Adventures on the Appalachian Trail - Becoming Odyssa

What a great book. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for an adventure, or who is looking for a great read to get through some of the really difficult moments of their life. Highly inspirational. This book will help you find your own courage!

Reading this book I could not help comparing to the other popular female hiking story, Wild. Both books are memoirs of young ladies who take on huge challenges and throw caution to the wind by hiking hundreds of miles alone.
I enjoyed Jennifer Pharr Davis' writing style and felt the entire tale was believable. The other book, not so sure what what put in just to sell copies.

Kudos to Jennifer in this magnificent tale of stamina and strength. I have admiration and respect for taking on this incredible journey. After a mountaineering course with the Sierra Club, I hung up my backpack. Although I love hiking and camping out, I never could carry-on past a weekend of trail blazing. I enjoyed the comments about the weekenders. What a powerful experience and well written for all us want to be hikers. Thanks for a great write.

I enjoyed this book, it was informative and easy to read. I think it would be a good book to read for those who want to hike the AT, and in general for anyone interested in hiking. I learned a lot of new things thanks to this book even though I don't live in the US and will probably never hike the AT but I am interested in hiking the Lycian Way in Turkey. Thanks, Jennifer! Good job!

I heard Jennifer speak and came home and started the book immediately on my Kindle. I loved it! Couldn't put it down! Felt I was out there hiking with her. Do wish there were more pictures though! Also, if you can ever go and hear her speak, GO!

To hike the Appalachian Trail has been a fascination of mine for a long time. I even have a map of the entire trail so I could follow and see where "Odyssa" was when towns were mentioned. Maybe my goal now should be to one day be able to provide "trail magic" for hikers. Thank you for taking me along with you as you wrote so vividly about your journey

Excellent book about one young woman's adventures on the Appalachian Trail. Very well written and hard for me to put down. Unfortunately I started reading this book about 2 weeks before I took a major professional test, and this book interfered with my studying. Oh well, if I don't do well on the test, I guess I'll get on the Appalachian Trail! Great read. Thanks.

I talked with a friend about doing a pilgrimage and she talked about the Appalachian trail and recommended a book for me to read. I was actually looking for that book when I came across this one, and so glad I did!
The way she described everything around her made me feel like I was right there with her seeing what she was seeing and feeling what she felt. I would definitely recommend this to anyone thinking about hiking this or any trail, or pilgrimage.

Becoming Odyssa is my 4th Appalachian Trail memoir this year. I was looking forward to reading about the journey from a woman's perspective, but was a little nervous about other reviewers' complaints about her religious slant. I needn't have worried. I found the narration to be entertaining and filled with humor, and the author's spirituality is a part of who she is, not the whole book. Odyssa is never cloying or preachy. Inspirational and fun book!

My friend Courtney met Jennifer's father while on vacation and learned about this book, and she in turn told me about it, and I'm so glad she did! What a great story about her first thru-hike on the AT. Her determination and maturity at an age when I know many, including myself, were worried about so many other trivial things in life is astounding. I truly believe and understand how she felt drawn to the AT and how she just *knew* it was what she was supposed to do, I have felt that way about many things in my life. I also enjoyed her discussions she had with herself on the AT, I have had many of them too over the years. Thinking about my faith, wondering what I would do if I had been born during other parts of history such as civil rights era, etc. I wonder those things too, would I have been strong enough to be a part of change? I am not a hiker at all, but I am interested in trying to have some of those same experiences after reading this book. She is a hero for sure!

I was somewhat concerned that this would be an informational journal, but boring. It was anything but! I truly felt that I was part of the journey, and though I could not personally handle the physical aspects of such a trek, I lived it vicariously. This book was well written and entertaining. From one author to another - well done!

Enjoyable read. The author does a good job of picking interesting tidbits and details to include without getting bogged down in minutiae. My only complaint is that she is repeatedly demeaning against day hikers which, as a day hiker, felt a bit offensive.

Delightful read. I have recommended it to several people who are not hikers. It does a nice job of conveying her thoughts and emotions of meeting the challenges of the unknown - both in yourself and on the trail.

