A Promise is a Promise

The author, Sean Dietrich, is a masterful storyteller with a notable sense of humor. In his recent book, You Are My Sunshine, he wrote about a real-life experience and his promise to do something BIG with his wife - bike "The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath Trail." The promise was made during a health scare she’d endured; years later he wanted to back out of it, but she held him to it! His retelling of their adventure gives the reader a sense of what it could be like to travel on this trail, via a three wheel "trike." He shares their ups and downs, thoughts and concerns, what goes well and what doesn't, debates about whether they should or shouldn’t finish the entire trail, and their emotions when they do. He expresses their adventures with candidness, not trying to persuade or inspire anyone one way or the other to attempt a similar trip, but he also interjects so much humor that the reader is enjoying every minute of their excursion.

I enjoyed reading about this well-known trail that was unfamiliar to me. Being an avid hiker myself and living on the east coast, in addition to having a daughter who has through hiked the Appalachian Trail (2,000 + miles), I'm probably more interested in trail stories than the average person. This trail sounded challenging!! I'm not sure I’d want to bike/hike a trail you can’t see - so cheers to them on their accomplishment!!! Due to the author's strong writing skills and humorous style, this book appeals to more than just nature lovers, however, especially because of his focus on trust and the importance of connection in relationship building.

I received an ARC copy of the book, and all comments and thoughts are my unbiased opinion. Thanks to #bookishfirst #YouAreMySunshine #SeanDietrich #ZondervanBooks