All That We Carried Book Review
Updated: Aug 24, 2021
About the Book:
Estranged sisters embark on a hiking trip on the tenth anniversary of their parents' deaths in an attempt to reconnect. In the wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.
My Thoughts
Once again, Erin Bartels did not disappoint! (I reviewed her previous book, The Words Between Us, in 2019 - read that review here!) I was drawn in by the two sisters and their completely opposite worldviews. Melanie's vegan, influencer lifestyle contrasts sharply with Olivia's black and white lawyer existence. The tension from 10 years of estrangement builds an unspoken question in each chapter. Which one of them is wrong? One believes in everything, the other in nothing. (Or so she says.)
BUT, lest you think that it's a preachy book or too focused on belief systems, wait. Erin Bartel's talent lies in mixing big ideologies with sleeping bears and floating journals, sisterly spats and mummy sleeping bags.
The author's obvious experience as a hiker made for vivid and believable experiences. Not going to lie, I had low-key anxiety the whole time! Josh and Justin were great characters and I loved how the relationships played out. I read this book in about 2 days on my Kindle and enjoyed the easy, yet winsome and thought-provoking read. It's satisfying and feels like it happened last week to people I might run into on Instagram. It feels that alive.
5 stars!
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and happily provided my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions expressed here are my own.*