Rumor; gossip; and innuendo are the weapons of the home front; and no one wielded them with quite the aplomb of Maria Lydig Daly. Her richly detailed comments on everything from inept Union generals to Dorothea Dix’s appearance provide the liveliest memoir to emerge from a Northern noncombatant. Daly was the wife of a prominent New York City judge whose connections allowed her to meet many major figures involved in Northern military and diplomatic strategy. Despite catty comments about Mrs. Lincoln and less-than-flattering appraisals of Union generalship; Daly could be sympathetic toward the suffering of the soldiers. She noted the fear with which many viewed the draft; seeing it as a terrible incursion on liberty; but she understood that the times called for severe measures.
#300203 in Books Suzanne Roberts 2012-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.30 x .70 x 5.40l; .75 #File Name: 0803240120262 pagesAlmost Somewhere Twenty Eight Days on the John Muir Trail
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Hiking; Feminism; FriendshipBy Jamie | North of SomethingThis is the story of three women hiking through part of Yosemite National Park - and it changed their lives. They encounter bears; strangers; and extraordinary scenery. Each traveler makes her own discoveries along the way through injuries; personal battles; and victories great and small.I really enjoyed the book; and as someone who only hikes every couple years and only for a few hours at a time; I admired her gusto for hiking for a whole month; especially her honesty about her own weaknesses; both physical and mental. Roberts quotes Thoreau: “In wildness is the preservation of the world;†and she laments that many people confuse ‘wildness’ and ‘wilderness.’ “Wildness can exist both outside and inside of us; whereas the very definition of wilderness seems to be the absence of humans; further separating us from our wild places and our very own wild natures†(64). Throughout her journey Roberts shows the struggles of all three girls and how they adapt in the ways they weren’t accepting the wildness inside themselves.Throughout the hike they were surrounded by beautiful mountains; lakes; and wildflowers; which they all seemed to appreciate. “I wanted to study the landscape; to look at it long enough; until it entered me and I could carry it with me; inside my body; always… I wasn’t ready to leave the view. I wasn’t sure what the questions were; but I was certain these mountains contained the answers†(106-107). I’ve had many moments like this in nature and I thought Roberts described it beautifully.Overall; it was a fun summer read that inspired me to get back into hiking!4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Great Read; Highly Entertaining and InterestingBy JEI recently finished reading the Kindle version of Almost Somewhere on my iPad. What a pleasant surprise! It was for me the kind of book that interfered with my work; because I couldn't hardly put it down!I found the entire book to be engaging; interesting; touching; inspiring; and down-to-earth honest. Rather than the typical travel story that only describes where the author has been and what they have seen; author Suzanne Roberts shares with us her innermost thoughts and reactions and feelings as she encounters personal challenges; interesting characters; her interaction with her friends and strangers; and her own thoughts as she hiked the John Muir Trail with two female friends. That's what really made the book for me. I laughed; felt sad; and was constantly impressed with the author's bravery and willingness to make herself vulnerable by sharing with us how she really felt; even when it was not very flattering to her. That made the story real to me. In this book I had a sense of not only the external experiences the author encountered; but how she in her uniqueness responded to each. For me; that was a central factor in keeping the book interesting and distinguishing it from the run of the mill travel journal. I felt like I had a sense of experiencing the trip from her perspective.The book is laid out with one chapter for each day of her 28 day hike. This format helped me to visualize her progress; and I was always looking forward to see what the next day would bring. It was like opening a new gift box every chapter to see what was inside!One theme which runs persistently through the book is the author's belief that there is a contrasting "male view" and "female view" of the wilderness; and how one is in wilderness (with; predictably; the guys wanting to conquer everything; and the gals wanting to relate to everything). Personally; I don't view the world that way; so I didn't relate to this emphasis. The author presumes the correctness of her worldview; and filters everything through this lens. My experiences have led me to think individuals have very different ways of viewing the wilderness; and ways of being in the wilderness based on their own experience; skills; interests; and abilities; and it is not essentially a male/female issue. I've know many women hikers and outdoor enthusiasts with what the author would consider a "male" view; and many men who hold what the author would consider a "female" view. I don't think it's legitimate for this reality to be easily explained away by simply asserting that each time the theory doesn't fit the facts it is due to the individual having "internalized" the opposite gender's view. That comes across to me as a gross rationalization; a forced bending of the facts to fit one's preconceived theory.My impression is that the author's focus on this theme is likely due to what appears to be her personal hyper-sensitivity to male/female issues and her own difficulties in relating to the opposite sex; which I would guess has originated from her unique background; experiences; sensitivities and approach to life. I think the author was on the right track when she acknowledged that prior to going into the wilderness she had been heavily influenced by writers such as Muir and Thoreau; and that her experience did not match theirs. The key distinction; I think; was not that they were male writers; but that they were both writers who took a "romantic" view of the wilderness. That's not a distinctly "male" or "female" view. In fact; I could see someone likely arguing that a romantic view is more a "female" view than a "male" view.When I was in Jr. High school my assistant principal took a group of us on a week long backpacking trip from Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon to Rae Lakes on the John Muir Trail. In high school a friend and I backpacked the JMT from Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley. That was back in the late 60s. About 10 years ago my wife and I day hiked the same trip. From my first trip about 45 years ago I've been in love with the white granite and glaciated basins of the high Sierra. I've always wanted to hike the entire JMT. This book was not only a great read; but has inspired me and motivated me to do something about my own dream. Thank you; Suzanne; for a great story!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Quality story about a journey on the JMT!!By Andrew BaresI wanted to read someone else's story about a long distance backpack after completing 36 days on some of New Zealand's long distance trail. "Wild" sounded too obsessed with sex and drugs and drama - the stuff of Hollywood movies - so I continued searching.Almost Somewhere captures the story of long distance backpacking from multiple perspectives of typical college graduates. The narrator/author isn't an excellent backpacker by any means. She enjoys scribbling in her journal; taking shorter easier trail days. Then there's the girl who's ultra competitive; the leader of their pack. And then there's the inexperienced eating-disorder girl. Between these three; many college grads should find someone to relate to.The book wonderfully illustrates their journey with personal narratives while still describing the terrain and the journey. It's an enjoyable read that anyone who has backpacked will probably enjoy.
