Pack Light: A Journey to Find Myself

by Shilletha Curtis

After losing her job due to the coronavirus pandemic, a vet tech decides to confront the roots of her childhood traumas by hiking the Appalachian Trail.

Pack Light follows a woman's journey changing the narrative of Hiking While Black—because the Great Outdoors belongs to everyone.

This memoir will trace Shilletha's thru-hike from Georgia to Maine as she decided to confront the roots of her trauma. Growing up, Curtis suffered from a fractured family life, bullying at school, indifferent teachers, and abuse from people she trusted. Then she discovered the Appalachian Trail, which she successfully hiked in 2021. It took her eight months and four seasons to hike through 14 states, even more impressive given her lifelong struggle with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Nature, Biography Memoir, Queer

256 pages, Hardcover

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

But speed had no effect on my morale; I knew every hundred miles would yield surprises waiting for me. The trail always provided. For myself, I knew I would get to wherever it was when I would. I had everywhere to go and nowhere to be. (loc. 827*)

Burned out professionally and struggling personally, Curtis set herself a new challenge—to hike the Appalachian Trail, Georgia to Maine. She knew what it took to hike long distances, but she didn't know how much the trail would challenge her or how much it would inspire her, and she wasn't sure how safe she would, or wouldn't, be as a queer Black woman on the trail.

On the face of it this is an Appalachian Trail memoir, but Curtis's story is just as much about her childhood and mental health as it is about becoming a thru-hiker. Without spoiling the details, I'll say that she had a fair amount to work through, and she (sensibly) went into the AT with no expectation that it would 'fix' anything—but hoping that she could find something akin to peace. The writing isn't my favorite, but Curtis writes directly and with passion.

I'm particularly interested in her experience as a Black woman on the trail. A recent survey from The Trek suggested that the overwhelming majority of AT thru-hikers are white, and only a tiny fraction are Black (this is not news, but it's always nice to have data!), and Curtis knew going in that she'd be not only a minority on the trail in more ways than one, but she'd be a visible minority. And as much as indignant straight white men might have wanted to claim that that didn't matter, they're not the ones having to ask themselves how much of a threat other hikers, or locals, could be to them. Curtis discusses this fear frankly—and some of the experiences she had on and near the trail that make it quite clear that her fears were well founded—and I found it startlingly sad, if not surprising, that the place she felt safest was in the vicinity of NYC, where day hikers flood the trail and diversity abounds. (Diversity and people getting out on the trail are fantastic, obviously—just that one should also be able to feel safe deep in the woods with few people around.)

Curtis has set out to change those demographics, at least in a small way—she's en route to be the third Black person, second Black woman, and first queer Black woman to complete the triple crown (AT, CDT, and PCT). I hope this book can be one of many resources for others to follow in her footsteps.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was appreciating this book--despite the occasionally overwritten passage and poor editing-- until Chapter 15. I haven't read through other reviews, but I hope others noticed that in Chapter 15 Dragonsky and two other hikers turn away a dayhiker who arrives at the Lake of the Clouds dungeon in the night with no headlamp and inappropriate gear. She acknowledges repeatedly that without appropriate gear the hiker could die on the mountain, but argues that everyone there only had enough for themselves. She and the other hikers are lucky he did not die of exposure on his descent, as many have in the Whites. The book was very difficult to finish after the weight of that episode, and I am disappointed that I purchased it.

[Jessica Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I sometimes find it difficult to critique memoirs. It is someone’s actual life experience that is unique to them. And in this book, I can’t say that I relate to many of the experiences she has. But that is the nice thing about memoirs, getting to see things through someone else’s eyes. Getting to see the trials they go through.

Living in East TN near GSMNP, this story immediately appealed to me. The AT is very well known here and what an accomplishment it would be to thru-hike it! Shilletha is a strong woman to take that on solo.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not normally give 5 stars to a book written by a novice, and my rating doesn’t reflect brilliant writing. But this young author has written such a raw and soul baring account of her life and struggles that I found her choice of adjectives and hyperbole refreshingly original. I think her editors used great foresight in allowing her to use her words, in her manner and not restrict her exuberance.
Her account of her adventures is to celebrated mainly for her incredible bravery. To openly share with strangers a dysfunctional childhood, sexual proclivities, & mental struggles takes more backbone than most of us possess. Then to tackle the AT is itself an experience many of us dream of but very few even attempt let alone complete. So this woman truly has taken on the weight of a very large burden, but seems to be learning to cope with her disadvantages and is learning to make light of the dark and as she says, “pack light”.
I would also recommend reading this book to help understand the generational disadvantages and micro (or macro!) aggressions that people of color face everyday. Just by describing her childhood, those of us privileged to have had a stable upbringing should honor her amazing accomplishment and those she has yet to complete.

[Kenny Rutherford · Rating 1 out of 5]

- Partially based on true events, this is a story about a girl's search for something. Very many people felt compelled to help her enjoy a long and costly adventure along the Appalachian Trail.
- This book is not an informational resource for aspiring thru-hikers.
- If you identify with the long-distance-trail thru-hiking culture in the United States, you may be disappointed by the negative way the community is often misrepresented.

