Get Your Free Audiobook
-
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
- An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Adventurers, Explorers & Survival
Non-member price: $36.54
People who bought this also bought...
-
Thirst
- 2600 Miles to Home
- By: Heather Anderson
- Narrated by: Heather Costa
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By age 25, Heather Anderson had hiked what is known as the "Triple Crown" of backpacking: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail - a combined distance of 7,900 miles with a vertical gain of more than one million feet. A few years later, she left her job, her marriage, and a dissatisfied life and walked back into those mountains. In her new memoir, Heather shares her distinct message of courage - her willingness to turn away from the predictability of a more traditional life in an effort to seek out what most fulfills her.
-
-
Pretty good
- By Ms on 24-08-2019
-
The Last Englishman
- Book 1
- By: Keith Foskett
- Narrated by: Adam Stubbs
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Englishman is an extraordinary travel memoir by an experienced long-distance hiker. If you believe there’s more to life than work, yearn for new horizons and challenges, and believe in overcoming adversity, then you’ll love Keith Foskett’s tale of exploration.
-
-
Good Story
- By Amazon Customer on 04-09-2020
-
Wild
- By: Cheryl Strayed
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an 1100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe and built her back up again. At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. After her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than an idea: vague, outlandish, and full of promise.
-
-
Up there with into the wild.
- By Luke on 30-01-2015
-
The Trail Provides
- A Boy's Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: David Smart
- Narrated by: David Smart
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Disillusioned by the corporate lifestyle, David finds himself unemployed and desperate for change. Bradley, his older, more adventurous, and slightly-wreckless college fraternity brother presents an enticing offer. Just a few weeks later, the two inexperienced hopefuls abandon society and plunge into a soul-searching sojourn to thru-hike the Pacific Crest trail, a 2,650-mile Mexico-to-Canada footpath - barefoot. At the trail’s mercy from day one, the two hikers face the endless pains of walking, rising tensions, and falling behind to the coming winter.
-
-
I really enjoy this book but I’m a hiker
- By ecologist on 18-08-2020
-
A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states and over 2,000 miles, snaking through some of the most spectacular landscapes in America. Reluctant adventurer Bryson recounts his gruelling hike along the longest continuous footpath in the world.
-
-
- By Anonymous User on 11-02-2019
-
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
- By: David Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.
-
-
felt like i was walking the trail too
- By marie-helene on 23-05-2019
-
Thirst
- 2600 Miles to Home
- By: Heather Anderson
- Narrated by: Heather Costa
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By age 25, Heather Anderson had hiked what is known as the "Triple Crown" of backpacking: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail - a combined distance of 7,900 miles with a vertical gain of more than one million feet. A few years later, she left her job, her marriage, and a dissatisfied life and walked back into those mountains. In her new memoir, Heather shares her distinct message of courage - her willingness to turn away from the predictability of a more traditional life in an effort to seek out what most fulfills her.
-
-
Pretty good
- By Ms on 24-08-2019
-
The Last Englishman
- Book 1
- By: Keith Foskett
- Narrated by: Adam Stubbs
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Englishman is an extraordinary travel memoir by an experienced long-distance hiker. If you believe there’s more to life than work, yearn for new horizons and challenges, and believe in overcoming adversity, then you’ll love Keith Foskett’s tale of exploration.
-
-
Good Story
- By Amazon Customer on 04-09-2020
-
Wild
- By: Cheryl Strayed
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an 1100-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe and built her back up again. At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. After her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than an idea: vague, outlandish, and full of promise.
-
-
Up there with into the wild.
- By Luke on 30-01-2015
-
The Trail Provides
- A Boy's Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: David Smart
- Narrated by: David Smart
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Disillusioned by the corporate lifestyle, David finds himself unemployed and desperate for change. Bradley, his older, more adventurous, and slightly-wreckless college fraternity brother presents an enticing offer. Just a few weeks later, the two inexperienced hopefuls abandon society and plunge into a soul-searching sojourn to thru-hike the Pacific Crest trail, a 2,650-mile Mexico-to-Canada footpath - barefoot. At the trail’s mercy from day one, the two hikers face the endless pains of walking, rising tensions, and falling behind to the coming winter.
