One Step at a Time: My 18-Month Walk Across America

At age 52, Hanuse set out to realize a childhood dream: to walk from the Golden Gate bridge to the Statue of Liberty. The family dog, Buck, went the distance with her; husband Alex provided moral and logistical support for the adventure. This is Hanuse's affecting if somewhat truncated re-creation (10 of the 13 chapters are set west of the Mississippi). There were some close calls: back home Alex had a life-threatening bout with an ulcer; the author's knees nearly gave out in Death Valley and she contracted pneumonia in Colorado; Buck was swept downstream by floodwaters in Utah. Hanuse, a teacher, paused during the journey to speak to school and church groups; she seems to have enjoyed a warm rapport with the children she met. Readers with a sense of adventure will find this very much to their taste, and pet owners will be captivated by Buck, a Doberman. Photos. (January)