Wow, this was such an interesting read!

Sara is an amazing woman who plans this trip to bicycle the path of the monarch butterfly's migration. In this book, she weaves together her travel experiences, and information about the monarchs. The way she describes the monarchs is magical and her appreciation for nature shines through on every page. I'm now determined to visit Mexico and see them for myself.

Sara also weaves in important topics like refugee rights and climate change. These parts are emotional to read but weaved in perfectly and so appreciated.

I admire Sara Dykman’s journey and admiration for monarchs. I think her journey was incredible and awe-inspiring - and quite the commitment.

Dykman has a skill for storytelling which made this an interesting read. There were times when I felt the plot was too heavily dependent on the storytelling and not so much the actual story.

Overall, I think the book was beautiful and inspiring but I didn’t love it.

I liked this book. I really admired the authors commitment to monarch butterflies and her intent on following the migrations. I thought the science was solid yet not overdone.. There are little scientific tidbits scattered throughout the book. It is a fairly fast read.
I would have liked more detail about the people she met along the way although I realize that was not the intent of the book.
The author mentions that the monarchs had not yet been granted endangered species status. But late December 2020 the Fish and Wildlife Service did determine monarchs are warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act. This puts them one step closer to achieving protection as a threatened species but that will not come until 2024. Hopefully that timetable will be speeded up with the new Biden Administration

One of my favorite books of the year! Dykman does an excellent job of telling the unique account of her daring trip following the monarch butterfly migration through North America on bike.

Part travelogue, part adventure, it is 100% a love letter to nature. She somehow manages to convey the heartbreak and the hope that comes with being an advocate for wildlife in our precarious world.

Her passion, intelligence and dedication leap off the page. Her writing was so straightforward yet also very poetic. I felt like I had accompanying her on the trip. her words painted vivid pictures in my mind of blue skies, orange wings, multi-colored milkweed blooms.

I especially appreciated that she she succeeded in the amazing feat of riding a bike from Mexico, to the U.S., to Canada, and then all the way back to Mexico again. As an everyday bike rider, I am beyond impressed and it was great to hear her talk about the best and worst parts of biking. I very much related to her musings on cycling.

Also- I enjoyed how she touched on what it was like to ride solo as a woman, and how she was discouraged by many people from doing so because it was 'dangerous' yet most of the people and situations that she encountered were friendly. She didn't let fear-mongering get in her way. She was smart about risks and made good choices along the way.

Lastly but definitely not least important, I'm SO glad Dykman linked the plight of the migrating monarchs to the pro-immigrant & refugee rights movements. It was a vitally important issue to connect, so much so that I don't think I would have enjoyed the book as much if she hadn't included it.

I would highly recommend this book to readers interested in the environment, bikes, adventure, popular science, non-fiction, travel and memoirs authored by women.

If the author had put half as much effort into the art and craft of writing as she did her physical adventure, this would have been a fun book. Couldn't get beyond pg 67. Mixed metaphors and poor word choice abounds,