Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 9,663 ratings

Price: 12.78

Last update: 12-23-2024


About this item

Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than $200. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, 67-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, atop Maine's Mount Katahdin, she sang the first verse of "America, the Beautiful" and proclaimed, "I said I'll do it, and I've done it." Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person - man or woman - to walk it twice and three times. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance, and very likely saved the trail from extinction.


Top reviews from the United States

CLD
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful & Unique read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
Lit major here - This book was inspiring and interesting. Gives excellent tidbits about this Woman as well as insight into the times. She literally put in shoes and hiked the AT❤️
K. Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Touching story about a gentle giant!
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2014
I had never heard of Grandma Gatewood, and living far closer to the John Muir Trail than the Appalachian Trail, I knew little about the AT itself. This book was actually an Amazon "suggestion" and I am soooo glad I heeded that suggestion!

First, this is not a "how to" hike book on the Appalachian Trail. There are tons of those out there already. This is the true story of a determined, tough, unassuming, 67 year old grandmother, who on a lark, decided to thru-hike the AT. In doing so, and unbeknownst to her at the time, she became the first woman to do it solo, and garnered a level of attention that ensured that improvements were made to the trail and brought the AT into the American consciousness at a time when few people knew it existed.

The author, very much like the woman herself, is unassuming in his storytelling. He refrains from melodrama and dramatic "enhancements", but tells the story gently.....quietly..... just like Grandma Gatewood would. His reverence for her is evident, and through detailed research into her journals, and interviewing her family, we get a glimpse of an incredibly remarkable and inspiring woman. Weaving back and forth mainly between her first thru-hike of the AT, (and yes, she did it several times) and her tough, troubled marriage to an abusive and demanding husband, we see a woman who despite severe obstacles, and a troubled past, decided to do an incredibly difficult thru-hike with minimal equipment, but a lot of determination, and did so without once feeling sorry for herself or relying on tens of thousands of dollars of the latest ultralight equipment. She puts most Americans to shame!

While there are adequate details about hiking the AT, the real story is Grandma Gatewood herself. She was an incredibly simple, self-sufficient and determined woman, made famous by the simple act of walking, and even if you have no interest in hiking whatsoever, you will find this to be an uplifting and engrossing story. As an interesting side note - I am familiar with the "Gatewood Cape", yet had no idea it was named after her!
Karen M
4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024
Grandma Gatewood is a true inspiration of what can be accomplished in our golden years. Not the most well-written book, bit definitely worth reading.
s. u.
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
If you’ve ever thought about doing the Appalachian Trail but have not ,read

this historical , inspiring and true story .
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspiring and...just WOW!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024
This woman was intentionally strong because she didn't see any choice. And then walked an amazing journey beginn8ng at age 67. I fell onto this excellently written book by sheer accident. Check Gramma Gatewood out! She was a pip!
Mark Noland
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring account about a remarkable woman.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
It made me feel like I could accomplish things as I get older. And you will learn about the Appalachian trail.
Beverly
4.0 out of 5 stars Overall an inspiring and interesting read
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019
This was an inspiring book about Emma Gatewood, the first woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. You can get a sense of what kind of person she was and the strength she possessed to not only hike the trail, but to live the life she did. Some who read the book have complained that there wasn't enough about the hike or trail itself. I have read another book about hiking the Appalachian Trail - "Ten Million Steps" by M. J. Eberhart. And, there wasn't a lot in his book about the actual trail either. But, then, what can you actually say about the trail itself to make an entire book interesting? And, when you think about it, isn't hiking the trail a different story for each person based on their own reasons for hiking it and enduring the necessary hardships to finish it. To me, it seemed that M. J. Eberhart's book was not only about the challenges he met and overcame on the trail but about his relationships with other like-minded people on the trail, his wish to find the good in people, and his relationship to his religion. Emma Gatewood was asked repeatedly why she was hiking the trail and gave various, similar answers along the lines of "it was there, so I did it." But, it seems to me, or maybe it was just the way the author presented it, that her story on and off the trail was about believing in herself, overcoming adversity, and not being controlled by her circumstances. She was not very prepared to hike the trail and yet she overcame each obstacle with determination and fortitude, sometimes relying solely on her own strength, sometimes with the help of others. I was amazed at her creativity and her ability to approach total strangers to ask for a place to stay. About the author's writing: I was disappointed that he brought himself and his wife into the book near the end. It was a little jarring and seemed gratuitous. But, overall, I liked the book and thought he did a good job. I got the impression that Emma Gatewood's speech was sparse, concise and factual and I doubt her diary had lengthy passages upon which he could base the story. I thought he did a good job of bringing in her past history and the history of times she lived in to make the book more relevant and interesting.
Velma V. Taormina, MD
5.0 out of 5 stars Hiking the AT
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
I loved the historical narrative of how the AT got started and the other events that were happening at the same time. Including the narratives of how she endured and survived domestic violence may inspire others to leave their situations. I read this book through in one sitting.

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