Title: Married a Hiker, Got a Cowboy: A Memoir
Author: Nancy W. Brown
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1-5320-6875-1
Pages: 186
Genre: Memoir
Reviewed by: C.C. Thomas

Read Book Review

Nancy W. Brown’s Married a Hiker, Got a Cowboy is this reader’s very favorite type of book. It balances a strong female lead with amazing images of this gorgeous land we live in. I’ll admit that I will read any kind of travel book, particularly those about hiking, but this one really spoke to me. I devoured each chapter and went back several times to reread many parts. Along the way, I was infused with a desire to retrace some of Brown’s steps. While that may never happen, Brown’s inspirational reading carried me through several winter weeks where snow blanketed the ground.

In the preface, Brown relates to readers that she is a 75-year-old woman who decides to finally write about her adventurous life. And what an adventurous life it was! Even from the very beginning, Brown relates a storybook existence of a delightful childhood, one full of happiness
and security. Early chapters are filled with idyllic family memories and stories. While these are fun for the reader, the real treasure can be found in the historic descriptions of well-known hiking trails, parks, and beaches like Big Basin Redwoods, Muir Woods, and Big Bear Lake, as well as other locations in California, Oregon, Nevada, and, well, around the world.

Brown and her family were outdoor nature enthusiasts before there even was such a term. Both her parents, and their families, loved the solitude of nature and the connections it forged between them all. Brown kept this spirit of adventure and lived a life worthy of such auspicious beginnings. Of course, life brings unexpected surprises—some welcome and some not. Indeed, many readers will connect with the thought of planning for one road in life (a hiker, say) and instead finding our feet on another road (the cowboy). Yet, through it all, Brown seems to embrace each one with the heart of an adventurer. She describes tragic and unpleasant events but stays in touch with her core principles and values.

Brown’s descriptions of the varied places she traveled, both in the US and abroad, are so much fun to read. Historical references sprinkled throughout are perfectly matched by descriptions of furnishings, wardrobe, and colloquial sayings of the time. Nancy Brown’s Married a Hiker, Got a Cowboy is a perfect blend of memoir and travelogue. The images included within the pages will have readers itching to hit the road and make their own memories. The book is both a trip back in time and a trip around the world. Grab your passport, pack a backpack, and bring along this book. It will be the perfect accompaniment on your own adventures.