Laura
THEMES AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Feminine Heroic Journey
Women have gotten short shrift in adventure tales. Cultural narratives celebrate the solo male adventurer, but we all know that women have also explored the farthest reaches of our planet and space—all while dealing with body stuff that would send many men to their knees!
What are some of the “hero’s journey” narratives that come to mind? These tales are often individualistic, external, and violent. (Think Odysseus and Luke Skywalker.)
More important, what feminine heroic journeys do you know of? These tales involve journeying inward—while often exploring community, outreach, the lifting of others. Are inward journeys less prevalent? Or just written and talked about less?
What barriers prevent women from taking solo adventures? How can that be changed for the better?
Living in Deeper Relationship with the Natural World
Ammalie is falling in love—with the planet, that is. And when we love something, we yearn to protect it.
In what ways do you presently engage with nature? What brings you delight? Birds? Clouds? Stars? The sea?
Has your relationship with nature changed over time? If so, what triggered that change?
How would you answer Richard’s guiding question: “What kind of ancestor do I want to be?”
Survival Course, Anyone?
Who doesn’t like a good survival story? Especially now! Enrollment in survival courses has increased dramatically since Covid—including urban survival, naturalist schools, and outdoor survival camps—and this novel attempts to capture the common human impulse to feel safe in a time of uncertainty.
Do you try to be prepared for the unexpected? Is this something that you think about regularly, or not at all?
Have you ever been caught in a storm that scared you? How did it affect you, at the time and afterward?
On Being Invisible
Let’s face it: TV, magazines, books, and society largely erase the middle-age woman—ugh!
If you have experienced this, how so?
Have your roles changed over time? If so, how did that feel?
In what ways have your priorities shifted?
How have friends helped? Ammalie and Mari discuss some big questions. How do we get better, not bitter, as we age?
Finding joy and relevancy—that’s what many people report worrying about as they age. What does that (or will that) look like for you?
Adventure On!
What adventures do you want to take (both external ones that involve your body and internal ones that involve your mind and emotions)?
Photo: Leslie Reeves
Laura Pritchett is the author of seven novels and two books of nonfiction. Her work is rooted in the contemporary American West and has been significantly influenced by her life in Colorado. Both her fiction and nonfiction often focus on issues of ecology, conservation, climate change, and social justice. She has been awarded the PEN USA Award for Fiction, the High Plains Book Award for fiction, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, several Colorado Book Awards, and has been shortlisted for many other honors. She is the editor of three anthologies, all on environmental topics, and writes regularly for magazines. She directs the MFA in nature writing at Western Colorado University, and teaches around the country. She is often found watching clouds, stars, birds, or looking for sea glass.
Facebook: LauraPritchettAuthor
Instagram: @laurapritchettauthor
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