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Be Brave, Be Strong: A Journey Across the Great Divide
Jill is an unassuming recreational cyclist who has about as much in common with Lance Armstrong as she does with Michael Jordan. But despite her perceived athletic mediocrity, the newspaper editor from Alaska harbors an outlandish ambition: the "world's toughest mountain bike race," a 2,740-mile journey from Canada to Mexico along the rugged spine of the Rocky Mountains.
A race of that magnitude demands a daunting training plan, which Jill aspires to until she literally breaks the ice on a frozen lake in the Alaska wilderness. Serious frostbite proves to only be the beginning in a series of setbacks that threaten to change her dream from outlandish to impossible. But, as Jill explains to a skeptical friend, "The fact that something’s impossible has never been a good reason not to try."
"Be Brave, Be Strong," is the true story of an adventure driven relentlessly forward as foundations crumble. This is a brutally honest account of one woman's incredible journey and simple discovery — to take on the world's toughest mountain bike race, one doesn't have to be the world's toughest woman. Not even close.
A race of that magnitude demands a daunting training plan, which Jill aspires to until she literally breaks the ice on a frozen lake in the Alaska wilderness. Serious frostbite proves to only be the beginning in a series of setbacks that threaten to change her dream from outlandish to impossible. But, as Jill explains to a skeptical friend, "The fact that something’s impossible has never been a good reason not to try."
"Be Brave, Be Strong," is the true story of an adventure driven relentlessly forward as foundations crumble. This is a brutally honest account of one woman's incredible journey and simple discovery — to take on the world's toughest mountain bike race, one doesn't have to be the world's toughest woman. Not even close.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2011
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May 10, 2015
Be Brave, Be Strong at 421 pages is nonetheless a a quick-read memoir by Jill Homer about, as the title states, her journey across the Great Divide by mountain bike. Homer is a Utah native living in Alaska at the time she is preparing for this race. The story actually begins with the Iditarod, a harsh cross-country race that people apparently undertake by bicycle, foot, sled, and perhaps other means of transportation. Before this I actually thought the Iditarod was only done by sled. During the Iditarod, Homer falls through the ice early in the first stage and ends up with what could only have been a near-disastrous condition, in that her leg and feet became frost-bitten and probably was not too far off from losing her leg entirely had she not decided to get off the trail and get treatment. This gives you a sense of two things about the author: She is driven beyond most people to endure incredible pain and harsh physical tests and still moves on, and she is unquestionably brave.
The book, however, is about the Great Divide race which, apparently, is one of two mountain biking races that go from Canada and the U.S. respectively through to Mexico and seems to have been fully completed by a relatively small number of people. At the time of this race, Homer is in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend, Geoff, or he with her.
Homer finally leaves him behind and, determined to do the GD race, sets out from Banff, Alberta on her mountain bike toward Mexico.
To say that the "road" from Banff to the Mexican border (much of which is through unmarked wilderness and requires climbing countless mountain peaks and passes in conditions ranging from deep snow, deep mud, thunder and lightening and what seemed like endless rain) is challenging is a gross understatement. And to say that Homer is a woman with guts and grit, and someone who clearly can push herself physically through a lot of challenging physical and mental phases of such a race is also a gross understatement. I admire her for all these things and reading about it was interesting and as noted above, quick.
As a memoir or a book about the journey, however, it was a superficial read that dwells pretty much on the details themselves--where she rode, the conditions of paths, wilderness, roads (when there were any), the terrain and the people she met along the way. If you are looking for introspection, there is not a lot of it here, nor is there really any depth of consideration of the places she rode through. And she does not really provide any insights into some of her decisions. For example, while a lot of the book is either taken up directly with or shadowed by her relationship with her boyfriend, Geoff, she does not really dig into why she stayed with a guy she "didn't really feel connected to" for eight years (her description) and why she was so torn apart when they broke up. It seemed to me he was a crutch of some kind for a very long time for her, and she was not sure how to get by without him, even though she clearly is stronger than that. She also seems not to be able to draw clear boundaries and has a somewhat passive aggressive position toward other people in the book. Another endurance cyclist, Jeff, goes with her through part of the journey, and in fact, to me, seemed creepy in the degree to which he shadowed her, and made decisions for her without consulting her. She expresses regular irritation about him and sometimes even anger, not to mention the fact that he regularly invaded her personal space even at night (even creepier). But rather than telling him outright "I'd like to be alone" or "I'd rather not sleep in the same bed as you," she just kind of goes along with it. There was a bit of passive-aggressive behavior with other cyclists as well.
