THE LONGEST TRAIL BOOK
The Longest Trail is the spellbinding true memoir of author Roni McFadden. Set between 1964 and 1973, McFadden’s story tells of her time spent at a horse packing station in California’s High Sierra mountains, working for a man who became one of the most important influences on her life.
Leaving behind the pain and confusion of her unhappy younger years, teenage Roni sets off up The Longest Trail, unaware of the life-changing journey that lies ahead. She evolves from a troubled girl stumbling through life to become a strong young woman who knows exactly where she is going and how to get there.
Roni also comes to learn she is not alone in the world when she forms an extraordinary connection with the Ancestors, who once thrived in the area. The grinding stones, petroglyphs, and obsidian chips that cover the ground are all a reminder of their powerful presence that anyone can feel if they just sit still long enough to allow themselves.
Spending her teens in the High Sierra riding horses and managing horse-packing trips, young Roni learned about animals, people, life, and respect for the Earth. Throughout her adult life, author Roni McFadden has continued to shine the light of the knowledge she gained there, adding wisdom to her perspective as she relives and recreates those years on the pages of The Longest Trail.
As you ride up the trail with McFadden, you will feel the joy, fear, grief, humor, beauty and wonder she experienced during that cherished time in the majestic Sierra Nevada. And who knows, perhaps Roni’s story will inspire you to set off on your own journey along The Longest Trail!