-
-
I really enjoy this book but I’m a hiker
- By ecologist on 18-08-2020
-
A Walk in the Woods
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Appalachian Trail covers 14 states and over 2,000 miles, snaking through some of the most spectacular landscapes in America. Reluctant adventurer Bryson recounts his gruelling hike along the longest continuous footpath in the world.
-
-
- By Anonymous User on 11-02-2019
-
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
- By: David Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.
-
-
felt like i was walking the trail too
- By marie-helene on 23-05-2019
-
The Journey in Between: A Thru-Hiking Adventure on El Camino de Santiago
- By: Keith Foskett
- Narrated by: Adam Stubbs
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Keith Foskett was the definition of restless. Drifting aimlessly, he knew a piece was missing from his life. But when a stranger in a Greek bar tells him about a world-famous pilgrim’s trail, the chance encounter sets Foskett’s life in a new 1,000-mile direction. On El Camino de Santiago, the wanderer copes with extreme temperatures, fake faith healers, and insatiable kleptomaniacs. Threatened with arrest for "not sleeping" and suffering with excruciating blisters, Foskett pushes himself to new limits. Can he find what he’s looking for and make it to the other side?
-
-
An excellent walk and an excellent story.
- By SS at Amazon on 21-01-2021
-
Bliss(ters)
- How I walked from Mexico to Canada One Summer
- By: Gail M. Francis
- Narrated by: Wendy Tremont King
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just before her 40th birthday, Gail Francis quit her perfectly good job and set out to hike one of the great trails of the world. Carrying everything she needed on her back, Francis spent five months walking from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. Along the way, she lost her pack scrambling over scree in the desert, struggled to navigate high mountain passes, and wore the soles off her boots trekking across lava fields - all within some of the most pristine wilderness in the nation. Though she set out alone, her story includes an eclectic cast of characters.
-
-
Great listen.
- By Anonymous User on 17-06-2020
-
Hikertrash: Life on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Erin Miller
- Narrated by: Tracy Fawns
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Teetering awkwardly on the brink of insanity, unable to handle life in snowy, cold, ultra-conservative North Idaho, Carl and Erin sold their house and set out in search of a new place to call home. Suddenly finding themselves completely free of responsibilities, jobless, and with a little spare cash in the bank, it didn't take long before their serious search for a new life took some unexpected twists and turns. This is the story of what day-to-day life is really like on one of America's greatest trails.
-
The Pants of Perspective
- One Woman's 3,000 Kilometre Running Adventure Through the Wilds of New Zealand
- By: Anna McNuff
- Narrated by: Anna McNuff
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna was never anything like those "real" runners on telly, but when she read about New Zealand’s 3,000-kilometer-long Te Araroa Trail, she began to wonder...perhaps being a "real" runner was overrated. Maybe she could just run it anyway? The Pants of Perspective is a witty, colorful, and at times painfully raw account of a journey to the edge of what a woman believes herself to be capable of. It is a coming-of-age story that will lead you on a roller-coaster ride through fear, vulnerability, courage, and failure.
-
-
Best book I have ever had the pleasure to hear!
- By Anonymous User on 23-01-2021
-
Wild by Nature
- From Siberia to Australia, Three Years Alone in the Wilderness on Foot
- By: Sarah Marquis, Stephanie Hellert - Translator
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is an incredible story of adventure, human ingenuity, persistence, and resilience that shows firsthand what it is to adventure as a woman in the most dangerous of circumstance, what it is to be truly alone in the wild, and why someone would challenge themselves with an expedition others would call crazy. For Marquis, her story is about freedom, being alive and wild by nature.
-
-
Why is she out there? What drives her?
- By Walker on 16-12-2018
-
Where's the Next Shelter?
- By: Gary Sizer
- Narrated by: Gary Sizer
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Where's the Next Shelter? is the true story of three travelers on the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile hike that stretches from Georgia to Maine, told from the perspective of Gary Sizer, a seasoned backpacker and former marine who quickly finds himself humbled by the endeavor. If you long for the horizon or to sleep under the stars, then come along for the hike of a lifetime. All you have to do is take the first step.
