First, I understand that there is some controversy surrounding the author's prior writings and failure to consult and/or write a book about an indigenous character when she is not indigenous. This is obviously problematic, and I do not condone that behavior. whether intentional or not The publishing industry and society as a whole needs to figure out how to promote own voices better. I hope the author has learned from this and will move on to be an advocate for own voices in the publishing industry. This book, is a beautiful memoir about motherhood, shy versus introverted children, parental bonds, hiking, addiction (including social media addiction and parallels to other addictions), the healing power of nature, and how to live your life to the fullest while setting an example for your children. No issue was left untouched in this book. The author unabashedly tells of her struggles with parenting and the tension between how she was raised, and how the world is changing or has already changed so drastically that she feels caught in the middle. She also addresses the "cancel culture" that has resulted from her aforementioned obliviousness and I appreciate that she is taking steps to do that. I cannot say that the work is fully done here, but she is making progress. Another topic that was raised is her struggles within her own marriage, a topic that I find many stray away from especially in the age of social media. I think that this is incredibly raw. Any hiker will relate to that aspect of the book as well. While some of the references to other books seems forced, I did like the amount of additional information that the reader was pointed to in order to do the work for themselves. The author even included additional resources at the end of the book. The book is obviously well-researched. Ultimately, I think the author needed to write this book for herself, but in the process created something that is relevant, relatable, and useful to a lot of people.

As a recent first-time mother, a new kind of potential reality sets in for me after experiencing Angie Abdou's "This One Wild Life." The brave candidness in which Abdou approaches her relationship with not only her daughter, Katie—who "suffers from a trait of shyness"—but the other characters of her life (as well as us readers), makes the commentary feel much more relatable than some other parent reflection pieces. While I admittedly side-eyed on occasion at some remarks Abdou makes—I think her pursuit to compare Katie to a house without its lights on could do some damage to a young, impressionable child who is still on the road to discovering herself—, the overall message, backed by an abundance of scientific and psychological background material, created a compelling parental read, with a surprising episode of gripping high adventure.

A touching memoir about a mother and her attempts to connect with her children. The author doesn't shy away from digging deep into personal trials and failures, always bringing it back to what she learned from those backslides.

This was a well thought out and well rounded book. It not only looked at ways the world views and shaped our children but ourselves. It takes an honest look at who we are as parents and gives us the freedom to say “wow, I really need to change that about myself.” Yet does it in a way that is non judgmental. Just helpful. Wonderful resource for all parents.