[Elizabeth O'Keefe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a hard read for me. Hard because I wanted to put this down countless times and not finish it, but I also have seen what has happened to others who do not finish this book. So here we go, and let's hope no one comes at me for this review like they have for other people.

It is hard to critique or review memoirs because this is someone's life, their viewpoint, and life journey that is unique to only them. I cannot relate to much of this book, but I really thought that this would be an interesting read.

There was so much blame shifting instead of taking ownership for her circumstances and choices, sure you cannot choose your family, but you can create your own life and future. I didn't think this was a great read, or really that well written. It was hard to read this because it was the 'woah is me' versus actually finding herself. Sure maybe she did find herself, but this was not the way to go about that book.

I feel that the author was trying to re-create Wild, but fell significantly short.

I do however applaud Shilletha for completing the AT, as I know this is a huge success and she is only the 2nd Black woman to ever complete the trail. Seriously I know that was hard, and I give major props.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it's important and valuable to read stories from people who have different backgrounds and perspectives as you. This is a great example. I feel so much sympathy for Shilletha's childhood and upbringing. She's been dealt a tough hand dealing with abandonment, abuse and mental illness. It was inspiring to follow along as she became the second Black woman ever to complete the AT (Appalachian Trail).

*Thanks to Netgally for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who loves Appalachian Trail memoirs, Pack Light offered something really special. Shilletha Curtis shares her journey as a solo Black woman hiking the A.T., but this memoir is about so much more than the trail. It’s raw, honest, and deeply personal, blending the physical challenge of the hike with her emotional and spiritual growth.

What stood out to me most was how she weaved in stories from her past, her childhood, identity, relationships, and struggles. These glimpses into her life added depth and perspective, making this not just a trail memoir, but a powerful story of healing and resilience. I appreciated her vulnerability and how she didn't shy away from the difficult moments on and off the trail.

It’s a reminder that the trail isn’t just about nature, it’s about the inner terrain we walk through too. If you enjoy personal memoirs or hiking narratives with heart, this one’s worth picking up.

[Hobson Christian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to start by saying I do not regret reading this book.

But this book is not about someone hiking the AT. The AT is barely in it. The vast majority of the book is the author complaining about her bad childhood. Which, was harrowing to say the least, but this was supposed to be about her completing the AT. In addition these giant flashbacks were not really mentioned in the AT section so it honestly felt like I was reading two totally different stories.

Finally, the book is written very pleasantly. But she can be pretentious.

I think most of my issues with this book and why it got a 1 star is because Dragonsky is new novelist and things will improve with time. I would read a follow up novel from the PCT or the CDT if she writes one.

Happy Hiking

[Danielle King · Rating 3 out of 5]

I applaud the author for being the second black woman to ever complete the AT. As someone who grew up in Appalachia I’ve always admired those who completed the whole trail.

As far as the book itself goes…Shilletha simultaneously writes about her rough upbringing and her mental health struggles and her hike on the trail. The flow was odd for me and I wasn’t the best fan of the writing style either. It was hard to get into. Rounding up to 3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dnf at 50%. It was a difficult read, full of triggers and not so much about hiking the AT. And yet, the author had such a unique point of view as only the second Black woman to complete the trail. Her trail was much more difficult than just a test of physical and mental ability.

[Tamara Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Pack Light: A Journey to Find Myself” is a nonfiction memoir focusing on Shilletha Curtis, a black woman who decides to face job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and childhood trauma by hiking the Appalachian Trail.

The book consists of a prologue and sixteen chapters.

Prior to the beginning of the memoir is an author’s note that certain names, locations, identifying characteristics, and details have been partially altered or withheld to preserve the privacy of some individuals

The prologue begins with author Shilletha Curtis sharing with her previous job of caring for animals with plans to become a veterinary technician. During the COVID-19 pandemic and following sudden job loss, Curtis attempts suicide and is worried when her therapist contacts the police due to recent murders of unarmed Black people. Despite worrying about police brutality as a black woman, she decides to comply with the police and is taken to a hospital where she is offered in person or outpatient group therapy. After weeks of phone therapy, she views it as unhelpful and goes on a hike with her girlfriend at the time in New Jersey. Upon meeting a man while on the hike who tells them about the Appalachian Trail (AT,) Curtis is drawn to hiking the 2,193 miles trail across fourteen states.

Although she is excited about attempting the long hiking journey, Curtis worries about experiencing racism while hiking as a black woman in the South and when expressing her concern in a Facebook hiking group, she is met with angry and defensive responses. Curtis decides to respond to the social media resistance by writing an article and finds support from college professors, hiking gear companies, and strangers. After receiving a phone call from Safwan, a Middle Eastern man who had hiked the AT around 9/11 to Appalachian Trail and shares his experience with racism on the trail before offering her a hiking sponsorship from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The prologue ends with Curtis being excited about this unexpected opportunity in the midst of professional and personal upheaval but is also aware that with the excitement comes the realization that she will have a hard journey ahead of her as a new hiker planning to journey from Georgia to Maine.

