AIKEN, S.C., May 19, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- In this inspiring book of a burning dream and the tenacity it took to achieve it, a man's hike along the Appalachian Trail became a metaphor of life. Bill Maroni vividly narrates the 205 days he spent walking more than 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine in his new book, When Straightjacket Met Golden Sun. Bill had no idea that his planned hike would be an enriching and life-altering experience and one that would lead him to marriage. Candid and written with a self-deprecating humor, this memoir might as well be an inspirational book served with equal amounts of wisdom and wit and much of love.
A lonely bachelor who had given up on finding someone, Bill had quipped that he would become a hermit as he set off to conquering the trail. Not only did Bill find the partner he had been looking for, he also met people, reached places, and encountered circumstances that moved him to let go of old hurts and make a psychological and spiritual change. The outer journey along the Appalachian Trail became a symbol of the inner journey that each individual must make.
Bill likens his hike to a pilgrimage and all the outdoor hikers as pilgrims. His odyssey along the Appalachian Trail has made him see a special kind of grace that is almost a physical force. In the face of great discomforts, adversity, and uncertainty along the trail, he has learned to laugh at himself and at life in general, and more importantly, to revere what life has to offer.
About the Author
Bill Maroni resides in the "woods" near Aiken, South Carolina, with his wife Charlotte and their four dogs. When he's not out hiking or biking, usually with Charlotte, Bill enjoys writing his experiences as a hiker, biker, and as an E.R. nurse. When Straightjacket Met Golden Sun is his first book.
When Straightjacket Met Golden Sun by Bill Maroni
Publication Date: November 24, 2003
Trade Paperback; $24.99; 486 pages; 1-4134-2782-0
Cloth Hardback; $34.99; 486 pages; 1-4134-2783-9
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