Some other things did not make sense. For example, the race is supposedly premised on being entirely "self-supporting," a violation of which is grounds for disqualification. I could not figure out, however, what that could actually mean if she were able to regularly receive food, shelter, laundry, medicine, and other help from people along the way, while at the same time, when she meets a friend along the trail who offers her a soda, she tells him she can't take it because she would be violating the self-support rules. Huh?? Likewise, she uses a GPS and a phone to call in to a race update hotline but mentions that the use of her cell phone in the middle of the New Mexico wilderness might be grounds for disqualification. She never really gives you a sense of what the definition of self-support is and where the boundaries are, which as I type this also seems similar to not having a great grasp (at least in this telling) of her own personal boundaries. At odd times in the books she seems to whine about decisions that make no sense to me. She dearly craves carbohydrates and real food, but almost loses it when she finds out that a bagel store that generally opens at 6 am will open at 6:30 am that day and... it will put her behind!!! So she goes back into the wilderness without food. There are numerous times where she seems to make choices that will leave her more vulnerable physically and otherwise, and that part I didn't understand because it seemed she suffered more for it in terms of time and physical condition than she might otherwise have done.
The book also goes into immense detail about trail conditions, weather, sleeping arrangements, and so on, but there is no real reflection anywhere about the history of or the current status of the places through which she was going. The same goes for her treatment of relationships, including the one with Geoff, where you are wondering why she is so tied to a man who so clearly seems to be a jerk. Likewise with her boss in Juneau who seems to know very clearly how to manipulate her. So it begins to feel like a superficial recounting rather than anything more like a memoir.
This one gets three stars because its readable and enjoyable but nothing very revealing. I do not, however, want to take away from the incredible endurance, courage, and achievements she clearly evinces throughout the book and apparently elsewhere in her life.
The book, however, is about the Great Divide race which, apparently, is one of two mountain biking races that go from Canada and the U.S. respectively through to Mexico and seems to have been fully completed by a relatively small number of people. At the time of this race, Homer is in the process of breaking up with her boyfriend, Geoff, or he with her.
Homer finally leaves him behind and, determined to do the GD race, sets out from Banff, Alberta on her mountain bike toward Mexico.
To say that the "road" from Banff to the Mexican border (much of which is through unmarked wilderness and requires climbing countless mountain peaks and passes in conditions ranging from deep snow, deep mud, thunder and lightening and what seemed like endless rain) is challenging is a gross understatement. And to say that Homer is a woman with guts and grit, and someone who clearly can push herself physically through a lot of challenging physical and mental phases of such a race is also a gross understatement. I admire her for all these things and reading about it was interesting and as noted above, quick.
As a memoir or a book about the journey, however, it was a superficial read that dwells pretty much on the details themselves--where she rode, the conditions of paths, wilderness, roads (when there were any), the terrain and the people she met along the way. If you are looking for introspection, there is not a lot of it here, nor is there really any depth of consideration of the places she rode through. And she does not really provide any insights into some of her decisions. For example, while a lot of the book is either taken up directly with or shadowed by her relationship with her boyfriend, Geoff, she does not really dig into why she stayed with a guy she "didn't really feel connected to" for eight years (her description) and why she was so torn apart when they broke up. It seemed to me he was a crutch of some kind for a very long time for her, and she was not sure how to get by without him, even though she clearly is stronger than that. She also seems not to be able to draw clear boundaries and has a somewhat passive aggressive position toward other people in the book. Another endurance cyclist, Jeff, goes with her through part of the journey, and in fact, to me, seemed creepy in the degree to which he shadowed her, and made decisions for her without consulting her. She expresses regular irritation about him and sometimes even anger, not to mention the fact that he regularly invaded her personal space even at night (even creepier). But rather than telling him outright "I'd like to be alone" or "I'd rather not sleep in the same bed as you," she just kind of goes along with it. There was a bit of passive-aggressive behavior with other cyclists as well.