Chapter one, “Springer Mountain, Georgia,” begins by transporting the reader to February 2021, ten months after she received the phone call from Safwan. As Curtis begins her transformation from a beginner hiker to an experienced hiker, she faces physical injuries as well as periods of self-doubt. While on her first hike on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail in the summer of 2020, questioning her purpose of hiking Curtis, and revealing the origins of her trail name “Dragonsky.” After Curtis views her hiker persona of Dragonsky as a strong fighter which helps Curtis to regroup. From this point onlward, everyone Curtis meets during her hike are referred to by their trail name. Chapter one ends with Curtis learning to embrace hiker culture and break the chains of trauma.

Chapter two, “Waning Crescent,” begins with Curtis sharing experiences of her childhood living rotated between her drug addicted biological mother, her grandmother whom she called Momma Nan, and her suburban Aunt Barbara. Curtis shares her first trip to Disney World when she was eleven, meeting her first dragonfly, her determination to become a veterinarian, being “fun-size, and wearing coke-bottle glasses. Chapter two ends with Curtis picking a souvenir representing her love of animals which she has kept to this day.

Chapter three, “Big Butt Bypass, Tennessee,” begins with Curtis describing her first experience with the possibility of dying on the AT. As Curtis gets farther along the trail, she questions if she has made a mistake hiking the AT alone as well as if she will find a tramily or others that hike with you 24/7/365. After fourteen years of therapy and antidepressants, Curtis realizes that although she loves nature, it is unable to heal her. After a half hour, Curtis decides to move forward and fulfill the commitment she made to herself to walk the trail from Georgia to Maine. To cope on the trail when cell service was unavailable, Curtis smokes weed and discusses the high use of weed smoking and trail culture. Chapter three ends with Curtis meeting Tonic, a trail legend who introduces her to dropping acid to help with her depression while on the trail with positive results.

Chapter four, “Third Quarter Moon,” begins by returning the reader to Curtis as an eleven-year-old after her childhood trip to Florida. Curtis is back either her grandmother’s house after a custody battle and lives with her older sister Ayana. Curtis shares her first experience kissing her a girl and the events which led to her first stay in a psychiatric hospital. As an eleven-year-old, Curtis is traumatized at the hospital by having her shoelaces removed as well being subjected to a full body cavity search. After receiving a Christmas gift from her Aunt Barbara, she learns that she has been hospitalized for three months since her grandmother favored her over Aryana and viewed Shilletha as disposable. With a plan in place from her aunt to get her discharged from the hospital, she attempts to escape from the hospital but after being betrayed by someone she viewed as her friend, she decides to trust no one. Chapter four ends with Curtis being picked up from her grandmother and realizing that she can show strength in dire situations.

Chapter five, “Roan Highlands, Tennessee,” begins in the present time with night approaching and Curtis having to decide whether to move forward or backtrack one week after being in Big Butt Gap. While hiking in the Roan Highlands, she is surprised to see mountains without trees. The longer she is alone, the more she realizes that she as well as other humans have been bound by the chains of capitalism and begins to view hiking as her salvation. Chapter five ends with Curtis comparing the challenges of hiking the AT to the challenges of her life and realizing that in both instances, it’s vital that she is prepared.

Chapter six, “Waning Gibbous,” begins with transporting the reader back to Curtis’ past to eight grade and her expressing the chaotic homelife of changing schools six times due to custody battles between family members. As she gets older, Curtis is diagnosed with dyscalculia, is bullied for having an ocular pigment condition, and is also bullied for speaking properly aka “sounding like a white girl.” Although she does well in school (except math,) she is soon reported to a school counselor for self-harming herself by a friend which is masking sexual abuse by her mother’s boyfriend. My heart broke upon reading Curtis’ experience telling her grandmother of the sexual abuse and being told by family members to say nothing happened to her. Upon her mother’s boyfriend being put in jail, Curtis experiences anxiety, PTSD, and acting out in school. Chapter six ends with Curtis deciding to no longer view herself as a victim but as a survivor and to choose to adapt to whatever the future had in store for her.

Chapter seven, “Damascus, Virginia,” begins in the present with Curtis arriving at Damascus, Virginia and being surprised when people refer to her as a hero for hiking the AT alone. After accepting a ride and place to stay from a seemingly friendly man which soon turns hostile, Curtis finds a hero in Connor’s gay adult daughter who works to diffuse the traumatic situation. Chapter seven ends with Curtis returning to not trusting people and erasing a text from a missed trail angel.

Chapter eight, “Tazewell, Virginia,” begins in the present Curtis arriving in Tazewell, Virginia and worrying when a hostel shuttle driver arrives wearing a Trump hat and is surprised when he says he follows her on Instagram. Upon arriving at the hostel, Curtis is happy to make find a tramily consisting of a white woman named Turtle and her three black adopted daughters Grumpy Cat, Jumprope, Bobo and also reunites with a pair of old hiking friends Chai and Mocha. The next day, Curtis, Turtle and the girls head out on the trail the next day leading Curtis to embrace being a role model to Black girls around the world. Although Turtle is a white woman, Curtis admires Turtle for introducing her black daughters to nature as well as advocating for them and an accepting their hardships including people wanting to touch their hair or asking them ignorant questions. Chapter eight ends with Curtis separating from her tramily but feeling encouraged by continued text messages from Turtle.

