What a beautiful story. My wanderlust was there on the journey taking in each new place visited, but also giving room to the space that exists to think about life's journey. I appreciated the opportunity to read this one very much. Thank you!

Great book with an honest quality to it. I loved reading about the authors adventures and life. Really well put together and a joy to read.

I really enjoyed this book and it inspired me to participate in more hikes! Fascinating peek at hiking the GR5. I only wish there was more attention spent on details of the villages they hiked through.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

*I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

I love travel memoirs, and this one delivered - the author Kathy and her husband embark on a walking tour through Europe, and I loved reading about their physical and metaphorical journeys. This is a slightly different take on a travelogue compared to other recent versions - Kathy and her husband are older, and have decided to take a more luxurious approach, spending their days walking through beautiful scenery but definitely not roughing it!

As a teacher I find Kathy's reflections on her career and her experiences of dyslexia fascinating and relatable, and her personal journey with eating and her body is such an important one for women to share. I'm not quite at Kathy's stage in life but it's wonderful to read a book by a woman at a different stage in life - so often women over 30 are all but forgotten, and I found a great deal of value in seeing things through her eyes.

This book, like a walking tour itself, can be slow-paced and meandering, but I enjoyed dipping in and out of it, and found myself daydreaming about my own future adventures as I went. As food for thought, a meditation on a life, and inspiration, I really recommend this one!

Kathy and her husband embark on their own version of a gap year in 2018 by walking the 1,400-mile Grande Randonnée Cinq (GR5) across The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. This long walk includes comfort, local cuisine, and lodging every day. Kathy writes eloquently about the sights and her experiences along the journey, as well as reflecting on her childhood struggles with dyslexia, weight issues, and self-esteem. The memoir is a recommended read for anyone interested in adventure and long walks ! I loved it.

Travel memoir akert!!!
Author and her husband walking GR5 in Europe and cataloguing their adventures.
Taking a gap year, pushing herself physically and mentally, even at age 57
Being one with nature, keeping a positive attitude, rolling with decisions, not thinking too much
Her journey with Dyslexia, being a teacher and learning strategies, being supported by her family in her learning journey.
Menopause, listening to your body
Appreciating the beauty around you
Therapy positive
Body image discussions
Using food as a coping mechanism
Following your intuition

To Walk It Is To See It
By: Kathy Elkind
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels
-I loved that this book gave me another view of Europe.

-It was fun to see the different parts of the GR5 trail.

-Kathy and Jim show the dynamics of their relationship in different ways, and you can see how they care for one another.

-It was great to see Elkind find her own strength as the trip progressed.

-This made me want to research hiking this trail!

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To Walk It Is To See It was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and PR by the Book, She Writes Press. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 8/15/23


To Walk It Is To See It tells of the grand adventure of Kathy and Jim, a married couple in their fifties who decide to hike the GR5 trail.

This book was definitely a reflection on life, love, long term marriage, and finding your own strength.

Kathy does an amazing job of describing the different parts of the trail, it definitely made me curious about hiking it (although maybe not all at once, as she did).

I also liked that this book gave me another perspective of Europe. I have been many times, and love visiting the cities and historical landmarks. This book gave a different feel to such a beautiful place.


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It’s 2018 when Kathy and her husband decide to take their own version of a gap year and walk the 1,400-mile Grande Randonnée Cinq (GR5) across The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Compared to most long, long hikes this long walk includes comfort, delicious local dishes and pastries, and a nice bed and bath at the end each day. Yes, this is how I’d love to do it. Kathy is eloquent in her descriptions of the sites that they visit and of the sights, sounds, smells and feelings along this journey. She also reflects on her childhood when she struggled with dyslexia, eating and weight issues and self esteem. Kathy write beautifully.
I enjoy memoirs that tell of long walks, bicycle rides or horseback journeys and this one did not disappoint. I recommend #ToWalkItIsToSeeIt for any reader who dreams of their own adventure. Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read about Kathy’s life and journey through Europe.

I love a good travel book, and this one was enjoyable. Kathy and her husband, Jim, decided to walk and bike Europe’s GR5. It took them 98 days. I appreciated the foodie mentions and the moments that made each destination memorable, but overall it felt like a slow travel log without peaks and valleys. As a woman entering her 50s, I was intrigued by the adventure this couple embarked on in their late 50’s, and even though it was not as compelling as I’d hoped, it made me want to get up, shake off the blahs and walk through the world with vigour and expectation.

Walking for 98 days? Not my cup of tea at all, even if it's through some of Europe's most beautiful countries! But I sure enjoyed doing it vicariously through Kathy Elkind's writing. I loved her sometimes poetic descriptions of her experiences, sometimes with the environment and often with food! She also deftly recounts how the walk reflects various aspects of her life and her relationship with her husband. I highlighted some sentences that I had to stop and reflect on, such as those on self-compassion.

I don't necessarily agree with some of her points of view, especially of the "white bearded man", but overall, this was a 4-star read for me. I was interested enough to view some of her videos which are online.

To Walk It Is To See It : 1 Couple, 98 Days, 1400 Miles on Europe's GR5 is is an inspirational travel journal over a long trek across Europe. I like following other peoples' adventures and I found this book really interesting. The author is open and honest and she writes very well. Using googling maps to get a feel and see photographs of some of the places they visit added an extra level of interest. Overall an interesting and well written book.

The synopsis sounded intriguing, sort of like a "Wild" (Cheryl Strayed) for an older married couple. I loved the idea of this couple taking a "gap year" before entering the third phase of their lives together. The descriptions of their 1,400-mile GR5 were vivid (especially the food!) and I appreciated the nuances of their marriage, secrets, and regrets. I enjoyed the focus on self-compassion and being kind to yourself. Recommended for anyone in their 50s and up who enjoys memoirs about relationships and travel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. #ToWalkItIsToSeeIt #NetGalley