Some other things did not make sense. For example, the race is supposedly premised on being entirely "self-supporting," a violation of which is grounds for disqualification. I could not figure out, however, what that could actually mean if she were able to regularly receive food, shelter, laundry, medicine, and other help from people along the way, while at the same time, when she meets a friend along the trail who offers her a soda, she tells him she can't take it because she would be violating the self-support rules. Huh?? Likewise, she uses a GPS and a phone to call in to a race update hotline but mentions that the use of her cell phone in the middle of the New Mexico wilderness might be grounds for disqualification. She never really gives you a sense of what the definition of self-support is and where the boundaries are, which as I type this also seems similar to not having a great grasp (at least in this telling) of her own personal boundaries. At odd times in the books she seems to whine about decisions that make no sense to me. She dearly craves carbohydrates and real food, but almost loses it when she finds out that a bagel store that generally opens at 6 am will open at 6:30 am that day and... it will put her behind!!! So she goes back into the wilderness without food. There are numerous times where she seems to make choices that will leave her more vulnerable physically and otherwise, and that part I didn't understand because it seemed she suffered more for it in terms of time and physical condition than she might otherwise have done.
The book also goes into immense detail about trail conditions, weather, sleeping arrangements, and so on, but there is no real reflection anywhere about the history of or the current status of the places through which she was going. The same goes for her treatment of relationships, including the one with Geoff, where you are wondering why she is so tied to a man who so clearly seems to be a jerk. Likewise with her boss in Juneau who seems to know very clearly how to manipulate her. So it begins to feel like a superficial recounting rather than anything more like a memoir.
This one gets three stars because its readable and enjoyable but nothing very revealing. I do not, however, want to take away from the incredible endurance, courage, and achievements she clearly evinces throughout the book and apparently elsewhere in her life.
August 15, 2011
With terrific photos of the beauty of landscape and individual and group determination to succeed in their goals, “Be Brave, Be Strong” is a moving work of one women’s tremendous journey to complete a dream after heartbreak. Although a memoir of sorts and a detailing her experiences, I appreciated the flowing style that reminded me of the storytelling tradition of my people, not just someone telling their story. We’re given fascinating views into the internal struggle and psychological influences that allow some people to push their mind and body to the edge and actually achieve heightened awareness and ability that forever creates in them a craving to experience it again and again.
I especially enjoy biographic books on adventure and exploration, so this was a special treat for me, especially in that the author’s skill makes you feel like you’re there in the moment. Even if you are not actually participating then at least you’re watching and cheering them on. Vivid images of the people and situations encountered are both profound and simple, just like life’s own mysteries and realities. Courageous and astonishing, I believe this is one of the best personal testaments of its kind that I’ve read.
Full review at my review/interview website Flying With Red Haircrow http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpres...
I especially enjoy biographic books on adventure and exploration, so this was a special treat for me, especially in that the author’s skill makes you feel like you’re there in the moment. Even if you are not actually participating then at least you’re watching and cheering them on. Vivid images of the people and situations encountered are both profound and simple, just like life’s own mysteries and realities. Courageous and astonishing, I believe this is one of the best personal testaments of its kind that I’ve read.
Full review at my review/interview website Flying With Red Haircrow http://flyingwithredhaircrow.wordpres...
March 12, 2012
If you want to read a book on inspiration and reaching your goals, this is definitely the one that you should pick up.
I felt so bad initially for not having started on this sooner, since it's a first-reads book, but I wasn't able to start it until about 3 months after initially getting it due to the hard semester I've had. So I picked it up right away as soon as my break started, and now after finishing it I feel even worse for not having reviewed it earlier. It was really good and so much credit goes to the author (and editor) for writing such an amazing non-fiction book that really held my attention till the end. In a way, I'm also glad I didn't read it during the semester when other things were on my mind, because then I wouldn't have been able to give it the consideration and thought it deserves.