Chapter nine, “Full Moon,” begins by returning to Curtis’ past as a raging twelve-year-old who would act out due to her past sexual molestation. After her aunt Barbara sends her back to her mother, she is respectful yet distant to her mother but disrespectful to Barbara. Curtis discusses how she’s learned that child sexual trauma survivors become either hypersexual or asexual. As Curtis discusses her sexuality, she describes knowing she was a lesbian since she started school but having sex with boys when she turned fourteen years old as a way to purge her homosexual tendencies. As she struggles with her sexuality as well as her mental health, she experienced bed-wetting, setting fires, and cruelty to animals due to feeling emptiness. Chapter nine ends with twelve-year-old Curtis wondering why no one wants her and not fully understanding the love and support her Aunt Barbara.

Chapter ten, “Waxing Gibbous,” begins in the past with fifteen-year-old Curtis describing the day she went to school and was happy to meet with a vocational school representative with plans to become a marine biologist. Upon arriving home from school, Curtis learns while she was at school, Aunt Barbara died of a heart attack while waiting to receive dialysis. After Aunt Barbara’s passing, Curtis realizes that Barbara was actually a mother figure and then shares a speech and poem she read at Aunt Barbara’s funeral service. Chapter ten ends with Curtis feeling responsible for Aunt Barbara’s death and promising to live a life that would make Aunt Barbara proud.

Chapter eleven, “Maryland and Pennsylvania,” begins in the present with Curtis feeling connected to her ancestors as she travels through the forest in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. In celebration of LGBTQIA month, Curtis is wearing a rainbow tutu when she meets a fan (which she calls DragonFlys) and fellow person from New Jersey named Gangsigns. After being accompanied by Gangsigns through a racist part of the trail, she has a tenuous reunion with estranged girlfriend Zuri and feels heartbroken when Zuri introduces her to the girl she has been messing with since Curtis left for her hike. Chapter eleven ends with Curtis meeting Coyote, a young white man who she initially thinks is a skinhead, is actually in remission from cancer and decides to accept his friendship and financial help to further her hike.

Chapter twelve, “First Quarter Moon,” begins in the past and Curtis sharing the end of her family as she knew it after the death of Aunt Barbara. Following Aunt Barbara’s death, her uncle remarries and sells their old home. Curtis shares experiencing depression every holiday season and her sadness achieving various adult milestones without her Aunt there to support her. Despite obtaining a bachelor’s degree in social work, Curtis’ mental illness reappears and she is fired from her social work job for having a panic attack. In an effort to improve her mental health, Curtis joins AmeriCorps, relocates to Austin, Texas then ends up even more depressed as well as increases having self-harming episodes. While living in Texas, Curtis seeks professional help and gets put on various medications leading her to have suicidal thoughts. After being prescribed twenty-five drugs, Curtis becomes a medication expert and advocate for herself. Chapter twelve ends with Curtis attempting to end her life by walking but is stopped by her girlfriend at the time.

Chapter thirteen, “New Jersey and New York,” begins in the present with Curtis experiencing a pain in her left ankle but hitting the milestone of walking from Georgia to her home state of New Jersey. Upon meeting up with her friend Dani, she attends a party but soon feels out of place and doesn’t want to socialize. Curtis finds herself changed from her home of no longer finding value in expensive clothing or socializing with other people. When attending Zuri’s birthday party later in her visit to New Jersey, Curtis has her heart broken and Zuri blames her for ruining her birthday party. Following their final breakup, Curtis has a friend drop her off at a trail and is accompanied by her friend Liz. When the weather takes a turn, Curtis realizes that Liz is a day hiker, someone who hikes during the day then return home at night and she is soon alone once again. Curtis experiences “trail magic” of people cooking and going the distance to help thru-hikers out of the goodness of their hearts. Curtis makes new friends of a New York tramily and hikers Captain Underpants and Funghi. As the trio hike, Curtis reflects on non-hikers leaving trash on the ground while stopping at a lake and realizes that they trash the place because they haven’t been taught to respect nature. Chapter thirteen ends with Curtis, Captain Underpants, and Funghi have a deep conversation on what lead them to hike to AT and use that as motivation when living life off the trail.

Chapter fourteen, “Waxing Crescent,” begins in the past to February 2016 when Curtis is admitted into a psychiatric hospital for five days with other patients experiencing depression and anxiety. A five days, Curtis is transferred to intensive outpatient therapy then is released from the group therapy. Curtis eventually leaves AmeriCorps to follow her dream of being a veterinarian technician and ends up adopting a puppy. Since mental illness can’t be cured, only treated, Curtis becomes homeless and is soon sleeping in her car with Meraxes. With no other resources available, Curtis turns herself into Psychiatric Emergency Services and shares two stores of two mentally ill women were killed by the police. After telling a lie, the police are called and Meraxes is taken away from Curtis with a promise to get the dog back when she gets better. Chapter fourteen ends with Curtis reuniting with a friend as well as Meraxes and leaving Texas.