-
-
Great hiking book
- By Anonymous User on 16-04-2020
-
Tracks
- A Woman's Solo Trek across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback
- By: Robyn Davidson
- Narrated by: Angie Milliken
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Enduring sweltering heat, fending off poisonous snakes and lecherous men, chasing her camels when they get skittish and nursing them when they are injured, Davidson emerges as an extraordinarily courageous heroine driven by a love of Australia's landscape, an empathy for its indigenous people, and a willingness to cast away the trappings of her former identity. Tracks is the compelling, candid story of her odyssey of discovery and transformation.
-
-
There are always better ways to treat animals
- By Christiana on 12-10-2019
-
Woman in the Wilderness
- By: Miriam Lancewood
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Woman in the Wilderness tells how one woman learned to dig deep and push the boundaries in order to discover what really matters in life. Miriam is a young Dutch woman living in the heart of the mountains with her New Zealand husband. She lives simply in a tent or hut and survives by hunting wild animals and foraging edible plants, relying on only minimal supplies. For the last six years she has lived this way, through all seasons, often cold, hungry and isolated in the bush. She loves her life and feels free, connected to the land and happy.
-
-
love this book from start to finish
- By Anonymous User on 13-10-2020
-
High and Low: How I Hiked Away from Depression Across Scotland
- By: Mr Keith Foskett
- Narrated by: Adam Stubbs
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Keith Foskett refused to let his dark mood define his limitations. Unknowingly suffering with depression, he took to hiking the wilds of Scotland to face the inner demons that threatened to gnaw him to the bone. From the craggy Highlands of the Cape Wrath Trail and West Highland Way to the canals crisscrossing the low country, 600 miles of unforgiving hiking terrain called his name.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Suzanne Voice on 16-05-2020
-
Balancing on Blue
- By: Keith Foskett
- Narrated by: Adam Stubbs
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Keith Foskett’s dream of escape started with a single step. When the long-distance hiker chose to backpack all 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, he left ordinary life behind for five months. Enduring an incredible test of physical and psychological strength, Foskett was pushed to his limits....
-
-
Great read
- By Amazon Customer on 10-11-2020
-
Walking Thru
- A Couple’s Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Michael Tyler
- Narrated by: William Sarris
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bored and fed up with life, staring down a 50th birthday, Mike Tyler was looking for a change. Life had become routinized and unexciting. Maybe it was a mid-life crisis, or maybe just a yearning for one last big adventure. Mike decides to try hiking from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail, just to see what happens. Mike convinces his wife, Margo, to join him. Together, they embark on a five-month hike full of anticipation. They hike through some of the most stunning and remote places in the country on a trail full of unique, offbeat characters.
-
-
happy
- By Amazon Customer on 10-07-2020
-
Into the Wild
- By: Jon Krakauer
- Narrated by: Philip Franklin
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.
-
-
Fascinating True Story
- By Melle on 05-01-2021
Publisher's Summary
Carrot Quinn fears that she's become addicted to the Internet. The city makes her numb, and she's having trouble connecting with others. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. It will be her first long-distance hike.
In the desert of Southern California, Carrot faces many challenges, both physical and emotional: pain, injury, blisters, aching cold and searing heat, dehydration, exhaustion, loneliness. In the wilderness she happens upon and becomes close with an eclectic group of strangers - people she wouldn't have chanced to meet in the "regular world" but who are brought together, here on the trail, by their one common goal: to make it to Canada before the snow flies.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 21-08-2018
Too much sex!
A well performed recollection of a through hike experience. Just too much sex for me!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 30-09-2020
I really love hiking story's
I loved this one the most, the only bad thing is the end came too quick. I loved the little sexy bits and raw nature of of the story cause let's face it your going to pop, swear and have sex in that 6 months no point fairying around it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jac
- 03-06-2020
Needs heavy editing
Completion of such an amazing walk would be a considerably more interesting read of many of the day to day, and necessarily repetitive events, had been omitted. Heavy editing could have improved a good story considerably.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-05-2020
Incredible
Beautifully written, I didn’t want it to end. Definitely pulled on the heart strings and made you feel you were out there on the trail.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 20-03-2020
eye rolls
I loved the hiking and adventure escapism, but carrot really annoyed me as a person. so scared to be her own person and do anything with any one. I found myself eye rolling every few minutes when she'd whine about wanting to stay with her "friends" or her repeated questions "what is...." was a constant one. she felt too people please-y. Great book but carrots not my kind of person :)
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- lisa
- 24-09-2018
Insiteful
Great to hear what the big walk is like. An amazing achievement. The narrators voice suited this story.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-09-2018
A great tale.
