By Katherine Center.
Sometimes a story stays with me long after I’ve read it. And this is one of them. It’s about a woman taking a wilderness course to reset her approach to life. It’s about overcoming that little voice in her head telling her she can’t do something. It’s about finding a soul mate where she least expected it. And it’s about choosing to strive for happiness no matter what—and how to support that choice.
Helen Carpenter isn’t the outdoorsy type, and the upcoming three-week Back Country Survival Course to backpack through the mountains of Wyoming isn’t exactly her typical activity. At all. But she signed up for it and is determined to see it through. She needs to sort through the fallout from her divorce. Tap into her inner strength. And this trip seems to be the perfect opportunity to accomplish that. That is, until she discovers her younger brother’s annoying young friend, Jake Archer, is also taking the course, and she agrees, reluctantly, to give him a ride. From Boston to the Absaroka Mountains.
Nothing about the trip is easy. The course is grueling and tests her limits. But sharing it with Jake makes it easier. He makes everything better. And Helen realizes that he really isn’t that annoying. In fact, he’s quite amazing. Handsome. Kind. Patient. Good at everything. Especially at capturing her heart.
But he’s secured Windy’s emotions as well. Windy is another student on the trip. She’s beautiful, athletic, personable—and perfect for Jake. Everyone on the trip thinks so. Even Helen. And when Helen catches them in a romantic kiss, she realizes a relationship between her and Jake was never meant to be. To find happiness, she must seek it elsewhere. And when she does stumble across it, it comes when she least expects it.
For me, this book is so much more than a tear-filled, page-turning romance. It’s a guidebook for helping me create a happier outlook, filled with feel-good tidbits that brightened my day. And for that I am grateful.
P.S. This book is now a movie on Netflix. I watched the movie and absolutely loved it. But the book is way better. (The books always are!)
(Published in 2015 by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group.)