Chapter fifteen, “White Mountains, New Hampshire,” begins with Curtis having traveled long enough so that she no longer struggles for oxygen when climbing mountains. After reconnecting with Captain Underpants and Funghi and having a fun night exploring Hanover, New Hampshire, Curtis is hurt when they tell her they have changed their summit hiking plans. After saying their final goodbyes, Curtis accepts that each tramily entered her life to teach her a lesson and that her aunt was correct in that people who appear to look out for her when she needed it the most. Curtis meets a trans hiker while on the trail and realizes how impactful and important her presence was to people in the LGBTQIA community and gets encouragement that it’s okay for her to focus on the experience and not the miles. After surviving the climb, Curtis accepts that nature is for everyone and that everyone takes their own path to the top of the mountain. With the weather becoming more volatile, Curtis worries about keeping the purity of completing walking the full trail. Chapter fifteen ends with Curtis accepting that she will have to make a detour to finish her full solo mountain trek then preparing to reach her final destination of Katahdin in Maine.

Chapter sixteen, “New Moon on Katharine (Maine,”) begins with Curtis reflecting on her journey Tennessee, North Carolina, and Vermont. After hugging a sign at the New Hampshire-Maine state line, Curtis attempts to avoid boulders but injured along the way with a goal summit Katahdin on her birthday. With the threat of bad weather closing her planned path, Curtis decides to contact her trans hiker friend and is grateful when she driving from New Hampshire to Maine and drop her off at another safer location. Curtis views the real world as being out in nature while the real world is fictional. After returning from her summit, Curtis is insulted when a drunk white man refers to her as “exotic” asking to touch her hair, then touching her hair without her permission. Maine was a rude wake up call to her that although Katahdin was viewed as the perfect ending for white hikers, this was not Curtis’ parting experience as a black woman. As Curtis ends her hike of the Appalachian Trail, she begins to question her next steps and decides to be the second Black woman to complete the Triple Crown of hiking by hiking the Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail. Chapter sixteen ends with Curtis being unable to descend Agiocochook, planning to hike the Continental Divide Trail, and feeling stronger than ever before.

As I finished the memoir, I appreciated Curtis’ transparency in her traumatic childhood, battle with mental illness, and her transformation from a beginning hiker to a seasoned hiker while working help her younger self face her fears. Likewise, it was interesting to learn new hiking terms as well as tramily, slackpack, moogles, “trail legs” as well as the New Jersey specific event “Mischief Night” occurring the night before Halloween. While the memoir was a little disjointed at times in the shifting from Curtis’ past and present, I feel that this was a helpful narration tool to help represent her mindset as someone living with ADHD as well as mental illness.

[Starcatbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve been “asked” (hassled) to edit this review by people on whom the author is pressing down hard, crying that she’s being discriminated against by “a fragile white woman.”

I’m not white and I went to lengths to say so in the original review. Read on.

So here we go: a more in-depth review based (like the original) on my professional credentials as a 45+-year book editor, copyeditor, line editor, proofreader, and production manager for a line distributed by Simon & Schuster. For the editorial part of my career, I worked for all the major publishers and many small houses as well, all genres (and some you’ve probably never heard of). I’ve edited or proofread upwards of over 3k books in my career. And that’s not counting the thousands of “slush pile” manuscripts I’ve read.

If you are friends with Shilletha and still want to fill my Instagram messages with hostile notes or leave comments here full of strangely self-hurtful antisemitism? Go for it. It’s only making the author look bad …

**The author is requesting all this pushback against her one 2-star review.**

Note that the majority of the few reviews she’s gotten are praiseworthy — but only 3 stars.

This says a lot, Shilletha. Bear it in mind before you release the hounds again on me. I also am in contact with your publisher about your behavior; again, you want to bear it in mind.

——————

Like Cozy Reads, I found this book almost unreadable. The constant blame shifting onto other people, other races, her family, her circumstances instead of an uplifting tale of hiking the AT, I found myself reading a poorly written tale that was uninspiring, flat, angry.

The prose is jarring with constant asides and parenthetical commentary in the middle of descriptions of her abuse, her mental illness (I feel for you, for that; both of them horrible and I’m sorry you’ve had to endure both like I have in my life. I don’t wish it on anyone). But the prose is also rife with overwriting. I won’t quote here out of context, but average sentences are florid with dozens of adjectival descriptors that take away from the action, the scene, the emotion she’s trying to convey. And I do mean florid. I felt like I was reading fan fiction at times.

As an editor, I wished I had been able to work on this with the author; she needed a book doulah or a line editor before it went to editorial at Disney — I would say I’m surprised that happened, but publishing isn’t what it once was. Everything is an “instant book” nowadays. Books used to take a minimum of 9 months to go from the time it was purchased by an editor to publication and distribution. Now it’s more like three months. Nothing is really edited, nothing is copyedited (in fact, many houses call the proofreading stage copyediting and leave it at that, and those are two different skills and both stages really need to be done to create a good book — authors can’t see their own mistakes, it’s impossible really, even if the author is an editor themselves!).

The passages describing her journey, her triumphs both on the trail and over her own hardships are still mechanically difficult to read, but given this is the age of self-publishing (with no or little editing, all done by amateur beta readers), most readers won’t notice, and apparently the other reviewers here are of that ilk. I don’t hold it against anyone — the bar of “good writing” has moved and the major publishers, including Disney, are multinational corporations producting a Product, not a great piece of art. The world of gentlemen sitting around a table in suits, smoking cigars and drinking port, talking of editing books and what authors they want to entice to their publishing house is long gone (and we’re all better for it, frankly). But that era also gave us some of the best books that are still in print. There ARE great books still (my store carries many), but the majority of what’s published is published for profit, plain and simple. They’re not purchasing Great Literature.

