Suzanne Roberts (1) (1970–)

Why do we go outside? Why do we look at a huge mountain or long trail and say, "Yeah, sure, why not?" Why do we push the limits of our physical and mental stamina? There may be many answers, depending on who you ask. For Suzanne and her two friends (Erika, the athletic, bossy mastermind and Dionne, the fragile but kind bulimic), their reasons for hiking the 211-mile John Muir Trail may differ, but the central driving force is the same: to prove they can. While they occasionally have male show more companions, in the end, it's the three of them who eventually push themselves to continue their trek on their own terms, by the strength of their own legs. At first, I was annoyed with Suzanne as a narrator (this memoir is taken from her journal entries while on the trip in the 90s). She seemed overly concerned with needing male company and approval, and was constantly in contest with the other two ladies. However, I came to realize that this aspect of her personality, as a recent college grad in her early 20s, that she was working to over come - even if it took her years later to recognize that. And then I realized: I was annoyed because I saw myself in her. The need for approval, especially from men, is something that I know I have battled with, even now on occasion. Suzanne, guided by a man (John Muir) in a quest to conquer wilderness and wildness, was looking for a way to feel comfortable in it as a woman. It's quite a brilliant rumination on gender and the outdoors, one that makes me want to hike the entire JMT to see if I, too, can feel at home in wildness. show less

“Once I stopped projecting what I wished I was onto myself and faced and accepted the current version of myself, I learned how to be happy in my own company.” from Mating Season

Suzanne Roberts’ collection of travel essays tells the tales of wanderlust that can, well, be less than appealing. From getting caught naked in a lightning storm to taking “real” yoga in India to realizing she needs a divorce while watching a fellow skier almost die in an avalanche, these stories are show more revealing and personal. Roberts doesn’t hold back when she discusses the men she’s had in her life and on her excursions, which is actually refreshing in the way a successful woman CEO of a global and honorable company is refreshing: it isn’t quite expected, but we know that’s the problem in and of itself. Her lovers are many, but her track record with healthy relationships isn’t. This collection is a journal of self-discovery and forgiveness. It’s also a reckoning of past indiscretions, a lesson in cultural mess-ups, a gain in confidence and ownership of her own body, and a coming-to-terms with the life she’s chosen to lead.

Roberts is quick and funny and her stories are captivating. The stories involving her mother were some of my favorites. Her writing is thoughtful and honest. I found myself irked and uncomfortable by some of her choices and remembered that it’s because this is not a life I would want. This is her life. There were also times when her experiences seemed like punishment rather than adventure, which helped vary the narratives. She sees her privilege in the faces of begging children and in the generosity of a people with much less, but that is part of what opens her eyes to the importance of travel. There were moments when I wanted to rearrange the stories because the flow didn’t quite work for me. She has organized them into categories, but the years from one essay to the next can jump two, five, or even ten years back or forward. I had to remind myself who her husband is because of the leaps in time. It isn’t a huge drawback, just a slight annoyance.

This would be a good pick for anyone that loves travel, misses traveling in these days of quarantine, or would like something different. This is a collection of love stories to old friends, lovers, her mother, new friends from her travels, discovered lands and cultures, and to herself. show less

Good tri memoir of three post-college-age girls tackling a 200 mile backpack trip just after graduating from school.
The author gives the reader both the trip details including great portrayal of the beauty and sometimes bad weather and steep trail, and also the feelings, relationships, and personalities of the three girls.

There are inspirational moments, difficult moments, fear, triumph,, even some flirting with fleeting boys, and avoidance of a few shady or obnoxious characters.

A note at show more the end of the memoir informs the reader of what became of the three girls in the two decades after the trip.

I recommend reading this book for both its story of the tree girls emotions on the trip, and also for the wonderful mental images of the backcountry through which the trail passed through.

I would rate the book a 5 star if it had included a few photos or sketches of views and events encountered during the hike.

The book will make you want to get out there on the trail show less

I truly enjoy books that take you on a personal odyssey where the person comes out a changed person. Where the challenges are met head on, where they thought they could not do something but did, where they surprise themselves and find the depths of their abilities and their souls. I love the lines about how the memory becomes scattered among other memories only to be revisited every so often. It also makes me realize I can do whatever I think I can do!! And I will!!