I haven't read many non-fiction novels, mainly because they don't tend to be written in a very interesting way (at least not the ones that I've picked up) but when I read the summary for this book it sounded interesting and so I was like, sure, let's give it a shot. I am so glad I did that, because this book was definitely worth it.
There were several things I really liked about this book. For starters, it's about an athlete traveling from Canada to Mexico.. on a bike. I've always imagined road trips with friends like this, but I had never previously considered biking across the states. After reading this book, the only thought in my about that is "That would be so awesome, I want to do it, too!" I've always loved biking but I've never been a serious athletic cyclist. It's more of just a fun thing to do. This book made me want to see how far I'd be able to get on the Tour Divide. How much would I really be able to stand being alone in the wilderness, facing rain, snow, hail, intense heat? How optimistic would I remain or would I just find myself to be an all-out pessimist? Would I be able to survive on my own out there? These are not questions that can be answered in the comfort of one's bedroom, and this novel really brings these questions to the surface. What you think you'd do and what you'd actually do are really two very different things. Considering I'm not an athlete, I would definitely fall into the category of doing the Tour Divide for fun as a wanderer on vacation. The goal would be to be able to finish it at any pace I could muster.
I really liked the way the story was written. It goes into just enough detail so that you're not bored of it and it holds your fascination the whole way through. You know what's going on without being overloaded with information - and that really helps for readers who are not familiar with athletic-cyclist terminology :) You really feel the author's endurance challenges, her sorrows, fears, pains, anguish, horror, happiness, relief, gratitude, loneliness, hope, shock, hunger, pain, frustration, and acceptance of the inevitable and out-of-control. I may have an imagination well-tuned for what I read in books, but it does take good ability to be able to write something the reader is capable of feeling along with the character(s) of a book, and Jill Homer really nailed it in this book.
I also liked that Jill Homer doesn't write in a way that paints her in the best of light as though she were a saint, nor anybody else she comes across in her adventures. She just writes things as they are, as they happened. Even thoughts are included, good or bad. She's honest about them, and you can't really think 'How could she possibly think that way about so-and-so or such-and-such situation' because people are not perfect, and with this book, you just find yourself wondering 'What would I have thought/done if I was in her shoes?'
By the end of the book, you really do see that anything is possible, that anything worth getting is definitely worth fighting for. I think the best thing is that its not written as an 'I'm-trying-to-inspire-you' type of story, but just a straight-out tale of one woman's real-life (which is probably the coolest part) adventures and the reader takes from it what he/she will. You see that even if you don't plan on achieving a certain goal, it is still possible to get it. Exceeding your expectations and plans isn't unheard of or impossible. Reaching your goals is always worth it, especially when you've worked so hard to achieve them, regardless of your intentions or motivations for achieving them. That feeling of success is not one you may get right away, but there is still that self-satisfaction, pride and happiness from finally getting what you worked so hard for, especially after a long, hard and strenuous struggle.
I felt so bad initially for not having started on this sooner, since it's a first-reads book, but I wasn't able to start it until about 3 months after initially getting it due to the hard semester I've had. So I picked it up right away as soon as my break started, and now after finishing it I feel even worse for not having reviewed it earlier. It was really good and so much credit goes to the author (and editor) for writing such an amazing non-fiction book that really held my attention till the end. In a way, I'm also glad I didn't read it during the semester when other things were on my mind, because then I wouldn't have been able to give it the consideration and thought it deserves.
I haven't read many non-fiction novels, mainly because they don't tend to be written in a very interesting way (at least not the ones that I've picked up) but when I read the summary for this book it sounded interesting and so I was like, sure, let's give it a shot. I am so glad I did that, because this book was definitely worth it.
There were several things I really liked about this book. For starters, it's about an athlete traveling from Canada to Mexico.. on a bike. I've always imagined road trips with friends like this, but I had never previously considered biking across the states. After reading this book, the only thought in my about that is "That would be so awesome, I want to do it, too!" I've always loved biking but I've never been a serious athletic cyclist. It's more of just a fun thing to do. This book made me want to see how far I'd be able to get on the Tour Divide. How much would I really be able to stand being alone in the wilderness, facing rain, snow, hail, intense heat? How optimistic would I remain or would I just find myself to be an all-out pessimist? Would I be able to survive on my own out there? These are not questions that can be answered in the comfort of one's bedroom, and this novel really brings these questions to the surface. What you think you'd do and what you'd actually do are really two very different things. Considering I'm not an athlete, I would definitely fall into the category of doing the Tour Divide for fun as a wanderer on vacation. The goal would be to be able to finish it at any pace I could muster.