And this isn’t a book of Great Literature. I maintain: even with the fast-moving plot of her journey along the AT, which is a good vehicle for her journey of self-discovery and overcoming childhood and adult obstacles both social and mental, this book is hard to read because of the florid prose and the almost constant repetition of, well, there’s no other word for it: self-pity.

Which is understandable, given her background, her circumstances, and her mental health. But it’s jarring to have it as a constant theme weaving its way into every instance, every encounter, every scene. I had to put the book down multiple times because it colored the journey of self-discovery to the point where, if this was fiction (and it’s not!), I would say I didn’t feel sorry for the “main character” at all because it was unrelenting.

See below about my own background, and this explains why I see a journey of self-discovery from the point of view of someone discriminated against, who encounters bigotry daily, who encounters and endures violence (including as a child) as something that if it’s written out as a book is less than enticing if self-pity is emphasized so much.


Here we go:

Now as to the original review, I added the following information, lest I get accused of simply reviewing this with 2 stars because “I’m white.”

I’m not white. And I’ve endured bigotry (and violence) all my life because of it.

I grew up Sephardic Jewish (edited because of the racist comments I’ve received: Sephards are NOT WHITE; we are from the Mideast and Spain, mostly, think “black Spanish” [not Moors, they are Muslim] and Middle Eastern in appearance) in a family where my father was white white white, angry, very Red, and clearly had a love/hate relationship with my mother, who he abused physically. I grew up abused, physically and mentally - I have CPTSD. I was disowned. I lived penniless on the streets of LA at age 17 (I was from the East) and what money I do have comes from hard work, many years of mindless tasks (such as reading slush piles of manuscripts for publishers and agents).

I look semi-white. Why? My father was Scottish. So Scottish, his mother was from Glasgow. The Glasgow slums, in fact. I have my mother’s hair and *some* coloration, but photos of me on the Internet? I look white.

I’M NOT WHITE. Got that now, friends of Shilletha? Guess what? I’M ALSO LGBTQ+.

Got that in your heads now? Stop it with the “you’re white and fragile.”

I have no family because of my racist father. But I didn’t blame him, the people I’ve met over the years who have been racist to me, the world that’s racist to me. I’ve been in danger for my life (come to my bookstore and I’ll tell you the story of staying overnight at a KKK home in Kentucky—no I didn’t sleep a wink). I don’t expect other people to support me financially or mentally. I too have had depression. But I worked hard, earned my own money, am lucky enough to have a husband who loves me and supports me when the PTSD is bad. And understands the hardship it is of being non-white Jewish in America if you’re not in a big city. To this day, I live in a town where I’m constantly being reminded that I’m “not white” and that I’m “the Jew girl.”

I understand being scared for your life while on the road (so to speak — I was with a repertory theater company in the Deep South and Midwest) — but I didn’t displace blame for my own reactions to it. I also didn’t expect other people to support me 100% or do my laundry for me.

So many books have been written about BIPOC people hiking the trail — all great books. This is not one of them. I wish it was — I really do. The story has great potential, but it needed a strong editorial hand.

I’m giving this a big pass as a bookseller, I’m afraid. I’m sorry, Shilletha. Perhaps your next book will be one we’ll carry.

P.S. For the people who are fragile enough themselves to keep complaining that I’m being “personal” in an “attack” against this author, she wrote a PERSONAL MEMOIR and overwrote it, didn’t get it edited (for whatever reason), and so any criticism of the book sounds personal. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. Goodreads reviews by and large are fluff. I don’t write fluff.

[Moedawg63 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t want to be mean but I cannot with this book. I’m the ideal audience: mental health clinician, hiker, in a multiracial family. It has so much promise but the editors really let this author down. She got this gig after writing a Facebook rant/blog. She needs support to write a whole dang memoir. The writing was florid, verbose. It was like someone pretending to be a writer and adding all of the adjectives. The story would be interesting if the sentences weren’t so distracting. I’d love to hear this woman’s voice and experience. I want to encourage more BIPOC folks to venture onto the trails. Someone needs to sit down and cut out 85% of the embellishments and let the experience shine through.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Cheryle Strayed's "Wild"" about her experience on the Pacific Crest Trail. She is the absolute exemplery women writer of her time. Her hike through story was remarkable , independent and couragous. So I was interested to experience this book also told by the author's experiences on the AT. However this sadly did not resonate in any way.

I was disappointed in the author playing the consant victim and blaming her family, races other then hers and her own bad choices for her miserable life. This was a not a trail centered interesting read as was "Wild". Where Ms. Strayed took responsibility for herself and her own hike and funding, this author used social media and her race complaining to gain monies to fund her hike. She utilized a series of people to pay her to hike and her followers. I was not impressed that she was not independent in any way. While any hike of this nature is impressive she stopped and stayed overnight so often with people and places that funded her that she was not focused on a true hike through . Her complaining of "other races" and blaming others for her life problems was inmature, disturbing and offensive.. I could not finish this as her writing is center focused on blaming others.. I found her sad, uninteresting and her writing inmature. Every chapter is complaining about others causing her problems . So If your looking for a true AT hike book this is not it. You wold learn more about a AT hike through on Google .