This was a great tale of a walk along the PCT, expressed with heart. Recommended.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 17-07-2018
An adventure
Stomping and starving to the next re-supply and pizza binge. Sounds ridiculously perfect. Although my hunger anxieties peaked almost every chapter. Narrator took a little getting used to.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 23-05-2018
The perfect workday commute companion
This book was great! A day by day account of the PCT, with the highlights, low lights, and relationships along the way. A great read for times when you feel caught in the 9-5. A reminder to step away from it all and live!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Douglas
- 11-05-2018
Burbling and Pizzas
Really enjoyed this story. Took a while to get used to the present tense, but I found after a while you can start living the moment, imagining the many burbling streams and countless pizzas. Note this is not a guide to the PCT or solo hiking. The author rarely touches on the technical detail.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- LW09
- 10-04-2017
Strong start...underwhelming finish
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
I enjoyed the first half of this book, experiencing the day-to-day struggles of the trail with Carrot. But, lost interest when it became mostly about her immature romance. Some of the dialogue was pretty cringeworthy.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Beth E.
- 05-06-2016
Fresh and surprising thru-hikealog
After finishing this book, I found I craved the narrator's voice and being on the trail with Carrot, so I started listening again. It's become the backdrop for life these days, and I listen as I drive, as I lay down to sleep, whenever I want to escape to the trail. It has re-opened the world of thru hiking for me just when I needed it! PCT '85
25 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joe Doro
- 02-02-2017
Walk,sleep,tired,happy,hungry,pain -- then repeat
What would have made Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart better?
Unlike most other adventure books this story concentrates only on what the author was thinking while walking during this long hike.
I lasted through the first thousand miles hoping that something would happen. But nothing does. It's almost like Groundhog Day, the same thing over and over again. How many times does one have to hear about the questioning as to whether enough food is being carried?
For example,we never learn anything of significance about the people that are encountered along the way other than for some very superficial stuff. Did we ever learn why any of them were hiking? As for the trail angels, why do they do what they do? There is never any discussion of the different areas that are traversed other than to offer a physical description. No history, no explanation as to why the geography is the way it is, nothing about the indigenous people, and in fact no explanation as to what the PCT is or why it's there.
Whenever there was an opportunity, and there were many, to talk about anything but herself, that path was not followed which really made the book boring for me.
Overall, I felt like I was listening to someone read from their Franklin Planner.
What was most disappointing about Carrot Quinn’s story?
nothing happened.
What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?
Not much. Very benign.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Boredom
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Ara Roselani
- 29-07-2016
Compelling, even if you'll never hike the PCT
I'll never climb Everest, but I read everything I can about it. I'll likely never hike the PCT, but I love stories about people who do. Carrot's book is so immersive, so wonderful, so occasionally mundane in the matters of food and water and clothing--it made me very happy.
In contrast to Wild, I feel this book is much more about the daily journey of the trail--what it's like to walk the whole thing. What it's like to fall in love with it. What a largely free heart feels in such a place. I love her humor, her despair, her overwhelming joy, her change as the miles fly by. Unlike some other reviewers, I don't find the bits about intimacy with other hikers troubling or annoying. It all seems very genuine and real and isn't overdone, or overly focused upon. It's simply part of her journey. And, more importantly, her.
Highly recommended. Thank you, Carrot, for sharing your marvelous journey. Please write more!