I really liked the way the story was written. It goes into just enough detail so that you're not bored of it and it holds your fascination the whole way through. You know what's going on without being overloaded with information - and that really helps for readers who are not familiar with athletic-cyclist terminology :) You really feel the author's endurance challenges, her sorrows, fears, pains, anguish, horror, happiness, relief, gratitude, loneliness, hope, shock, hunger, pain, frustration, and acceptance of the inevitable and out-of-control. I may have an imagination well-tuned for what I read in books, but it does take good ability to be able to write something the reader is capable of feeling along with the character(s) of a book, and Jill Homer really nailed it in this book.
I also liked that Jill Homer doesn't write in a way that paints her in the best of light as though she were a saint, nor anybody else she comes across in her adventures. She just writes things as they are, as they happened. Even thoughts are included, good or bad. She's honest about them, and you can't really think 'How could she possibly think that way about so-and-so or such-and-such situation' because people are not perfect, and with this book, you just find yourself wondering 'What would I have thought/done if I was in her shoes?'
By the end of the book, you really do see that anything is possible, that anything worth getting is definitely worth fighting for. I think the best thing is that its not written as an 'I'm-trying-to-inspire-you' type of story, but just a straight-out tale of one woman's real-life (which is probably the coolest part) adventures and the reader takes from it what he/she will. You see that even if you don't plan on achieving a certain goal, it is still possible to get it. Exceeding your expectations and plans isn't unheard of or impossible. Reaching your goals is always worth it, especially when you've worked so hard to achieve them, regardless of your intentions or motivations for achieving them. That feeling of success is not one you may get right away, but there is still that self-satisfaction, pride and happiness from finally getting what you worked so hard for, especially after a long, hard and strenuous struggle.
June 27, 2011
3.5 stars actually, but gr doesn't let me do that...
I am in awe of this woman... not only can she write a good yarn, but her story is amazing. I mean how many of us would ride a mountain bike from Canada to Mexico in rain and over 11,000 foot mountains in just 24 days? With only two outfits and a bag of junk food and a sleeping bag?
Jill Homer did. It's called the Tour Divide and she did it in 2009.. first try. Her narrative begins in Alaska with her long time boyfriend suddenly calling it quits.. and whereas most women would curl up and cry about it, Jill decides to keep going. It's not easy and she doesn't even realize she's going to do it practically till she's at the starting line, but she does it.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...
I am in awe of this woman... not only can she write a good yarn, but her story is amazing. I mean how many of us would ride a mountain bike from Canada to Mexico in rain and over 11,000 foot mountains in just 24 days? With only two outfits and a bag of junk food and a sleeping bag?
Jill Homer did. It's called the Tour Divide and she did it in 2009.. first try. Her narrative begins in Alaska with her long time boyfriend suddenly calling it quits.. and whereas most women would curl up and cry about it, Jill decides to keep going. It's not easy and she doesn't even realize she's going to do it practically till she's at the starting line, but she does it.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2011/...
September 13, 2011
Won on First Reads Giveaway. As an avid mountian biker I am so excited to read this one.