[Pamela Mooty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! Raw story of mental health, racism, hiking and the trail community, etc. It includes the good, the great, thr bad, the ugly. Read!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Proud of her for surviving her trauma, fighting her demons and completing the AT.

The book itself was a challenge for me to read because it was so poorly edited.

[Christina Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved learning about Dragonsky’s journey on the AT, but mostly appreciated the flashbacks that were intertwined within the chapters.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A trail memoir unlike any I have read so far, much appreciated.

[Kat]

Beautiful discussion of mental health and the outdoors

[Shirley Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you’re a day hiker or thru hiker, a woman, a POC, a member of the LBGT+ community, someone struggling with mental health and/or disabilities, or most importantly (for Shilletha) a white man this book IS NOT for you. THIS IS NOT A THRU HINKING BOOK!! But rather a book about Shilletha's life (well Shilletha's self pity). Shilletha’s internalized sexism and racism seep through the pages of her stories right from the beginning. She is quick to distance herself from the struggles of both women and POCs before generalizing the experiences these groups face. She then proceeds by claiming the struggles and trauma as her own. Her stories often feel like hollowed out version of her truth intertwined with the real-life experiences of other people. As much as I want to believe her truth, she leaves more questions than answers as her stories often don’t line up. She is prone to contradictions that reveal themselves within a few short paragraphs (she claims to have started puberty in the 8th grade and not two pages later she's claiming she started in the 5th grade). Little inconsistencies like these make the book confusing, despite being an easy read. The book is poorly written, with even worst editing. At one point a side character name changes part way thru the story (from Sage to Pepper) . The author also claims titles, such as "2nd black woman to attempt to hike the AT" and the "only openly LGBT hiker on the Appalachian trail in 2021" both of which are extremely false. With a quick google or Instagram search you can find members of both groups not only the year she hiked but also years before her. I myself hiked with a black woman back in 2018, and she was most definitely not the first. Claiming to be the only openly gay person on the trail is even more outrageous. Hundreds of hikers are out there every year, she's not the only one "brave enough", as she puts it, to be open. Once again I was out there in 2018 as an openly bi-women, but she specified her year, 2021, so I looked for them and found many openly LGBT hikers on Instagram with posts from Shilletha's year on the AT. She erases the experiences of other black women and LGBT member in an attempt to build herself up. Lastly, by the time this book had come out (2024) Shilletha had not finished the AT, like she claims. Anyone following her Instagram could tell you she section hiked most of the trail in 2021 and didn't finish the trail until AFTER she released this memoir about it. Don't believe me? https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor... The first paragraph from this article (2024), tells you she didn't finish until May of this year, after her book release. Disclaimer I have nothing against sections hikers, just ones that claimed to have completed it THREE YEARS before they actually did. If you still insist on reading this book I suggest looking into your local library and save yourself money, this isn't something you'll want t0 keep a copy of.

[blythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. If you are interested in mental illness representation and how the outdoors can be used to heal past trauma, you may be interested in this book.
Pack Light is a memoir that follows the author, known as Dragonsky, along her 2021 Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike, alternating chapters about the 7+ month backpacking trip with her background growing up in New Jersey. The AT runs over 2,000 miles from Springer Mountain in Northern Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Northern Maine. Some popular places to visit include the Smoky Mountains and Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I grew up very close to the NJ portion of the trail, and I attempted a thru-hike, hiking the entire trail in one calendar year, in 2008. I have read many books on AT journeys, so I was looking forward to this one. While the AT is definitely a central piece of the story, the memoir equally includes the author’s history with mental illness. As I read, I found myself realizing my privilege as a hiker by understanding Dragonsky’s fears and experiences as a queer Black woman on the trail. I think there is a lot to learn from others’ perspectives, and I’m glad that I took the time to read this book. However, I don’t think it would appeal to readers looking to learn more about the AT; I found some of the timelines confusing, and the language seemed overly flowery to me.

[Noelle Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The most prominent revelation to me was that here, there was no beating the trail. No magic tricks or magicians. No scheming or bargaining with the mountain. It was so very simple and blunt. There were only two options: I could go back in the direction I had come from, or I could move forward, confront obstacles, and face the shadows before me.”

Title: Pack Light
Author: Shilletha Curtis

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5

This is a memoir book. It was an ARC I received from the bookstore where I work(Paperbacks and Pieces) @pbooks77mn.

The author tells not only of her experience as she through hiked the Appalachian Trail. She also shares her life story. This book touches on many topics such as mental illness, identity, depression, anxiety, belonging, race, family, and just general finding your way through difficulty.

The author is quite unique and different than 90% of the people who hike the Appalachian Trail. Her perspective brings new views on what it was like for her to hike it.

I always love a good memoir, especially if you add in some nature survival elements so this was right up my alley.

