Mush: from sled dogs to celiac, the scenic detour of my life

by Tara Caimi

When Tara Caimi was twenty-eight years old, she moved from Pennsylvania to Utah to support her boyfriend’s dog mushing dream. Nick was confident and courageous, outgoing and adventurous—everything Tara was not. Tara had always suffered from anxiety-related ailments, but in Utah her health steadily deteriorated. Living with Nick revealed some unexpected lifestyle differences, and the culture she encountered rendered her a perpetual outsider. The only comfort she found was in her surrogate family of sled dogs. As personal failures piled up amidst desperate feelings of isolation, her health declined to a point she could no longer ignore. Mush is the story of Tara’s journey toward someone else’s dream and the lifesaving self-discovery it revealed.

Genres: Memoir

196 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2015

About the author

Tara Caimi is a freelance writer and author. When not eyeball-deep in technical writing and editing (comprising much of her freelance work these days), she enjoys writing feature articles for magazines along with crafting narrative, highly subjective nonfiction and essays disguised as stories. She holds a BA in journalism, an MFA in creative writing, and has worked as a graphic designer, promotional writer and editor, and communications and marketing specialist over the years. Her work has appeared in the Writer’s Chronicle, The MacGuffin, Fire & Knives, Pithead Chapel, Oh Comely magazine, the nonfiction anthology Whereabouts: Stepping Out of Place, and other journals and magazines. Tara's debut memoir, Mush: from sled dogs to celiac, the scenic detour of my life, was published by Plain View Press in January 2015.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written book

I really enjoyed this book so much. The relationship between her and her boyfriend and the dogs and the celiac-- all so much to think about, and she integrated it so well. I felt like I was there, just as one should with a great book. Buy this book. You won't regret it!

[Susan Brougher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The writing so smooth and seamless took me fully into Tara's story. No matter our age this book shows that we can realize our dreams. It is about the process of going through. And traversing the road out of our comfort zone. For Tara, it was a way to find what she really wanted, once she figured out who she was. This book is not a 'poor is me' nor was it full of the 'I' word that is central in many memoirs. Instead it inspires with its exciting, earthy, deeply expressed real life adventure. It offers insight into a world unknown to many, dog sledding in Utah. Tara's eating patterns and physical symptoms weaved their way, taking her through suffering and to the bottom, before they were finally revealed as Celiac disease. I loved the poetic profound entry of the title "mush" midway through her story. I highly recommend this book.

[Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book so I was pleasantly surprised to find I did. Caimi's writing is actually very good and descriptive, although the writing feels a bit immature to me. This was a quick read and I enjoyed the sense of emotional roller coaster; not something I would usually say. The only thing that upset me a bit was that the title gives away the "surprise" of finding out Tara has celiac. Because it's more well known, every time she mentions eating pasta or toast to calm her stomach I just wanted to scream.

[Dfuser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an honest, insightful memoir of a troubled relationship. We'd all like to be the star of our own lives, but Tara Caimi manages to be truthful about her missteps, as well as her right ones. Her voice is clear, humorous and easy to read. Along the way, the reader is treated to a travelogue, a cautionary tale of dealing with celiac, and (for the mothers of young women) a lot of heartache before eventual relief.

This will be a hard act for her to follow - but I will be waiting anxiously to do so.

[Helen Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara Caimi's Mush is a beautiful portrait of a young woman in the throes of self discovery. Tara artfully tells the story of her younger self struggling to find self-confidence and health as she trails along on her boyfriend's quest to start a sled dog team. It is hard not to be enraptured by the descriptions of Utah's landscape or Tara's self awakening. I highly recommend it for dog lovers or any reader looking to relive the delicate soul searching of youth.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara was a girl who always wanted to fit in. She eventually found a quirky guy, Nick, to fall in love with. They started their big adventure together by moving from Pennsylvania to Utah in pursuit of Nick's dog sledding career. This engaging memoir was sweet, funny, and totally entertaining. I really liked Tara! Bonus was I learned a lot about sled dogs, Utah, and, most importantly, celiac disease. This book was a quick and enjoyable read.

[Lauren Wazontek · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best memoirs I've ever read. I could relate to the author on so many levels, and I loved her journey of self-discovery. It's a must-read!