His enduring determination to understand
others is infectious, and like the many walks of life who embrace
him into their homes and hearts, we cannot help but be disarmed of
any lingering cynicism or distrust. Ultimately Forsthoefel inspires
us to be more curious in life and less offended - a virtuous
philosophy in what appears to be an age of increasing polarity in
American society.
*Tim Cope, award winning author of ON THE TRAIL OF GENGHIS
KHAN*
If you look at Andrew Forsthoefel's journey on a map, it's a tiny
thread, an infinitesimal crack, yet it's enough to break loose
America's stories: The open hearts and closed minds, the love and
the fear, the beauty and danger, the wisdom.
*Jay Allison, Producer of The Moth Radio Hour*
With a name like Forsthoefel, it had better be good. . . And it is,
combining the best humanistic aspects of Walt Whitman, Barry Lopez,
John Steinbeck, William Least Heat-Moon, and Marco Polo.
*Albert Podell, author of AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS*
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