. . . presents the reality of a thru hike; I felt the culture of trail towns and their connections with the hikers; Gabe and his life story felt real, especially his relationship with Claire and Billy; and Gabe's life is changed and fulfilled by the experience. Well done!
- Ron Tipton - AT thru-hiker; former Executive Director/CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
The Habits of Squirrels
The journey of a thousand miles begins with an irate squirrel.
In this charming, thoughtful meditation on all of life’s journeys, Brian Livingston finds humor, grace, and sunburn on one of the country’s great hikes. Gabe Jenkins spent his career driving in circles. For thirty years, his life revolved around his mail route. Upon retirement, this accumulated inertia steers Gabe onto the Great Eastern Trail, the meandering pathway running south to north through the sprawling Amicola Mountains. As he walks, he encounters the Trail’s eccentric inhabitants, who will help him, challenge him, and ultimately shape his journey. As a new Gabe ambles toward the Great Eastern Trail’s northern terminus, he is forced to reckon with how he has lived his life and to determine what kind of person he wants to be—as a husband, as a father, as a human being—and how he wants to spend his remaining years.
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Author Brian Livingston
Brian Livingston is the author of THE HABITS OF SQUIRRELS. He presently lives in Charleston, South Carolina with his wife, Olivia, and black lab, Maddux.