Northbound with Theo

A Man and His Dog Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail at Ages 75 and 8

By: Soren West

Narrated by: Soren West

Soren West discovered the woods as both adventure and refuge from a difficult home life as a 12-year-old. After 44 years as a trial attorney, he and his golden retriever, Theo, set out on the Appalachian Trail. Soren loses 30 pounds, has a tooth reset, and his shoulder repaired. But he also meets wild people, unscalable rocks, and night-time frights on this "life-changing adventure," all the way with Theo!

©2022 Soren West (P)2022 Soren West

The author's bond with his dog

This was a inspirational book about a 75 year old retired lawyer and his sweet golden retriever, Thor, thru hiking the entire AT in 2016.. I hiked all but 250 miles of the AT , solo, as a 68 year old retired social worker, in 2021 and felt a kinship with the author. I loved his description of the many places he saw and people he met. My Golden Retriever, Willie, would have made my 7 months on the AT much less lonely. Maybe we'll tackle the trail together this year.
Because of my admiration for Soren West and his resilience, I won't take off a star for a little criticism, but.... Soren tended to wander off topic by going on and on about how wonderful his wife and kids were. It's nice, but a little of this goes a long way. It would have been good to hear more about the fantastic places he saw. I know and saw these places too.
With all the the gushing about his wife and kids, I felt awkward. After all, his wife and kids weren't hiking 2000+ miles. I'm glad that the author's had such a perfect family life, but many of us thru hikers aren't so lucky. I dare to say, many hikers are a little broken and seek meaning and clarity in their lives.

Finally, there were too many religious references, especially toward the end. It was like preaching.
Some of the material seems like it would be better placed in a personal journal or love letters to a spouse.

Overall, I liked this book.