Jill is my new hero. This is less a book about mountain biking than self discovery and life. In three and a half weeks Jill rides through more than a race course but all that is good and bad in life. As a biker I loved the book and will give it to family and friends to read. During graduate school at the University of Utah I lived in Sandy and rode Corner Canyon, Millcreek, and in the Cottonwoods regularly (places where Jill trained in the book) and could picture vividly the places and climbs as she described them. Bike trips in Moab, the Kokopeli trail, and Onion Creek are places I've ridden and felt the same all consuming thirst when I underestimated my water needs in the desert. I guess what I am saying is; I really had a connection tot he book and Jill's journey. Five Stars
Jill is my new hero. This is less a book about mountain biking than self discovery and life. In three and a half weeks Jill rides through more than a race course but all that is good and bad in life. As a biker I loved the book and will give it to family and friends to read. During graduate school at the University of Utah I lived in Sandy and rode Corner Canyon, Millcreek, and in the Cottonwoods regularly (places where Jill trained in the book) and could picture vividly the places and climbs as she described them. Bike trips in Moab, the Kokopeli trail, and Onion Creek are places I've ridden and felt the same all consuming thirst when I underestimated my water needs in the desert. I guess what I am saying is; I really had a connection tot he book and Jill's journey. Five Stars
February 24, 2015
An interesting and detailed read about a grueling race. I appreciated the personal details Jill included in this book, though her use of similes is...distracting is the nicest way I can put it. And she uses a lot of them. They just don't add to the story and go way off into left field, putting the attention onto the strange comparison rather than the thing that is being described, such as comparing mud to a greedy child eating peanut butter sandwiches. huh?
September 9, 2014
The first few chapters were painful as she just makes some really poor choices but once she started the actual race, I loved the writing and the adventure. I understand that the first few chapters set a necessary back drop but she did seem pretty stupid and whiny there for a bit. A great adventure though and a well told tale of an amazing race.
January 12, 2013
I downloaded this book on a whim and I'm so glad I did. A great read if you're into cycling, the outdoors, or endurance sports!
September 18, 2020
I liked this a lot! It felt like a light read, but one that catches you enough that you just want to read it through in one sit. She writes well, and I feel like the narrator and I could be friends haha.
"That was supposed to be my decision. If I curled up into a snow hole on Richmond Peak, then
that would be my stopping point for the night. If I had a surge of energy and felt like pushing beyond it, I would. Having finite destinations cast a soulless shadow over the Divide, as though we had the ability to control all of the challenges the route threw in our paths"
"The trucks and cars trapped on the interstate would never see these mountains, never experience this intense downhill push, never feel the rush of thin air and hard wind and gaping gravity that threatened to tear the skin from my body"
"It was spring and I threw my bike down in frustration after attempting to ride with a painfully swollen knee, believing I might never be able to ride a bicycle again"
"Twenty-four days filled with enough joy and discovery and anguish to fill a short lifetime"
"That was supposed to be my decision. If I curled up into a snow hole on Richmond Peak, then
that would be my stopping point for the night. If I had a surge of energy and felt like pushing beyond it, I would. Having finite destinations cast a soulless shadow over the Divide, as though we had the ability to control all of the challenges the route threw in our paths"
"The trucks and cars trapped on the interstate would never see these mountains, never experience this intense downhill push, never feel the rush of thin air and hard wind and gaping gravity that threatened to tear the skin from my body"
"It was spring and I threw my bike down in frustration after attempting to ride with a painfully swollen knee, believing I might never be able to ride a bicycle again"
"Twenty-four days filled with enough joy and discovery and anguish to fill a short lifetime"
May 12, 2022
Closer to 3.5 stars. Very engaging read, except for long sections I skimmed or skipped over that felt too wordy. I enjoyed the book overall! Amazing story.
August 19, 2019
An amazing read. I cried the whole last chapter. Will be passing this book on to my training friends. Thank you for sharing your journey.
March 11, 2017
Highly recommended for someone wanting to read about solo-adventures. May be better suited for female readers, but some males might like it.
April 25, 2014
This is a really cool story of Jill Homer's race in the 2009 Tour Divide, a self-supported mountain bike race that starts in Banff, travels across a planned route along the Continental divide and ends at the Mexican border. She starts out by describing the events that lead up to the race - frostbite that forced her to drop out of the Iditarod Trail Invitational, breaking up with her partner of 8 years, and the decision to leave her job. Then, the meat of the book is the story of her journey in the Tour Divide. Her writing is pretty amazing - I felt like I was on the journey with her, and I even got a little misty-eyed at the end when she finished the race. My favorite thing about this book was all of her ongoing descriptions about how a voluntary life upheaval and disruption can cause your perspective to drastically shift. You get to know yourself and become your own best friend, and when things get tough and you feel like you are doing the complete wrong thing, or making all of the wrong decisions, just say to yourself 'Be brave. Be strong.' and keep going.
