Pack Light is a beautifully written memoir of surviving a childhood of abuse, neglect and abandonment, mental illness with suicide attempts and hospitalizations and of deciding to take control by through hiking the Appalachian Trail in the face of fear as a solo black woman hiking through the south. This book gave me more understanding on what people of color face. I didn’t really understand it because I had not witnessed it myself even though I grew up in a diverse city in Northern California. While reading this book I realized that I had not witnessed racism because I was raised in a family where race, religion or sexual orientation is a not a consideration in who our friends are-what matters is choosing friends who are kind… to everyone. I always chose not to be friends with racists and as an adult I do not allow racists or people who are prejudice into my life. The only thing in the book that gave me pause was Ms. Curtis’ blanket statement that police murder black people. I served in law enforcement for 27 years and honestly have never seen anyone mistreated due to their skin color. I am dismayed that some bad people because police officers and that they would use their badge to inflict harm or fear on anyone at all. Shame of those officers. If I had seen that kind of behavior I would not have chosen that career. Please know that most of us only want to help.

Having said that, I found Pack Light to be more interesting than the typical through-hike memoir because we get to know Ms. Curtis as a person and we witness her childhood through flashbacks. I felt such anger at those two jerks in Maine, it’s was that scene that really made me “get it”.

I highly recommend #PackLight for its beautiful and eloquent writing and for Ms. Curtis’ unique way of letting us she her side of the story, from childhood to her blossoming into a strong, brave young woman. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you to #netgalley for allowing me to read and review #PackLight.

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thru- hiking the Appalachian Trail (one of the longest hiking trails in America-spanning from Georgia to Maine) has fascinated me since the moment I heard about it.

After reading Shilletha Curtis was releasing a book about her experience hiking the mostly uninhabited land as a Black, lesbian woman I knew I had to hear her unique perspective on the topic.

While her life and time on the AT was filled with inspirational moments, I was not prepared for the heartbreaking struggles she recounts (in great detail). As someone who has endured both abuse and struggled with their mental health (anxiety and depression) reading her story was much more difficult than I expected.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Shilletha Curtis for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

*this book discusses topics that may be triggering for some readers.

I applaud the author for being the second black woman to ever complete the AT. As someone who grew up in Appalachia I’ve always admired those who completed the whole trail.

As far as the book itself goes…Shilletha simultaneously writes about her rough upbringing and her mental health struggles and her hike on the trail. The flow was odd for me and I wasn’t the best fan of the writing style either. It was hard to get into. Rounding up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. It had so much knowledge and provides the audience with a lot to learn regarding mental health, race, being a thru hiker along the Appalachian Trail and much more. In this story we follow Shilletha, a young gay black female who has set her goal on finding a way to heal herself or help treat the trauma she has been through in her life. She goes through much trauma as a child and even into her adulthood. She is honest about her struggles and how she handles them along the way. She continues to fight to find a way to overcome her obstacles and she finally lands on exploring the wilderness by hiking the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

I'll be honest about this book. When I first decided I wanted to read it, I thought it would be mostly about her journey and experience along the Appalachian Trail. What it's like hiking the trail, what obstacles she overcomes, the hard parts, the easy parts, the fun parts and the sense of self. At least half or more of this book is about her life before she got to the Appalachian Trail. She goes deep into childhood trauma, family, mental health and her love life along the way. She has very strong opinions about hot button topics. However, there are stories covering her hike along the trail and some of the people she befriends or dislikes along the way, but it doesn't seem to take up most of the writing of the book. Overall, she's showing us her journey through life and how hiking became of journey of helping her find herself and bring herself happiness.

There are trigger warnings with this book so if you have any, I suggest looking them up before reading this book.

A moving memoir of a clinically depressed black woman who, when Covid hit and people stayed home, decided instead to travel the entirety of the Appalachian trail from its southern-most starting point, to its northern-most end at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. Tears and fears and courage mark the trail along with the joy of achievement. Expect to shed some tears. Beautiful.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I was drawn to this book because one of my favorite books is Cheryl Strayed's, 'Wild'. Both are memoirs of strong women who turn to the trails to help heal their bodies and minds. 'Pack Light' is a truly vulnerable memoir of a young woman who has had to deal with so many unimaginable and difficult things in her young life (racism, sexual abuse, depression, self harm.,..) and learn to try to live with and overcome these obstacles. Her journey was sad but also inspirging. I couldn't put this one down!