23 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 20-12-2017
Like an infinity of switchbacks...it just never ended
Recently I hiked Mt. Whitney. They call the descent from the saddle “The 99 switchbacks” because it’s a seemingly endless back and forth and back and forth, while the valley below seems impossibly out of reach-never getting closer no matter how long I walked. That’s what this book felt like. There was no story, just a series of narration about what Carrot ate, how well or badly she slept, and how she felt about whatever sexual entanglement was occupying her mind. And every time I checked the remaining time, the end was nowhere near. And it felt...dishonest, in a way. The author talked a lot about eating ice cream and hamburgers...then in a later chapter reveals that she’s lactose intolerant and has issues with gluten so if she ate like that she’d be dooming herself to days of diarrhea. Tough to buy that she’s going to hike long distance in that conditions. She didn’t have long pants and only wore shorts...but talks about being in extreme cold...says she read all the right books but seems to be surprised by each mishap...”what is Hiker heaven...I didn’t even know” is the kind of pretentious wide eyed innocence that shows up throughout and rings...if not false...at least disingenuous. I’ve never read a book about hiking that made me less interested in experiencing a similar trek or “nope”ing so hard at the idea of traveling with the author. When she’s with people, she loves them until she can’t stand them...then misses them on the trail (all within about 24 hours from meeting them). She manages to get into a cutesy lesbian thing with another hiker but trades snowflake-experiencing-Tinder level sexting when they’re apart on the trail and the other woman is flirting with a different hiker...and telling her about it. It’s like reading every cliche about millennials and their inability to disconnect, FOMO and general angst, but applied to a 2600 mile hike to Canada. Bottom line: I called in evac and bailed with about 1/3 of the book left. I’d rather re-listen to Wild for the 10th time than hear the minutiae of another day of “I’m starving...I ate too much...I’m lonely...I hate people” angsty day on the PCT.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- book worm
- 29-06-2016
More of diary than travelogue
Any additional comments?
Of the 3 thru hiking books I've read, this one is in third place. In first place would be Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, and in second place AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. I never really got used to the "valley girl" accent of the narrator of Thru Hiking will break your heart. Putting an extra drawn out syllable on a one syllable word, kind of a teenager's voice. But much of the book was detailing the junk food eating at each stop, the motels, foot problems, pretty much any reason not to have to sleep on the trail. But I listened to the whole thing, and I disagree with other reviews that said there was "too much sex in it", there wasn't, just that a couple of girls shared a tent once in awhile and a hug. The rest was left to imagination. I want to be fair to this book because I recognize the effort and the accomplishment of the thru hiking, just that from my point of view I was interested more in accounts of nature, not just that everything looked "green", or was desert, etc. This was more of a diary with how many miles, what food eaten, where night was spent, restaurants visited, and about collecting boxes of food and equipment she had shipped ahead to various towns. I just did not get a feel of nature from this account.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Michelle
- 15-03-2017
A Diary from the Trail
Would you consider the audio edition of Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart to be better than the print version?
The narrator brought life to the words that I cannot imagine would have been the same in my head had I read the print version. She was sincere and inquisitive as I imagine Carrot to be.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart?
It is easy to focus a lot on the brief romances Carrot has while on the trail, they are exciting and leave you with many questions. But this is not a story about finding romance, it is a story about figuring out one's self when taken out of the every day. The part of the story that stuck with me the most is the friendships she developed with Spark and Instigate. Learning how Carrot handled various illnesses and ailments while on the trail was also an intriguing part of the story. Her trip to the dentist and to the doctor for antibiotics really put things into perspective how out of the normal every day American routine she was on the trail.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The title is a perfect tagline for this book.
Any additional comments?
The book changes tone about half-way through. This is because the "book" was originally written as a blog. With half of that blog being written on the trail. The latter part of the book was written after Carrot had completed the PCT. Because of this, there is a shift from focusing on gear and blisters, to more thoughtful quiet moments that include Carrot's reflections on her own childhood- surely inspired and in sync with her thoughts on the trail.
This book is a gift. I have never thru-hiked myself but am attracted to stories where people step out of the every day routine. It is written like a diary and Carrot really brings you into her world and to the trail with her words. I followed along on her blog that still includes pictures from the trail while I listened to the book. I highly recommend.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Angelina
- 25-11-2016
My Heart is Only a Little Broken
I had a good time listening to this book while I do my farm work. I enjoyed the voice actor. I sometimes became annoyed by Carrots hippie platitudes left and right.. her repetiative questions like "where am i" and "what am i doing"... but I like that she's a queer punk feminist who makes her politics known in her book. I'm glad she talked about the interpersonal bonds, the friendships and the romantic connections she made on the trail. Being a young queer woman interested in thru hiking that accidentally picked out a book written by a queer woman, based on the cover alone made me feel like it was destiny.. However, I had some dissapointments to face. I found the most serious love interest (a man) to be very boring and that was a let down for me. But I get that being queer means falling for dudes sometimes... I guess.
I especially enjoyed and appreciated the occasional moments of true vulnerability she showed when she talked about her childhood and things like that. I wish there had been more like that.
