Synopses & Reviews
Craig Childs is lost. In a labyrinth of canyons in the American Southwest where virtually nothing else is alive there is barely any vegetation, few signs of wildlife, and scant traces of any human precursors Childs and his friend Dirk undertake a fortnight's journey. With as much food and gear as they can carry, and little else but their wiles to help them traverse the inhospitable, unmappable terrain, the two men assume the life-or-death challenge of exploring this land and of then finding a way out.
Equally gripping as their adventure in the wild is the parallel story, told in flashback, of what has propelled the two men into these extreme circumstances. In scenes that crackle with tension and suspense recollections of barroom brawls, high-speed car chases, and reckless feats of risk-taking we discover the surprising legacy of violence that each man is escaping.
As a chronicle of adventure, as an emotionally charged human drama, and as a confessional memoir, The Way Out is a transcendent book, a work destined to earn a lasting place in the literature of extremes.
Review
"The author's occasional forays into aboriginal mysticism seem a little overdone....But he also delivers a strong environmental message, demonstrates his genuine respect for the outdoors he loves, and shows how he comes to grips with it." KLIATT
Synopsis
The "gritty and riveting" story of naturalist Craig Childs's epic journey through the desert canyons of the American Southwest (The Oregonian). Are you prepared for a perilous journey into the wild?
This taut, intensely dramatic narrative immerses us in a labyrinth of canyons in the American Southwest where virtually nothing is alive -- barely any vegetation, few signs of wildlife, and scant traces of any human precursors -- and where we pay witness as two men confront not just immutable forces of nature but the limits of their own sanity. As a chronicle of adventure, as an emotionally charged human drama, as a confessional memoir, The Way Out is a transcendent book, a work destined to earn a lasting place in the literature of extremes.
Synopsis
- A breakout book from a writer increasingly celebrated as the 21st-century bard of the American Southwest--a writer in the tradition of Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, Terry Tempest Williams, among others. - In March 2003, Craig Childs received the Spirit of the West Literary Achievement Award, given to a writer whose body of work captures the unique spirit of the American West. - As a chronicle of adventure, as emotionally charged human drama, as confessional memoir, The Way Out is a transcendent book, a work destined to earn a lasting place in the literature of extremes. - Not since John Krakauer's bestselling Into the Wild has a book so compellingly explored the boundary between wilderness adventure and madness.
About the Author
Craig Childs naturalist, adventurer, desert ecologist, and frequent contributor to National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" lives in Crawford, Colorado. His previous books include Crossing Paths, The Desert Cries, and The Secret Knowledge of Water.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Craig Childs