All That We Carried by Erin Bartels
Reviewed By: Rebecca Cox, Business Manager
Genre: Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? Estranged sisters Melanie and Olivia reunite on the 10th anniversary of their parents’ deaths for a multi-day hiking trip in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They haven’t seen each other since the funeral and both coped with their loss in extremely different ways. This trip is meant to be a chance to reconnect and put some of their differences behind them to move forward.
My Review: At first glance, this book appears to be somewhat predictable, but the journey that Melanie and Olivia face is really anything but that. While in the wilderness they both have to face hard questions centered around their beliefs and what they carry with them (hint: it is more than just what is in their backpacks). What I thought was going to be a feel-good novel instead invoked a lot of thought in me and I found myself thinking through my beliefs and choices right along with Melanie and Olivia. This book didn’t end up quite like I had imagined it would, but I suppose the lesson here is that life doesn’t always end up quite like we imagine either.
In addition to a thought-provoking storyline, Bartels paints a magnificent picture of the Michigan wilderness. Her love of hiking and her home state shines through and any outdoors person will appreciate the attention to detail she gives to this setting of the novel. It made me want to strap on my backpack and head up to Michigan!
Three Words that Describe this Book: Thought-provoking, relatable, growth
Give this a try if you like… In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume, Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti, The Nature of Small Birds by Susie Finkbeiner
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