May 23, 2011
The story was told simply, without unnecessary details. The reader will endure Jill's struggles with Ultrasport, the possibility of leaving her job as a newspaper editor and her home in Juneau. Her boyfriend of eight years will break off the relationship. The author gives the reader the straight-forward facts, revealing all and hiding nothing. The reader will be impressed that the author is willing to share some tough choices and events in her life. This comprises the first part of the story. The second part is not less emotional. Jill goes to her childhood home in Utah, trains, and builds up her abilities and emotional/mental fortitude to perform in the Tour Divide. Even with bad events and tough choices, Jill is able to ready herself for the race. The reader will enjoy living vicariously through Jill, experiencing the ups and downs and the incredible mental/physical endurance that Jill possesses. This novel is terrific for young adults/adults.
January 20, 2015
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. I had a hard time putting it down. Jill is a remarkable young woman that dreams big and does everything to make it come true. While racing the 2700+ miles on a mountain bike she beautifully describes the scenery, the weather, conditions of the trail and the very nice people that gave her a place to sleep and fed her warm meals. She writes about sleeping in her bivy sack along side the road as the sleep monster took over. She has very little fear!
I felt like I was riding every minute on the back of her bike as she climbed to the top of the Divide and then found her path to descend to the valleys. She is an amazing athlete and writer! I look forward to reading her first book and follow her blog!
I felt like I was riding every minute on the back of her bike as she climbed to the top of the Divide and then found her path to descend to the valleys. She is an amazing athlete and writer! I look forward to reading her first book and follow her blog!
August 31, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At the beginning I felt the chapters ended and began a bit choppy but by mid book I felt the flow going from one chapter to the next. Jill did a wonderful job of detailing her adventure to include her emotions, human interaction and progress. At times I did skim details of elevation, terrain and trail conditions but mostly because I am not a cyclist an it felt tedious to me. I appreciated how she didn't bog down the book with her exact words everytime she had a rough patch (instead she said she swore for the 8th time that day). I enjoyed this read enough that I want to read her first book, "Ghost Trails, Journey Through a Lifetime".
April 8, 2013
Frost-bite, crutches, the end of a relationship and an uncertain future don't deter journalist Jill Homer from undertaking The Tour Divide bicycle race from Banff, Alberta to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells. Brit Paul Howard's account of the the same 2009 event is "Eat. Sleep. Ride." As with her earlier book about racing the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska, "Ghost Trails," Homer brings a lot of emotion and reflection to overwhelmingly male dominated events. Both books would make great gifts to a daughter or niece you'd like to encourage to, like the title, "be Brave, Be Strong" and seek adventure in the big wide world out there.
December 15, 2013
I actually liked large parts of this book quite a lot. There were many instances where I could almost imagine myself in her position, stuck facing a near impossible task. Her descriptions of those situations, how she powered through them, were mostly well done. However, there were some parts wherein I found the author's discussion of personal relationships with real people to be a little uncomfortable. Maybe that's what an autobiography is but, somehow, these people were a little too close to real life. Maybe that's a compliment to the author.
If Goodreads allowed 0.5 stars, this book would be a 3.5.
If Goodreads allowed 0.5 stars, this book would be a 3.5.
July 21, 2011
I'm a little more than halfway through this book. I'm trying to savor it (because it's really good!) and not just read it in a few epic sittings as I did Ghost Trails, the author's other book. So far I'm really enjoying this story about the author's experiences leading up to and riding the Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race.
An added bonus is that reading a little bit of this book every evening has been a great motivator for actual bike riding during the day!
eta: I finished this book. I really loved it. If anyone has recommendations for more books like this I would be glad to hear them!
An added bonus is that reading a little bit of this book every evening has been a great motivator for actual bike riding during the day!
eta: I finished this book. I really loved it. If anyone has recommendations for more books like this I would be glad to hear them!
