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In My Boots: A Memoir of Five Million Steps Along the Appalachian Trail

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“Amanda K. Jaros's In My Boots does what some of the best works of nonfiction do: it takes the reader on a journey—in this case, a journey that is as much mental and emotion as it is physical.” –Amy Butcher, author of Visiting Hours: A Memoir of Friendship and MurderWhen Amanda K. Jaros learns about the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail after college, she walks away from a sheltered life dominated by an angry and volatile father and does something unexpected: spends six months backpacking. Alone. She expects to pass the time in the solitary and peaceful wilderness, reflecting on her life's direction. Instead, she finds herself part of a community ripe with stinky socks, buckets of ice cream, and trail magic. What matters on the trail is not a hiker's past or parents, her fears or failures, but rather, what matters is the connections we make with each other.In My Boots recounts a challenging physical journey following the trail over the windy balds of the South, through snowstorms in the Smoky Mountain National Park, and above the tree line to the alpine zones of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The journey is also emotionally transformative as this twenty-three-year-old leaves behind the compliant and scared girl she once was. With each step away from her damaged childhood, each new friend, each stop in another rural trail town, she comes to understand that to succeed on the trail, and in life, it turns out, the path she walks must be her own. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Rose Writing (February 27, 2025)


Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2025


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 1.9 MB


Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Apr 3

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • An inspiring tale of personal growth and adventure
At its core, this is the story of Tamarack (Amanda K. Jaros) as she embarks on a life-changing journey to complete the Appalachian Trail: a quest of self-discovery that tests her endurance and causes her to explore the depths of her own courage. As she hikes, she makes the decision—moment by moment—to keep moving forward, even when exhaustion, blisters, hunger, and cold present ample reasons to quit. But the story is about so much more. This is the tale of a woman counting coup: gaining status and prestige in her own heart as she confronts and defeats lifelong demons—the voices that have always told her she couldn’t succeed or that she would never be good enough. With each challenge, whether physical or emotional, Tamarack exceeds her own expectations, discovers her inner strength, and learns to recognize her limits. Along the way, she finds her tribe—a community of misfits and rebels, each following their own paths, claiming their own victories, and ultimately discovering themselves. It is an inspiring tale of personal challenge and growth, of finding one’s convictions and purpose: highly recommended. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2025 by Kat
    • Steps toward healing and confidence
A summer internship at a state park in Maine first introduced Amanda K. Jaros to mountain climbing, and it didn't take long for her to conquer Katahdin, the state's highest mountain. As summer turned to fall, she met groups of "emaciated" hikers who'd thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail—from its beginning at Springer Mountain, Georgia to its final destination, that same Baxter Peak mountain-top she'd fallen in love with. And that's when the recent college grad who had no plans for the future—you might even say was lost and unfocused— heeded a call to the AT. This in-depth narrative offers an intimate picture of a young woman eager to leave home but unsure how to do so; it not only defines the phrase "coming of age," but deepens its meaning. Above all, her story epitomizes the AT mantra: Hike your own hike. <i>In My Boots</i>, at times raw and judgmental, is based on the extensive journaling Jaros did at the time. It's filled with memories and musings about family, men, love, abuse, and what it means to be a woman—many thoughts which reveal hurt and pain. What easily could have been a 300-page rant is instead an honest look into, and a growing awareness of, the world around her. Thank goodness she had the Dave Matthews Band (a song to match every emotion), Ben and Jerry's ice cream (a pint "devoured" at nearly every trail town stop), letters and care packages waiting for her at every stop, family members who joined her for a day or more, and a huge tribe of fellow thru-hikers to turn to. Jaros began her 1999 northbound thru-hike knowing that only a quarter of those who started it, completed it. Spoiler alert: She made it. —and notes that in that year, of the 5,000 thru-hikers recognized as 2,000-milers by the Appalachian Trail Conference, 90% were men. Her memoir screams "grit" and it presents itself in many forms. She also acknowledges that the trail has changed a bit since she hiked it so current and future AT hikers will note some differences in mileage and trail names—but I suspect all thru-hikers will recognize the range of emotions that flow through these pages. I especially appreciate that Jaros included an epilogue where, in six short poetic paragraphs that begin "I didn't yet know," Jaros offers a brief look into the 25 years that have elapsed since her time on the AT, again showing that one must hike her own hike. A special thanks to Amanda for trusting me with an ARC and in admiration of her strength in sharing this chapter of her life with the world. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2025 by Karna J. Converse
    • Transformational Journey!
Don’t miss Amanda K. Jaros’s (Trail Name: Tamarack) amazing story of personal struggle, trauma, resilience, and perseverance during her epic Appalachian Trail journey. This tale will tug your heart with a hurt like the climb to Mount Moosilauke at the start of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, then fill it with joy like a random road trip to a Dave Matthews concert with five of your newest, smelliest, best friends. I made the same Georgia-Maine journey almost twenty years after Tamarack. Her story transported me down memory lane. What I remember more than snow in the Smokies, beers with friends, and swimming in mountain ponds, is the people I met. We called these fellow hikers our “tramily,” a made-up word combining “trail” and “family.” Your tramily is the trail. And here’s where Jaros’s story captures readers with a profound truth. Just like you can’t always choose your own family, you also can’t always choose the people closest to you for the hardest things you do in life. You have to make the decision whether to bond with them, tolerate them, or cut them free. The younger you are, the more challenging (or impossible) these decisions are. Nothing is more empowering than a thru-hike. Jaros doesn’t sugarcoat her journey. It was hard. She cried. She almost quit. Her final climb up Katahdin captured best who she had become: “I didn’t notice the rocks, the cool air, my heaving lungs. I didn’t think. I trusted my body to do the work, feeling strong and alert, completely able.” Read “A Walk in the Woods” if you want a history of the trail. Bryson is one of my favorites—but he didn’t finish the AT. Read Jaros’s “In My Boots” if you want a gripping narrative about a journey that transformed a life. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2025 by Cam Torrens

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