“For anyone yearning to change the way they live and work, Hiking Naked offers one woman’s experience of following God’s guidance and her own deepest wisdom, even in the midst of uncertainty and loss.” -Eileen Flanagan, author of Renewable: One Woman’s Search for Simplicity, Faithfulness, and Hope
“In candid, lyrical prose, Iris Graville offers a story of optimism in the midst of disillusionment. Her courageous spirit and unforgettable experiences may just inspire you to embark upon an adventure of your own.” -Melissa Hart, author of Wild Within
“Reading this tender, honest, down-to-earth memoir is like spending time with your wisest best friend.” -Tarn Wilson, author of The Slow Farm
“Hiking Naked shows us the possibilities that appear if we take the risk.” -Margery Post Abbott, author of To Be Broken and Tender
“I am grateful for Iris Graville’s naked memoir—such revealing stories as herein contained provide light and hope—both much needed in a time such as ours.” -J. Brent Bill, Quaker minister, author of Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality
“We need more stories like this, that reveal how we all can be guided by holy wisdom from within, if we take the time to listen and have the courage to follow where it leads.” -Marcelle Martin, author of Our Life is Love: The Quaker Spiritual Journey
This memoir of “seeking, not escaping” speaks to the hearts of those longing to be free from modern constraints—work, money, ambition,stressof all sorts—to find their bliss, wherever it might be. ForGraville, in 1993, that means listening to the urgings of her heart and leaving her job as a public health nurse in Bellingham, WA, and moving her family to Stehekin, a remote village near North Cascades National Park. What resonates throughout is her deep connection to Quakerism; here a gentle, quiet spirituality that encourages places and periods of silence rather than imposing rigid external demands. As her husband and children agree to this experiment, over the two years, all come in their own way to say, “I thought I knew about powerlessness,” only to find that the rigors of living life simply require letting go of much more than they ever could have imagined.Gravilleconcludes that “Far from feeling deprived, we found over and over again the riches of attending to what’s truly important.” VERDICT: Reading this expressive and beautifully written memoir is to experience one’s ownquest towardself-discovery. -Library Journal (Starred Review)
–Library Journal, *Starred Review!
10/15/2017
This memoir of "seeking, not escaping" speaks to the hearts of those longing to be free from modern constraints—work, money, ambition, stress of all sorts—to find their bliss, wherever it might be. For Graville (Hands at Work), in 1993, that means listening to the urgings of her heart and leaving her job as a public health nurse in Bellingham, WA, and moving her family to Stehekin, a remote village near North Cascades National Park. What resonates throughout is her deep connection to Quakerism; here a gentle, quiet spirituality that encourages places and periods of silence rather than imposing rigid external demands. As her husband and children agree to this experiment, over the two years, all come in their own way to say, "I thought I knew about powerlessness," only to find that the rigors of living life simply require letting go of much more than they ever could have imagined. Graville concludes that "Far from feeling deprived, we found over and over again the riches of attending to what's truly important." VERDICT Reading this expressive and beautifully written memoir is to experience one's own quest toward self-discovery.—SC