September 10, 2011
Interesting read, although a bit soap-opera in parts where author describes her relationship break-up. Some great descriptions of bicycling the Tour Divide event. If you are a fan of wilderness racing (which in my mind is a contradiction in terms) then this is a good book. It would have been better in my mind if the author was riding the route on her own, rather than as part of an "event". But the descriptions of the landscape, and the sights, smells, sounds, and feeling of rugged, long distance mountain bike travel are wonderful at times.
August 2, 2012
I very much enjoyed Jill Homer's simple writing style - this felt more like a diary than anything else. But I found some aspects of the book frustrating. She introduced a couple of relationships into the book but didn't really resolve what was happening with either (which I realize this book is about a race but don't introduce something you don't want to talk about).
I was mostly curious about what happened after the race. I would assume that an event like this can change you and I was frustrated that she ended her story so adrubtly.
I was mostly curious about what happened after the race. I would assume that an event like this can change you and I was frustrated that she ended her story so adrubtly.
February 10, 2013
This book is definitely a worthwhile read. Ms. Homer eloquently touches upon heavy life themes, but also manages to keep things light and humorous enough to make the novel an enjoyable read. I'm not a woman or a cyclist, and yet I found this book to be engaging, interesting, and relatable, as it mostly focuses on physical and mental adversity, and a person's ability to overcome such. I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone, but especially those who appreciate the outdoors and complex inner dialogue.
September 25, 2017
At about 3/4 through I was starting to think about what I would give this book in regards to a Goodreads rating - it was going to be a 4. Then came the last chapter - I sobbed. Full on sobbed, multiple times - I have no idea where it came from. Obviously - it's a 5 with that kind of psychological response. This book tugs at your core - because each and every one of us can relate: it may not be biking, but we have each had some sort of struggle that we had to fight to the bitter end to finish. I have to say, "Eat, Love, Pray" or "Wild"- can't hold a candle to this book. Well done.
May 19, 2016
It is easier to give up than to success in an arduous mountain bicycle ride along the spine of the rocking mountains. The 2,740-mile trip is not for the faint hearted and not the speediest when you think about pedaling one’s self that distance. There are pictures that highlight the beauty and the obstacles author Homer faced on her 24-day record setting journey on the 2009 Tour Divide. Reader will discover the toil this type of commitment takes on the body, emotions, relationships, and of course, a petal bike.
March 9, 2012
I've done some single day endurance road riding, and a few casual multi-day tours, but nothing like this mountain bike adventure. I loved this book and found it to be very motivational. I think that even non-cyclists would find this a good read and would be able to take something away from the book. This book shows what a person can accomplish just by refusing to give up and by pushing themselves beyond what should seem possible.
March 17, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. I read it pretty quickly. I know a number of other reviewers complained about her focusing a lot on the dissolution of her relationship. I found that to be both interesting and engaging. It provided solid background to her motivations and put everything in context. Toward the end the descriptions became all too familiar and I found myself skimming. Other than that it was a great read. I particularly loved the beginning on the iditarod.
June 5, 2011
Jill brings the strong heroine to a higher level in this book. She fights the pain and the sadness, she fights the weakness of the human condition. This book is captivating, thrilling, emotional, comedic and inspiring. I could hardly put it down and am trying to get every adventurer I know to read it so we can dissect and savor each word she has written.
May 30, 2012
I enjoyed this memoir tremendously. I am a regular reader of Jill's blog. Reading her blog entry about wiping out in Marin was like getting punched in the gut. Jill brings that same emotion to the page in Be Brave, Be Strong. Even though it sometimes discusses deeply personal events, this book is truly a joy to read both in terms of its emotional depth, and descriptive power.
June 10, 2015
I hate doing half ratings, but this was more of a 3.5 for me. Enjoyed reading it, and loved her ability to fully embrace the grandeur of the challenge, beauty, perspectives, and life-changing moments she experienced through the book. Fascinating - especially since members of my family rode the great divide a few years ago and this gave me insight into what they experienced.
November 9, 2011
A fantastic personal narrative about an incredible bike ride. I really enjoyed the read and was completely inspired to do a few short segments of the ride! There were some fantastic "one-liners" My favorite:
"I pedaled because pedaling was the most natural course of action."
"I pedaled because pedaling was the most natural course of action."
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