My debut memoir, The River’s Daughter (out June 3 from Spiegel & Grau), is the story of how my relationship with wild rivers helped me to heal from a troubled upbringing. As a child, I sought refuge in the cottonwood forest by the Snake River behind the trailer park where I grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyo.
It was through my relationship with rivers that I became a leading international whitewater river guide and went from guiding on the Snake to running one of the biggest whitewater rivers in the world — Africa’s Zambezi. Rivers led me to travel and see through a different cultural point of view, and they also helped me to heal and reclaim my place in the world.
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
Here are 8 essential books about the healing power of nature that have inspired me along the way.
‘The Source of All Things’ by Tracy Ross
This powerful 2011 memoir significantly broke open the genre of healing through nature. Ross’s sexually abusive stepfather fostered in her a deep love of nature. Ross escapes the abuse through extreme outdoor sports, but it isn’t until she confronts her stepfather deep in the Idaho wilderness that she’s able to move forward.
‘Crazy for the Storm’ by Norman Ollestad
This heartstopping memoir opens with a plane crash in the snow-covered San Gabriel Mountain range — Ollestad’s father is killed, and the young boy struggles to find his way to safety. During his harrowing quest, Ollestad recalls past lessons from his father, both in the mountains and on the oceans, that enable him to survive without his father.
‘Go As a River’ by Shelley Read
This gorgeously rendered novel set in 1960s Colorado features an extraordinary protagonist, Victoria Nash, whose powerful connection with a stranger changes her life forever. After her family and community betray her, Victoria takes refuge in the wilderness, finding the strength to rebuild her life.
‘Written in the Waters’ by Tara Roberts
A NatGeo Explorer-in-Residence, Roberts’s remarkable memoir-plus explores her work as a scuba diver bringing wrecked transatlantic slave trade ships from the depths back into memory. In shedding light on the stories of her ancestors long held by the sea, she finds the courage to face her own story and find belonging.
‘Tracks’ by Robyn Davidson
This is an astonishing memoir of a young woman’s 1,700-mile expedition from the middle of the inhospitable Australian desert to the Indian Ocean with four camels and her dog. Davidson’s interior journey through grief is as extraordinary as the outer trek — both guide her towards thriving in an uncomfortable landscape.
‘Mālama Honua: Hōkūle‘a — A Voyage of Hope’ by Jennifer Allen
Told in interwoven stories, this book of nonfiction chronicles the incredible three-year voyage of Hōkūle‘a. Using only ancient Polynesian wayfinding, the crew sailed 40,000 miles to connect humanity with a message of how to heal the ocean and our global community through indigenous wisdom.
‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed
This landmark healing-through-nature memoir is a defining work in the genre. After a period of self-sabotage following her beloved mother’s death, Strayed solo-hikes the Pacific Crest Trail and finds her way back to her true self.
‘Crazy Brave’ by Joy Harjo
This transcendent memoir from the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate weaves together Muscogee tribal stories, poetry and prose to share Harjo’s ancestry and journey of overcoming domestic violence. Through her connection to nature, creativity and spirituality, she develops her powerful voice.
Read the full article here
