Download Running Home A Memoir Katie Arnold 9780425284650 Books

Product details Hardcover 384 pages Publisher Random House (March 12, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 0425284654

Running Home A Memoir Katie Arnold 9780425284650 Books Reviews

• This book is about so much more than running. Don't be put off by that if it's not your interest. Katie Arnold's prose is so beautifully descriptive, poignant, and flowing. Running is a metaphor, muse, and path for so many other things in this gorgeous memoir about family, parenting, grief, losing yourself, finding yourself, and so much more. The descriptions of place, from Virginia to New Mexico to the Grand Canyon are breathtaking. I found myself not wanting to put this down, and wanting to underline passages so I could memorize them. This book resonated with me so much, about the process of grief, about running, and about figuring out how to puzzle out all the jagged pieces of life. Such a gorgeous, satisfying, poignant read.
• When someone is beautiful on the inside it shows to the outside world. Thank you Katie for sharing so much of your inner thoughts with us - most of which a lot of us have on some level, but are scared to even admit to ourselves.
  
  Not only did I find Katie's writing to be as smooth as my favorite dark chocolate, but the story itself is relatable on so many fronts. I am close to my own father and though I am lucky and he is still alive, Katie's story brought the reality of his inevitable death to the forefront of my mind. Believing that I cannot survive without his wisdom, belief in me, encouragement and love has often darken sleepless nights. However, knowing how Katie has persevered and emerged stronger has lightened a burden I've felt in my heart for years. Thank you for being so brave and sharing; thank you for being you.
• I loved this book. I thought she got it right about so many things I’ve experienced, like trying to get out and run when you have small kids, or working all that out with the husband. or telling coworkers you’d love to go out with them after work but have to run first. I also had a great relationship with a father who wasn’t perfect and ran through all that. Just really enjoyed her honesty and humble humor. And, I liked how she drew meditation into her running. Sorry to have the book end. Inspirational
• I loved this wonderfully written memoir of grief, family, and the life of an endurance athlete. The author, Katie Arnold, is a freelance journalist (formerly on staff for an outdoors magazine), in her late 30s/early 40s (during the time of the memoir), who has received news that her father, a talented man who was a photographer for National Geographic, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Very quickly, before the family can even begin to process it, he is gone, leaving Katie with overwhelming grief, anxiety, and unanswered questions about her father's life and his relationship with Katie and her sister. Eventually, she turns back to running - not just jogging on the trails around Santa Fe, but rather ultrarunning, where athletes cover extreme distances over the course of many hours, in order to help process everything that is happening.
  
  One of the author's strongest points is that she makes a reader really feel like she knows the author and her family, like the author is sitting across the table from the reader, telling her story. Part of this is the writing, as it's very clear. smooth, direct, and honest. Another part of this is the family pictures interspersed throughout the book that span a wide range, from her father's childhood and school days, to Katie and her sister Meg at various ages, to Katie's daughters as they grow up (as a stylistic point, I really appreciated that the pictures were interspersed with the writing, as I find it somewhat jarring when there's a photo album in the middle of a memoir, often containing pictures of people and events that haven't been introduced in the memoir yet). These pictures really help give a sense of who Katie and her family are, and what her dad was like.
  
  Additionally, it's very difficult to write about difficult events in a life without being overly dramatic, self-pitying, angry, or overcompensating by being overly positive about rising above it all. Katie manages to write about difficult events perfectly - in a way that is honest and connects the reader with her, and without denying events, personalities, and feelings. She doesn't make her dad out to be perfect or terrible, but rather a flawed human being who made some choices that are hard to understand.
  
  I also enjoyed the discussions about ultrarunning. I'm not a runner myself, but I have read one other memoir on ultrarunning and I find it really interesting. Katie gives the readers the information you need to know about the sport for her memoir, and it's easy to understand. Additionally, the descriptions of the trails and scenery that she runs are fantastic.
  
  Although not really a downside, I did not find the memoir one that a reader can just zip through. I found it best to read only a couple chapters (or less) at a time. There's a lot packed into the pages, and it was good to process it on a slower timeframe than usual for me.
  
  All in all, highly recommended!
• As a non-runner, I've always wondered why people run. Of course, a lot of people run to maintain their weight and overall health. But surely there are other reasons they do it, too. Running Home A Memoir is a book that answers the "Why do people run?" question for me; at least in the case of Katie Arnold. After the rather sudden loss of her father, Katie found that running ultra-long distances through the wilderness helped her cope with her loss, anxiety, and grief. Long-distance running was the prescription that finally allowed Katie to find peace. Reading about her experiences was very inspirational, especially the parts about her training for and running a 50k (31+ miles) trail race. Like I said, I'm not a runner, and I never will be. But Running Home really struck a chord with me. It's a great story, not just about running but about life, perseverance, and hope.