[Kristen K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I was going to read a book about the actual Appalachian Trail hike, but this was about the writer’s childhood and mental health. That is an important thing to write and read about, so if that’s what you are looking for, then this is the book for you. I was looking for a book about the Appalachian Trail, and that is only a minor character in this book. For example, you get a very brief description of her first steps onto the trail, then she flashes back to her childhood, then suddenly she is on the trail at mile 298. We get no details of the actual hiking or managing those miles, and I bought this to book to get this information.
The writing style is also not for me. It follows the new trend of sliding back and forth between episodes in the author’s life. This is a very popular form of narration today, but I do not personally enjoy that style.
The book just wasn’t for me. I bought it because it was recommended by Outdoor magazine, but I kind of wonder if they read it because it isn’t a book about trail experience at all.

[Sharmila McBatra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I found the uncorrected advanced proof in a cardboard box on the street, and so I'm not sure what changed for the official version.
Not knowing what to expect or having ever heard of the author, I was pleasantly surprised by this read. I was impressed at the vulnerability and honesty that Shilletha portrayed while speaking her truth both in the trail sections and the life sections. As a person it is clear that she experiences her emotions fully, and there is often a stigma in society about that. I love that she embraces that in herself and is open to sharing that part of her story with the world.
I also learned a lot about mental health struggles and the challenges that people with them face. I couldn't believe the part where she was committed to a facility as a child: it was all so horrific, racist, and unfair.
This was a true journey story, and something that resonates with me is that this is just the beginning. I wish Dragonsky the best as she continues to pursue the triple crown.

[bookstagramonabudget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm hesitant to review this book, because memoirs are so personal and I wouldn't want it to feel like an attack. As a woman who loves exploring the outdoors and is inspired by those who take on these beasts of trails, I followed Shilletha/Dragonsky's journey on Instagram and was looking forward to this book as an in-depth reading experience of life on the AT.

My disappointment here is that the AT is barely a secondary character in this book. It switches back and forth between the AT and a lifetime of previous traumas (which I am very empathetic to), and even the AT sections aren't that much about the trail experience, but more about the days off from the trail.

I greatly admire Shilletha and her accomplishments, and honestly if she writes about the PCT and the CD in pursuit of her Triple Crown, I would still likely read them - maybe they will be more about the trail experience, now that this book covered the therapeutic aspect of writing a memoir. I just wish her backstory and her AT story had been separated, so that more justice could be done to both.

[Jess Witkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pack Light is a wonderful example of memoir that covers mental health and transformative travel. I loved the structure of the book taking us from the trail to her childhood and back.

For someone who encountered so much trauma in her youth, Shilletha Curtis, “Dragonsky,” truly pushed herself physically and mentally while thru-hiking. The book focuses on her chronic battle with depression and anxiety and she shares many vulnerable moments. As a reader, I was rooting for her the whole way, staying up late to keep turning pages. I found the ups and downs of her mental health to be honest, understandable, and at times, relatable. She also points out the additional safety concerns and anxiety that people of color and/or LGBTQ+ folks face on the trails when entering racist communities along the way. There were so many fearful moments and micro-aggressions.

I wish the ending had been drawn out a bit more, but overall this was an impressive and inspiring story of a young woman’s trek to find her way forward. I hope she achieves her next goal of the Triple Crown.

[Valarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Shilletha Curtis' memoir of her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail very interesting. She has a fascinating background and has gone through a lot in her life. I enjoyed being able to read about her experiences and learn from her perspective. I do wish there had been a bit more detail about the trail itself and the logistics of hiking. This book would not be great as a trail resource if that's what you're looking for. If you like personal stories and hearing different perspectives about life in America, then this is a great book for you. My main complaint about the book is the prose. Many of the sentences are just plain overwritten with way too many adjectives and the phrase "it was like" was used all the time. I still think this is a worthy read, but I did find myself skimming some sentences. Kudos to Ms Curtis for her amazing hiking feat! Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Cassondra Perea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thru- hiking the Appalachian Trail (one of the longest hiking trails in America-spanning from Georgia to Maine) has fascinated me since the moment I heard about it.

After reading Shilletha Curtis was releasing a book about her experience hiking the mostly uninhabited land as a Black, lesbian woman I knew I had to hear her unique perspective on the topic.

While her life and time on the AT was filled with inspirational moments, I was not prepared for the heartbreaking struggles she recounts (in great detail). As someone who has endured both abuse and struggled with their mental health (anxiety and depression) reading her story was much more difficult than I expected.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Shilletha Curtis for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

*this book discusses topics that may be triggering for some readers.

[Melody at Colorado Hikes and Hops · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. I had such high expectations when I started. An african american journey of the AP - yes please! A fresh perspective on mental health and how the outdoors heals. 100%

I guess I was unprepared for the raw and often horrific accounts of physical abuse this author endured as a child. As I was listening to the book vs. reading, I found it difficult to "skip over" as almost full chapters were devoted to the violence she endured.

My heart broke as my mind read the images, making Curtis story so very raw. However, I couldn't get past the images in my head...to the point that I had to stop reading this book.

But alongside the trials she endured, there is the overpowering grace that she gave herself, the tenacity to "put herself in danger" and to overcome. For that, she gets an A+ in my book. However, f you are sensitive or triggered by abuse, this might not be the book for you.