I will buy this book to finish later, as I did not manage to finish this in time - but it is in line with my interests, and I have recommended it widely.

This was a great read. I like the way that on finding a family diary the author follows in the foot steps from Canada to find the gold rush area in the diary. It was a very interesting read that I really enjoyed. I liked the way the book was dual timeline. Alternating between the diary travel entry and the authors own travels. The diary entries were rather shocking as I didn't realise how many mules actually died on the journey. I actually rated this book 3.5 stars rounded up as it was better than an average rating. It was wrote well and flowed nicely. There was lots of description. It just didn't grab my full attention and I was losing interest. I really enjoyed the diary entries but the authors travels wasn't that exciting. There were a few great moments though. And I recommend reading this if you love diary's of old timer gold rush travels. It was fun learning about how hard life was like on the trail. I couldn't believe how many hardships they had to go through. Especially just how many people didn't make it or even find gold or enough to bring home to support their family. 

Many thanks to the author and publishers for bringing this enjoyable book to life.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/same-ground-by-russell-wangersky-ecw-3-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

I like these types of travelogues. Wangersky’s great great grandfather went overland to California in 1849. The author and his wife retraced his journey in 2016.
I liked reading people’s observations along the journey with adventures and different people one encounters.
They kept getting lost so I wondered why they just didn’t use GPS.
It may have been just the digital formatting, but the diary excepts were not distinct. I had difficulty discerning where the entires ended and the modern narrative resumed.

I wanted to like this book as the concept sounded so interesting. Unfortunately I gave up around 25 percent as I found the telling of the current day journey boring. That is the trouble with road trips - it's mostly eating and sleeping and the problems or otherwise encountered. The diary entries from 1849 were fascinating and I tried to skim through the book to just read those but the format made that impossible as there were no defined breaks between old and new. A lot of research has gone into this project and I am sure the author and his wife had a lot of fun in the execution of the trip. But it doesn't make a very good book for this reader. With thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for an e-ARC to read and review.

2.5/5
Unfortunately, after coming back to this book multiple times, I’ve decided to DNF it at just over halfway through. It must be said first that the idea for the book and the time and effort that the author put into creating it is truly amazing and deeply personal. Though, as a reader, the present-day story felt repetitive and read more as an observation of the United States. However, I did appreciate the journal entries from Dodge, Wangersky’s ancestor, as they act as a primary source in the history of the California Gold Rush and of North American immigration patterns and conditions in the 19th century. Even though I did not enjoy Wangersky’s story as much as I had hoped, I believe readers interested in comparative stories and classic road trips may enjoy this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and ECW Press for an eARC of Same Ground in exchange for an honest review.

Wangersky’s journalistic talent, insightful reflection and colourful life experiences stand him in good stead for this road trip book. It starts with Wangersky’s unearthing of a treasured family possession: a diary written in 1849 by his own great-great-grandfather William Castle Dodge who became drawn into the gold rush of 1849. Dodge travelled the breadth of the North American continent partly on foot, partly by car, and more than a century and a half later, Wangersky follows his trail, although from the comfort of his car. Wangersky is not in search of gold or monetary riches, but rather immaterial riches and a deeper understanding of his family roots. The ensuing book is therefore a reflective, often philosophical work on physical, emotional and psychological ‘travelling’ that does not depend on mileage covered. I read the ARC that I received several times and uncovered something new each time. Warmly recommended for everyone who wants to embark on a metaphorical or actual road trip, this engaging read has made me want to discover Wangersky’s back catalogue, too. Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free e-ARC that I enjoyed and that made this book review possible.