Many thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. If you are interested in mental illness representation and how the outdoors can be used to heal past trauma, you may be interested in this book.
Pack Light is a memoir that follows the author, known as Dragonsky, along her 2021 Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike, alternating chapters about the 7+ month backpacking trip with her background growing up in New Jersey. The AT runs over 2,000 miles from Springer Mountain in Northern Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Northern Maine. Some popular places to visit include the Smoky Mountains and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I grew up very close to the NJ portion of the trail, and I attempted a thru-hike, hiking the entire trail in one calendar year, in 2008. I have read many books on AT journeys, so I was looking forward to this one. While the AT is definitely a central piece of the story, the memoir equally includes the author’s history with mental illness. As I read, I found myself realizing my privilege as a hiker by understanding Dragonsky’s fears and experiences as a queer Black woman on the trail. I think there is a lot to learn from others’ perspectives, and I’m glad that I took the time to read this book. However, I don’t think it would appeal to readers looking to learn more about the AT; I found some of the timelines confusing, and the language seemed overly flowery to me.

I found Shilletha Curtis' memoir of her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail very interesting. She has a fascinating background and has gone through a lot in her life. I enjoyed being able to read about her experiences and learn from her perspective. I do wish there had been a bit more detail about the trail itself and the logistics of hiking. This book would not be great as a trail resource if that's what you're looking for. If you like personal stories and hearing different perspectives about life in America, then this is a great book for you. My main complaint about the book is the prose. Many of the sentences are just plain overwritten with way too many adjectives and the phrase "it was like" was used all the time. I still think this is a worthy read, but I did find myself skimming some sentences. Kudos to Ms Curtis for her amazing hiking feat! Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

In Pack Light, Shilletha Curtis tells the story of her epic hike of the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine. I've read tales of other such hikes, but as a Black queer person, The author has a unique perspective on some of the issues she faced on the trail. And the mental health and family struggles she has faced make her accomplishment even more powerful.

I appreciated the background the author provided about her life before embarking on the hike but would have appreciated learning more about the hike itself. And as others have noted, the writing style was a bit overwrought at times, causing me to skim over some parts.

I'm glad the author shared her story, and I hope it will inspire others to undertake challenges as she did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you need a kick in the tale to get moving and fight against whatever is your life's roadblocks, you will enjoy this read and feel motivated to stand for what you care about. Stand for yourself. Also, step forward to learn yourself.

I want to thank NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue | Andscape Books for the pre-release copy for reading and review.

#PackLight #NetGalley

I don’t want to be mean but I cannot with this book. I’m the ideal audience: mental health clinician, hiker, in a multiracial family. It has so much promise but the editors really let this author down. She got this gig after writing a Facebook rant/blog. She needs support to write a whole dang memoir. The writing was florid, verbose. It was like someone pretending to be a writer and adding all of the adjectives. The story would be interesting if the sentences weren’t so distracting. I’d love to hear this woman’s voice and experience. I want to encourage more BIPOC folks to venture onto the trails. Someone needs to sit down and cut out 85% of the embellishments and let the experience shine through.

I have read several books about hiking the Appalachian Trail, but this one is different than any I have read before. The author is packing light, but carrying a lot of other baggage, including abuse, mental illness and the fact that she is a woman of color hiking alone. I admire how she pushes through and is able find her peace in nature. A very good book and recommended for all

Can I go on the adventure now too? This one was a powerful book about how on the destination to another place, you encounter the journey. It was a wonderful read. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

This was a hard read for me. Hard because I wanted to put this down countless times and not finish it, but I also have seen what has happened to others who do not finish this book. So here we go, and let's hope no one comes at me for this review like they have for other people.

