Book Review: North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail

North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail

by: Scott Jurek with Jenny Jurek

Note: I received a free finished copy of North from Little, Brown.  All opinions expressed below are my own.

I slowly started running about 10 years ago.  I added miles and got a little bit faster - I ran an ultramarathon (50K) a few years back and also ran my fastest half marathon about 1.5 years ago.  I've been on a bit of a running hiatus over the past few weeks and before that my mileage was drastically reduced due to fatigue and discomfort running when pregnant.  That being said, I'm already excited about getting back into the swing of things post-baby.  To prepare, my husband and I also bought the best reviewed running stroller on the market.  Running is important to me and a way for me to clear my head.  

If you aren't familiar with running and running long distances, then you may not be familiar with Scott Jurek.  Scott is an ultra runner (ultra=distance longer than a marathon).  He is featured in the book Born to Run (which I highly recommend if you are new to running and looking to find a motivational read) and also wrote the book Eat and Run.  I've read Born to Run and Eat and Run both several times and love both of them.  

It is because of the above books that I've been a big fan of Scott Jurek's.  He seems like the kind of guy that can bounce back from the brink of defeat only to rise to victory.  He is the motivation that you want to read about when struggling with running.  

Scott's newest book is titled North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail.  While I hadn't stalked his fastest known time (FKT) attempt on the Appalachian Trail, I had followed along somewhat passively when I saw people's social media posts.  I knew that he succeeded in obtaining the FKT, I knew there was some controversy with the state park at the finish, and I knew that the FKT had been beaten following Jurek's time.  All of that being said, I was still excited to read his new novel and hoped that it would be as motivating as Eat and Run. 

North tells the reader the story of Scott Jurek's attempt to run the Appalachian Trail while being supported primarily by his wife Jenny.  I was pleased to find out that Jenny was a featured author in the book with each chapter being told both from Scott and from Jenny's point of view.  Upon discovering this, I was surprised that the book is written by Scott Jurek WITH Jenny Jurek.  I felt like she had such a vital voice in the novel and honestly such a huge and thankless role in his journey.  I do feel like the book should have been co-authored as opposed to her getting the "with" mention.  Further, the "About the Author" section and the back flap all only discuss Scott and do not mention her as an author.  Again, this surprised me quite a bit since she wrote in every single chapter.

North is a very different read when compared to Eat and Run.  Scott's journey on the Appalachian Trail appears to be a struggle-fest and my reading of the book felt somewhat the same.  Don't get my wrong - what Scott did was amazing and nothing that I could ever accomplish. He is truly talented.  But what drew me to Eat and Run (and Born to Run) was the triumph over adversity and the somewhat comical relief certain situations give the reader.  These were not themes that I found in North.  Overall, I enjoyed the novel, but did not find it as uplifting and motivating as I would have liked it to be.  

I'd definitely recommend North to ultrarunners or hiking aficionados with the caveat that it won't always be a motivational read.  I think it is an important book and I'm glad I read about his experiences.  I especially loved reading about his mantras.  If you are looking for a more motivational read about running or hiking, then I'd definitely recommend one of the following books as an alternative:

• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
• Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
• A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson