Title: Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace
Author: Andra Watkins
First published January 12, 2015
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 3.75
Overview
Andra Watkins takes readers on a journey of a lifetime in her acclaimed memoir, Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace. Nominated for multiple awards, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction, Watkins’ story is one of epic adventure and heartwarming family relationships.
When she sets out to walk the historic 444-mile Natchez Trace, she plans to do it with a partner by her side. But when everyone in her life fails to join her, she is left with her eighty-year-old father.
Together, they face obstacles on the road, and within their own relationship. Watkins’ memoir is a poignant and humorous exploration of family, love, and the human spirit, proving that sometimes the most unexpected companions can help us achieve the greatest accomplishments.
About the Author
Charleston, South Carolina is home to Andra Watkins, a successful author and public speaker. While she holds a degree in accounting from Francis Marion University, Andra’s passion for musical theater was denied by her mother who was worried about the industry’s reputation.
In 2014, Andra published her first novel, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis, which received critical acclaim. She also shares the story of her journey walking the Natchez Trace, a path taken by pioneers in her memoir, Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace.
This memoir was nominated for various awards, including the National Book Award for Nonfiction, the Sarton Memoir Award, and the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Autobiographies and Memoirs. Her latest literary work, Hard to Die, has been nominated for the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction.
To learn more about Andra, visit andrawatkins.com.
Editoral Review
Andra Watkins’ debut memoir, Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace, is a heartfelt and compelling journey of self-discovery that readers will thoroughly enjoy. A departure from her usual genre of fiction, Watkins draws inspiration from her own life, chronicling her adventures with her aging father along one of America’s least known trails.
Watkins’ writing is crisp, well-organized, and filled with evocative descriptions of the physical terrain and the psychological challenges her father-daughter duo experience while walking the famous Natchez Trace. The memoir addresses themes such as family relationships, aging, mental and physical health, and personal journeys.
Watkins’ book is written in the first-person point of view and provides a lens into her personal experiences and reflections, which make for an engaging read. The memoir narrates the journey of Andra and her father, Roy, who at 70 years old, is experiencing a decline in both his mental and physical health.
Andra persuades her own mother to let Roy walk with her 444 miles from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, where they hope to celebrate Roy’s sixty-ninth birthday at the end of the trail. The narrative alternates between the present and Andra’s memories of her childhood with her strict, demanding father, who loved her and her siblings but also expected perfection from them.
As their journey progresses, Andra and Roy confront many physical and emotional challenges, including painful memories, grief, and learning to communicate with each other. Watkins takes readers on a historical and cultural journey through the Natchez Trace, recounting stories of Native Americans, European settlers, and other historical figures who traversed the trail before them.
Readers can understand how the road evolved into an intensely significant path to thousands of Americans, particularly during the Civil War. In terms of craft and writing style, the author manages to vividly capture her emotions and experiences while also drawing out her characterization and illustrious descriptions of the trail.
The narrative flow is consistent, and the pace is well-measured, allowing readers to connect with the characters and the story on a deeper level. One of the strengths of Not Without My Father is the personal and emotional connection that the author establishes with her readers.
Her candid words allow readers to feel the joy and frustration of the father-daughter duo as they take on the trail together. The author’s descriptions of the various landscapes and historical details of the Trace add depth and texture to the narrative.
Nevertheless, the book has a few minor issues that might detract from the reading experience. For instance, the author occasionally hops back and forth between different times and storylines, which might cause confusion to some readers.
Overall, Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace is a poignant and insightful memoir of a daughter’s journey with her aging father. The story resonates with readers, as it portrays common struggles of family relationships, mental and physical health, and communication.
Readers interested in personal memoirs and narratives of life’s journeys will find great value in this book. It’s a win for the author, who proves her literary prowess, versatility, and prowess in storytelling.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in engaging, well-crafted personal memoirs.
Washington Post Rating: 4/5.
