Life is fast, and I've found it's easy to confuse the miraculous for the mundane, so I'm slowing down, way down, in order to give my full presence to the extraordinary that infuses each moment and resides in every one of us.
On October 14, 2011, Andrew Forsthoefel walked out the backdoor of his home in Chadds Ford, PA. He had graduated that spring from Middlebury College, and was ready to begin his adult life -- but he didn't know where to begin. So he decided to go on a journey. And with a sign on his backpack reading "Walking to Listen," he began a cross-country quest: to learn to be his own guide, and to gather stories of human experience.
As Andrew walked his way to the Pacific, he often faced fear and loneliness. But he also encountered incredible kindness from strangers -- willing to let him pitch a tent in their yard, or crash on their couch; ready to cook him a hot meal, join in a song, open their family photo albums. He heard from people whose views he didn't share, and struggled with when to speak up. He faced the threat of violence, even while contending with the privileges of his appearance. But, true to his mission, it's the stories of others, living all along the roads of America, that really carry this journey, and sing forth in a hopeful, heartfelt book about how a life is made, and how our nation defines itself on the most human level.
About the Author
Andrew Forsthoefel is a writer, radio producer, and public speaker. After graduating from Middlebury College in 2011, he spent nearly a year walking across the United States. It was the greatest privilege and blessing of his life. He now facilitates workshops on walking and listening as practices in personal transformation, interconnection, and conflict resolution. He is currently based in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Industry Reviews
The ideal antidote for even the strongest bout of national doubt ... [with] frequent descriptive gems. Washington Post A remarkable book that calls to mind William Least--Heat Moon's Blue Highways. -- Starred Review Library Journal Soulful ... [Forsthoefel's] openness provides a window into the extraordinary lessons to be learned from ordinary people. This is a memorable and heartfelt exploration of what it takes to hike 4,000 miles across the country and how one young man learned to walk without fear into his future. Booklist In this moving and deeply introspective memoir, Forsthoefel writes about the uncertainties, melodramas, ambiguities, and loneliness of youth ... Forsthoefel's walk becomes a meditation on vulnerability, trust, and the tragedy of suburban and rural alienation ... [his] conversation with America is fascinating, terrifying, mundane, and at times heartbreaking, but ultimately transformative and wise. Publishers Weekly Forsthoefel offers moments of genuine kinship and transcendence ... An intriguing portrait of America. Kirkus Reviews Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you need to read this book. You need to read it for its searing honesty, its hopefulness, and its grace. You need to read it because its story is your story, too. Andrew Forsthoefel walked across a continent to listen to strangers and learn from them. There is great wisdom in his footfalls, and you are holding it in your hands. -- Sue Halpern, author of A DOG WALKS INTO A NURSING HOME In a world of congestion and noise Andrew Forsthoefel has written a book that opens up an ocean of sublime reflective space. As refreshing as it is timeless and endearing, Forsthoefel deftly shifts between his inner being and the people's lives that flow through him, mile by mile. His enduring determination to understand others is infectious, and like the many walks of life who embrace him into their homes and hearts, we cannot help but be disarmed of any lingering cynicism or distrust. Ultimately Forsthoefel inspires us to be more curious in life and less offended - a virtuous philosophy in what appears to be an age of increasing polarity in American society. -- Tim Cope, award winning author of ON THE TRAIL OF GENGHIS KHAN If you look at Andrew Forsthoefel's journey on a map, it's a tiny thread, an infinitesimal crack, yet it's enough to break loose America's stories: The open hearts and closed minds, the love and the fear, the beauty and danger, the wisdom. -- Jay Allison, Producer of The Moth Radio Hour With a name like Forsthoefel, it had better be good... And it is, combining the best humanistic aspects of Walt Whitman, Barry Lopez, John Steinbeck, William Least Heat-Moon, and Marco Polo. -- Albert Podell, author of AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 YEARS