It is hard to critique or review memoirs because this is someone's life, their viewpoint, and life journey that is unique to only them. I cannot relate to much of this book, but I really thought that this would be an interesting read.

There was so much blame shifting instead of taking ownership for her circumstances and choices, sure you cannot choose your family, but you can create your own life and future. I didn't think this was a great read, or really that well written. It was hard to read this because it was the 'woah is me' versus actually finding herself. Sure maybe she did find herself, but this was not the way to go about that book.

I feel that the author was trying to re-create Wild, but fell significantly short.

I do however applaud Shilletha for completing the AT, as I know this is a huge success and she is only the 2nd Black woman to ever complete the trail. Seriously I know that was hard, and I give major props.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Pack Light: A Journey to Find Myself" is a memoir that resonates with the spirit of resilience and the quest for self-discovery. Shilletha Curtis takes us on a transformative journey along the Appalachian Trail, where each step is a testament to her courage in facing the demons of her past.

The book is a raw and honest portrayal of Curtis's life, marked by childhood traumas, a fractured family, and the challenges of mental health struggles. Yet, it is also a story of triumph, as she navigates through the wilderness not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.

Curtis's narrative is a powerful reminder that the Great Outdoors is a space for all, irrespective of race or background. Her experience of "Hiking While Black" adds a poignant layer to the memoir, challenging the stereotypes and claiming her rightful place in the narrative of exploration and adventure.

Curtis's writing is engaging, with vivid descriptions that transport us to the rugged trails and serene landscapes she describes. Curtis's introspection and growth are palpable, making "Pack Light" not just a travel memoir, but a beacon of inspiration for anyone looking to find themselves amidst life's tumultuous journey.

As a big fan of hiking and queer memoirs, this was worth the read. Curtis faced many challenges in her youth and as a young adult and this memoir dove into different moments in time during these big events. Her ability to persist and survive is admirable.
The pacing of hiking vs. earlier times in her life did at times feel out of balance. I wanted to keep reading, but at times wanted to switch back to the other narrative sooner or have more of the current narrative. Some passages on the AT felt scattered.

If Curtis indeed completes the Tripe Crown, I'm looking forward to two more memoirs.

I have always enjoyed memoirs, especially ones about the outdoors and hiking the Appalachian Trail. Stilletha had quite a lot of baggage from her upbringing that she also carried on the trail. Sadly, at times, those struggles were brought on through some poor choices. Pack Light jumped between her history growing up and her personal struggles on the trail. Overall, I enjoyed the book and seeing things from a different perspective from the normal hiking the Appalachian Trail memoir.

Great book that was fun to read. I loved reading about the authors experiences and seeing the outside world from someone else point of view.

Pack Light is the story of the author's hike on the Appalachian Trail which she completed in its entirety. It is also the story of her difficult childhood and her struggles with depression and anxiety. Her story is moving and a triumph, but I found the writing style to often be a little over the top. Given that she is not a writer by trade, this can be forgiven for the sake of the importance of her story and stories like hers. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a fan of Cheryle Strayed's "Wild"" about her experience on the Pacific Crest Trail. She is the absolute exemplery women writer of her time. Her hike through story was remarkable , independent and couragous. So I was interested to experience this book also told by the author's experiences on the AT. However this sadly did not resonate in any way.

I was disappointed in the author playing the consant victim and blaming her family, races other then hers and her own bad choices for her miserable life. This was a not a trail centered interesting read as was "Wild". Where Ms. Strayed took responsibility for herself and her own hike and funding, this author used social media and her race complaining to gain monies to fund her hike. She utilized a series of people to pay her to hike and her followers. I was not impressed that she was not independent in any way. While any hike of this nature is impressive she stopped and stayed overnight so often with people and places that funded her that she was not focused on a true hike through . Her complaining of "other races" and blaming others for her life problems was inmature, disturbing and offensive.. I could not finish this as her writing is center focused on blaming others.. I found her sad, uninteresting and her writing inmature. Every chapter is complaining about others causing her problems . So If your looking for a true AT hike book this is not it. You wold learn more about a AT hike through on Google .