Walking the Gobi

Is this woman sane? That's what I kept asking myself as I read Helen Thayer's Walking the Gobi. In 2001, Thayer and her husband set out to walk across the Gobi desert of Mongolia. Camels carried their gear and water while they walked for over 80 days, over 1,600 miles, in scorching temperatures as hot as 123 degrees! Why would someone do this?! Not to mention Helen's bum leg and hip which were bothering her even before she even started the trip.

I almost had to quit reading because her decision to go on this trip made absolutely no sense to me, but as I read further I began to understand why they went -- they were able to see things that few will ever get a chance to see and make great friends. As she and her husband walked across this seemingly uninhabitable corner of the globe, they met many friendly and interesting families who make their home in the Gobi. Thayer shares the rich and interesting culture of Mongolian nomads through the story of her unbelievable trek.
 
Walking the Gobi is this year's selection for the Black Diamond, Maple Valley, and Covington Read Together event. Helen Thayer will present a lecture and slide show at the Covington Library on Sept 22 at 7pm, and book discussion groups will be held at all three libraries.
 
Book Discussion Groups:
 
Tuesday, Sept 8, 7pm, Maple Valley Library
Thursday, Sept 10, 2pm, Covington Library
Thursday, Sept 10, 7pm, Covington Library
Tuesday, Sept 15, 7pm, Black Diamond Library
Tuesday, Sept 16, 10am, Maple Valley Library
Wednesday, Sept 30, 6:30pm, Maple Valley Library