Book Review: Womens’ Experience On-Trail

BY NICOLE BETHUNE

Life on the trail is riddled with challenges—that’s what draws us in. We trek through forests and over mountains and across deserts to test ourselves. To push our bodies to their limits and discover what we are capable of.  

Blood Sweat Tears is an anthology of short stories edited by Christine Reed and written by 26 women+ about their experiences on trail, divulging both the beauty of their experiences, as well as the complex mental and physical struggles of adventuring in a female body. Split into three sections—“Blood,” “Sweat,” and “Tears”—the collection spans everything from moving through menstruation and menopause, infertility, and motherhood, to overcoming injury, mental health challenges, disordered eating, and chronic illness.

The authors bare some of their toughest moments: hiking through the dense fog of unrelenting pain and exhaustion, combating altitude sickness on a mountain in Argentina while menstruating, and persevering despite breaking down, fighting wobbly legs and blurred vision to reach the end of the trek. Their stories encompass moments of vulnerability and strength, connection, and lighthearted humor. Through these moments, each voice reveals a unique facet of the complicated relationship between self, body, and the trail.

The writing styles that make up the collection vary from conversational, first-person narratives, to lines of poetry and truncated memoir—but no matter the style of telling, these are the kind of stories that pull you in. The authors of this anthology don’t just relay memories; they invite you onto the trail with them for every high and low. Their words trigger the exhilaration of adrenaline coursing through blood and carry the weight of sore, blistered feet. They promise that while living in this body can be hard, it is worth it.

Above all, Blood Sweat Tears puts into words what, for many of us, is the reason we set out on the trail to begin with: “If I can do this, then…”