The Twenty - One Woman's Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 by Marianne C. Bohr

 I had never heard of the GR20 until I was perusing hiking books and reviews on Amazon. This one came highly rated, and since it was set on Corsica, I was intrigued. I ordered it and was surprised to find out that she had her husband with her, given the subtitle. Oh, well, no biggie. It was actually interesting to read about their relationship during this grueling hike.

This woman alluded to their training for the hike, although I would have liked to have learned a few more details about that, specifically her workouts. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis five months before the 14-day hike, so much of her prep focused on learning her pain limits. I liked that this couple is older, 60, and so their perspective was similar to mine. 

Corsica is a complete unknown to me, so I really enjoyed learning about the scenery, the topography, and the gruff, interesting natives. I also enjoyed the descriptions and interactions with their fellow hikers. It was interesting to read about their rustic accommodations and food in the mountains of Corsica. Bohr is a clear and descriptive writer whose style doesn't get in the way of telling the story. Some of the rock-scaling was life-threatening, and it was fascinating to read about her determination to do it ALL. 

I really liked the part where Bohr, due to a thigh injury, had to step out for a few days and miss some of the hike. She had to wrestle with her thoughts to be able to do it, and she was smart enough to listen to her body. Those peaceful days were fun to read about, since she truly took care of herself and met a friend who was exactly the right person to help her get over her disappointment. 

This is a worthwhile read, and I will probably take it on again sometime. Worth keeping around. I think I like reading about through-hiking more than ever actually doing it! Day hikes are still my joy! And I'm so happy I can do those to my heart's content!