The Middle of Somewhere
Paperback and e-book, 336 pages
Published: September 1st 2015 by NAL
If you loved Wild, you can't miss this.
A troubled, young widow hikes from Yosemite Valley deep into the wilderness on the John Muir Trail to elude her shameful past in this emotionally gripping story from the author of House Broken.
With her thirtieth birthday looming, Liz Kroft is heading for the hills—literally. Her emotional baggage weighs her down more than her backpack, but a three-week trek promises the solitude she craves—at least until her boyfriend, Dante, decides to tag along. His broad moral streak makes the prospect of confessing her sins more difficult, but as much as she fears his judgment, she fears losing him more. Maybe.
They set off together alone under blue skies, but it’s not long before storms threaten and two strange brothers appear along the trail. Amid the jagged, towering peaks, Liz must decide whether to admit her mistakes and confront her fears, or face the trail, the brothers and her future alone.
My thoughts about The Middle of Somewhere ~~
The Middle of Somewhere is an amazing story of one woman's journey to try and make some sense of her life. She has made some mistakes and has lied to the people around her, people who love her. She feels guilty and undeserving of that love and sets off on this three week hike to do some soul searching and to try to forgive herself.
Sonja has written such a beautiful story and her descriptions of the area and the experiences that Liz and the other hikers encountered were so amazing that I felt like I was there witnessing the beauty, and the fury, of nature right along with Liz and the other hikers.
'No questioning how Sunrise Camp got its name. The meadow stretched two miles in front of her, cast in near darkness, but the sun had found the Cathedral Peaks, painting them a warm orange, a promise for the coming day. The air was completely still, her breath in her ears the only sound. It was morning distilled, the sun rising on a quiet world, a mute witness To Liz, it was both the oldest miraculous event, and the newest. This one belonged to her, and she to it.'
Liz's solitary, soul searching journey turns into something altogether different from what she had planned, when her boyfriend decides at the last minute to join her. The extreme conditions they have to endure really puts their relationship to the test. And secrets are never an easy thing to keep or to live with.
'If he knew the truth, if he knew what the real tragedy was, he wouldn't love her at all.'
I know I am not the type of person who could ever in a million years be able to spend three weeks of my life as Liz did. Honestly, I am not an outdoorsy type. At all. This story was so well written and believable that I felt like I was right there with these hikers and I went on this trek vicariously through them. Thanks for the workout, Sonja!
There comes a point in the book when things start to go wrong and I literally could not stop reading. It got so intense that there was no way I could put the book aside. I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I just had to know how it ended. I love it when authors can create a story like that, one that just pulls me into it.
'Here at the edge of this lake, on the broad flank of this mountain range, under the boundless sky in the middle of nowhere, she was small and bare and completely inconsequential, as was her past. Water, rock, air—it cared nothing for her and would judge her not. On this journey, she would travel deep into the indifferent wilderness to discover what was possible for her, and what could not be undone.'
About the author
My debut novel, House Broken, was released 6 January 2015 courtesy of Penguin/NAL. My second novel, Middle of Somewhere, was released on September 1, 2015.
I grew up in Stowe, Vermont, the daughter of a ski instructor. In my first incarnation, I was a animal behaviorist who studied learning in blue jays, hyenas and kangaroo rats. I wrote a book about that. Now I make stuff up.
I run, garden, cook, eat, drink wine, then run some more. My husband and I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. It's quiet and pretty, like Vermont.
Connect with Sonja
Sonja and her publicist are offering one copy of The Middle of Somewhere for this giveaway! How awesome is that?
Thank you Sonja!
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