★★★★★ 3
A natural storyteller
Format: Paperback
Three middle-aged women hike the mighty John Muir Trail, the crown jewel of California that covers over 200 miles of steep and rocky terrain in the Sierra. It was a big deal.
The 3-week wilderness trip extended over multiple, high-elevation passes, crossed roaring water and rose to the summit of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the contiguous US at 14, 505 feet.
Griffin’s storytelling comes naturally and with ease. This inspirational, follow-your-dreams story is easy to feel surrounded by because of Griffin’s vivid writing. Luscious accounts of landscapes, macro details of the natural world and the knee-knocking, quad-stabbing terrain puts you, the reader, right there.
Conversely, the detailed prose is a huge liability in the pacing of this book. Mundane details are redundant as the book slogs on. Long descriptions overtake the read and the focus stays superficial. I would have liked much more character development, and better cadence and dialogue.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2026
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