Adventures with Emilie
Bruce, Victoria
In 2021, Victoria Bruce quit her corporate job, packed up her life and embarked on Te Araroa trail with her seven-year-old daughter, Emilie. On the 3000-kilometre journey that traverses the length of Aotearoa, the duo faced Covid lockdowns, the harsh elements of New Zealand's backcountry and even a near-death experience.
A keen tramper, Victoria's drive to complete the walk was to take time out, create lasting memories with Emilie and reconnect with nature. But it was also a way for her to face her past, and the events that led to her post-traumatic stress disorder.
In this remarkable book, Victoria interweaves her experiences on the trail with reflections on her painful childhood, her time in state care, recovering from addiction and assault, becoming a mother, and escaping everyday life to finally confront her demons.
Powerful and evocative, this is a story about the healing power of nature, our wondrous unique environment, the deep bond between mother and daughter, and survival - both in the wilderness and in life itself. [Taken from book cover, Penguin Books]
Comments from BDS Reviewers
"I was surprised by the quality of the content. The book had a big impact on me, one that was unexpected."
"I enjoyed the author's writing. Her appreciation of nature is vividly described, and she dwells upon the wonder of being in a huge expanse of the outdoors."
"I loved the descriptions of the forests, mountains, rivers and lakes, and also the descriptions of what nature threw at them."
"The book is a wonderful testimony to nature as therapy."
"I found it an easy read. Good descriptions of people and events and great descriptions of nature, the birds, insects and plants."
"This book could be upsetting for anyone who has suffered from child abuse."
"I worried about a 7 year old child walking such a distance."
336
2023