Book Review: Only When I Step On It: One Man's Inspiring Journey to Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone By Peter Conti

While the author of the non fiction book Only When I Step On It:  One Man's Inspiring Journey to Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone rarely refers to himself as disabled, that is exactly what he is.   This book is his journey to heal himself from a debilitating injury by hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.  The first portion of the book only alludes to his injury and I was left curious and yes, a little angry that I didn't have the information about his specific situation and I worried that he would never tell us what had happened.   However, the author does circle back and intersperses the story of his injury amongst the accounting of his hike on the Appalachian Trail.   I found his version of a throwback style of storytelling to be easy to follow but it just didn't flow well.  I feel as if the story would have been better told in chronological order.    That said, I understand that this is at the very base, a story of hiking the Appalachian Trail and that the average reader may have become bored with reading through chapters of his woes at the beginning, even if they are integral to his hike.

The story is full of inspiration and determination as the author he pushes himself against all odds. I admire the perseverance that he displayed.   I love that he eventually accepted his limitations and found working solutions for  his issues.    It was a turning point when he  learned to accept that his through hike of this famous trail would look nothing like the hike of so many people and that it didn't matter, his success was his.  His quest to heal himself was successful, just not in the way that he expected.   It was a good read that combined the love of hiking and the amazing abilities of our bodies and minds.

You can read my review of another Appalachian trail hiker  here.     Or look at my other book reviews sorted by author or genre.