Overall I feel that I understand more about what the hike will be like. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the trail and the weather and the struggle.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- steven
- 01-05-2018
No real info
The author jumps around, without much background or info on where she is, and history or backstory. You don't even know WHO she is, or what is her story, besides a bit about a van and an internet addiction (who doesn't these days??). It's mostly a rambling journal about food and walking. No explanation. It's OK to listen to. Nothing special or informative about the trail.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- cobaltblue
- 08-12-2017
Amazing. Mesmerizing. Wonderful.
This is absolutely the best memoir I have ever listened to of what it is like to experience the adventure called the Pacific Crest Trail. The writing is stellar. To be able to entertain a listener for all the 2660 miles it took Carrot Quinn to hike the entire length of this trail that stretches from The Mexican border to the Canadian border is stunning. Her verbal portraits of the terrain she sees and the journey that also takes place in her soul kept me enchanted for days. I listened to the wonderful narration of Erin Spencer over the course of several months, as I promised myself I could not listen to this inspirational story until I had accomplished other chores. It was a useful tool, as I could not wait to get back to the story. The story is so mesmerizing, I plan on going back and purchasing the print book so I can add it to my collection of stories to be enjoyed again and again. Erin Spencer was the perfect voice to bring this story of adventure, struggle, and survival to the audio world. Her style perfectly matched the writing 'voice' of Ms. Quinn. And the production values were superb. No variation of sound levels, and clear enunciation without the annoying sharp S sounds that sometimes plague other female narrators. The understated delivery, again, perfectly captured the writing style of the story. I can not recommend this audiobook enough. The story was poetic, magical and it's delivery was outstanding. Carrot may not re-hike the PCT, but I will definitely be re-listening to her journey. There is so much here to re-visit. Thank you to Carrot, her family on the trail, and to Erin for making the beginning of this winter of 2017-18 much more tolerable. May your next journeys be as life changing as this one was. And with plenty of food available, whenever you want it. :-)
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jon234
- 13-06-2020
Not the best hiking related book I’ve listened to.
I prefer ones where you learn about the other hikers and their stories and maybe a bit more about the trail itself. She mentions a few other hikers but hardly anything about them apart from their trail names. She focuses more on what she and everyone else ate on the way. She also seems to skip quite quickly from one part of the story to the next without telling you what happened in between making it harder to follow. With other hiking audio books I’ve listened to (apart from ‘wild’ which is similar to this one and ‘a walk in the woods’ both of which I didn’t rate very highly) I’ve wanted to keep listening to them and get to the end because I was enjoying them and wanted to find out what happened next, with this one I just wanted to get to the end so I didn’t have to listen to it anymore. I always try and listen to all of them to the end in case it gets better and to be fair the last hour of this one was probably the best bit (I will admit to skipping some of the more cringeworthy parts of the book though).
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jonathon
- 28-02-2018
Horrific
14hours of my life lost listening to this twisty, whiney sod go on about food, blisters, and some dude who clearly isn't interested in her! If you want an adventure book look elsewhere!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kevin Gill
- 08-09-2020
Beautiful story - Beautifully read
An inspiring tale of endurance. Drawing imagination of the hardship of trekking the PCT. Friendships made continue from trails end. Erin Spencer reads beautifully a story of a woman who’s early years are marred by neglect. The listener will be appalled by a description of Carrot’s heartless mother. The fact that Carrot survives everything thrown at her is inspiration to us all.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- L J Bearpark
- 10-09-2018
Not the best!
Unfortunately the book has no real content it’s mainly walk sleep eat. Which I appreciate is most what the PCT is but you don’t really get to know the much about the author! But then what do I know so make up your own mind! Probably do it with your free credits tho!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- John
- 27-03-2017
Enjoyable
Really enjoyed this book. A snapshot of life on the trail for a thrill hiker
16 Best Audiobooks by Aboriginal Authors
Across genres, there’s no shortage of brilliant titles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers of Australia.



25 Best Celebrity Audiobooks
It’s always a pleasant surprise to pick up a familiar story and find an unexpected famous friend in the narrator’s booth.



Best Audiobooks of 2020
We've crunched the numbers, heard from our listeners and gotten expert opinions to round up the best listens of 2020.


