In My Boots by Amanda K. Jaros (Book Review #2060)

Amanda K. Jaros’s In My Boots: A Memoir of Five Million Steps Along the Appalachian Trail is a deeply affecting, gracefully written memoir that charts both a physical odyssey and an emotional reckoning. In the spirit of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Jaros invites readers to walk beside her as she leaves behind the confines of a sheltered life—and the emotional scars left by an abusive, volatile father—to embark on a six-month, 2,160-mile solo journey across the Appalachian Trail.

What unfolds is more than a tale of grit and endurance. In My Boots is a love letter to solitude, resilience, and the surprising power of community. Expecting isolation, Jaros instead finds connection: trail names and traditions, late-night campfire conversations, the unspoken bond between those who choose to live in motion. The memoir balances these moments of camaraderie with vivid depictions of the trail itself—from the wind-swept balds of the South to snowstorms in the Smokies and the rugged alpine beauty of the White Mountains.

Jaros’s writing is both grounded and poetic, capturing not just the topography of the land but the inner terrain of someone coming into herself. Her vulnerability is palpable as she reflects on a childhood shaped by fear and silence. Yet with each step forward, she finds a new voice—one that learns to claim joy, agency, and the right to chart her own course.

What elevates this memoir is its quiet strength. It doesn’t shout its message of empowerment but lets it rise organically through honest storytelling and the relentless rhythm of boots-on-earth. There’s humor, too, in the stinky socks and trail magic, and warmth in the friendships that arise in places far removed from any map. Most importantly, there’s a deep authenticity in the way Jaros allows the trail to mirror her emotional transformation—each climb, each blister, each moment of doubt forging something truer.

In My Boots is a must-read for lovers of memoir, nature writing, and stories of personal transformation. Amanda Jaros has crafted a journey that reminds us that healing is possible, and that sometimes, the longest paths are the ones that finally lead us home.

Written by Jeyran Main

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