This author was so Genuine in her Content and Feelin . g. Incredible information about the Appalachian trail - Pros and Cons. Her Real life Story draws you in and amazes you. Drama, comedy, fear and joy are all included. She is a gifted writer as well as Hiker. I admired her Spirit and her Writing. Well Done....Best of 14 books I read in 2014. 5 stars

After reading Strayed's "Wild" I was interested in reading other hike books. This book was enjoyable, and I found myself admiring the author more and more as the book went on. I vicariously live the lives of those who have taken up the task of hiking, whether it be the Pacific Trail or the Appalachian. There are still pioneers living today.

This book is wonderful. It is so well written and describes so well this amazing journey along the Appalachian Trail. As a lone traveler, a young woman accomplishes a feat and fulfills a challenge that changes her life. I loved reading it as I know I would never do something like that, but this was an opportunity to experience it with her! She's amazing, her experiences were beyond challenging, the friendships she made along the way were incredible. It was a motivational read as well as interesting and colorful and exciting. I loved it and read through it very quickly! Will probably read it again someday.

This book really is wonderful. I love outdoor adventure novels, and this did not disappoint. The author shares her great story of an amazing adventure. I've given this book as a gift to my sister and I know she will love it as much as I!

The story of Jennifer Pharr Davis's first Appalachian Trail thru hike is a great read and she does not hold back on her thoughts as they occurred through her journey. The hike changed her, but it was not as she expected and still found herself searching to find herself at the end. I appreciate her honesty and it teaches us that every adventure in life is just another step to becoming who we are.

Enjoyed author's story of trail experiences and adventures,not buying all new equipment, gadgets, etc. Interesting to learn about trail magic and more! Good audio read. Good narrator. Good intro and conclusion.

Enjoyed author's story of trail experiences and adventures,not buying all new equipment, gadgets, etc. Interesting to learn about trail magic and more! Good audio read. Good narrator. Good intro and conclusion.

A wonderful journey of faith, strength and courage. I truly enjoyed every turn in the trail and could frequently feel myself there. Often laughing as I read each adventure and misadventure of Odyssa and her trail companions.

Milo Garcia gave each 1 of the 50 little parapackers this book to read while holed up in the Big Yurt at the site of the old Joe's Hole Brook Lean -to in Maine.

The parapacker's couldn't put it down and they all read it non-stop in 21 hrs, 45 minutes and 12 seconds ! All except Little Hector who kept pausing to hi-lite his favorite passages !

Little Juan Parapacker said it was the best AT read he's read since his mentor Ed Garbey came out with that little book back in the 70's.

The Parapackers give it a hearty 102 Thumbs Up as THE AT book to buy for all your hiking pals this holiday season !

One word of caution - it is NOT fondue resistant ! Rumor has it that the 2nd edition will be printed on special fondue-resistant recycled paper !

The heroine's courage in undertaking a complete solo trek of the Appalachian Trail is indeed epic! While I'm not sure if I'd recommend the project, I heartily recommend the book. It testifies to the courage of one young woman reaching her goal with the expense of physical exhaustion and pure determination.

Very well written entertaining and informative book on thru hiking read before you go or if like me your an armchair adventurer you will receive hours of entertainment and vicarious thrills well worth the money !!!

I have always wanted to walk the trail. My husband and I have walked on the section in the Smoky's. She made her trip so interesting, that I felt I was on the trail right along with her. As a mother, she scared me at times with the choices she made, but it was thrilling and very interesting to be taken along on her quest. I loved her writing technique. Very straightforward and easy to follow. Kudos to Jennifer Pharr Davis.

I remember randomly purchasing this book as I was preparing for my own thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I chose this book because it was the only hardcover book about someone's story of the Appalachian Trail. I quickly fell in love with the book. After I finished reading it I did some more research on the author and found her to be an extremely accomplished woman who now holds the speed record for the trail, 2 thru hikes later. Amazing story, amazing woman. Don't think about it, just buy it.