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A simple expectation derived out of genuine interest to protect a threatened species compels her to write with vigor as much as she pedals across two countries. Balancing writing and pedaling can be exhausting. With regards to bush camping or camo-camping, congrats to Sara for her free will to exercise a natural right to rest in nature. Most people will never achieve this type of greatness and in the name of an insect, I fully respect and admire her determination and reason to ride and write. Ride and write on Sara!
She's a glass half empty kind of person. Lots of info about habitat destruction, which is fine and a well deserved cause to be passionate about, but the scenes about the people who ARE making a difference just don't have the same emotional impact. Presentation and tone can make a huge difference in the outcome of your story. I'm assuming she wants to motivate people to make a difference, not just shame people for things they have only indirect relationships to. The author was the first person to bicycle the entire monarch migration loop (and then some) – 10,201 miles and three countries. One of the main goals for the trip was to serve as a spokesperson for monarch butterflies and conservation truth teller. The journey was also a baring witness, in a new and intimate way, to the destruction of the habitats on which the monarchs’ survival, and ultimately, the survival of human life, depends. There are some points in the story where Dykman gets a little preachy about conservation, but it is one of her passions, so that could be excused. It’s not overwhelming, and I actually finished this book admiring her dedication to her cause.The book is just as much a poetic travelogue as it is informative about monarch butterflies. Dykman's research keenly supplements her experiences on the road [...] it may be one singular bicyclist's word, but represents a collective cry for climate action." This is a true story about a woman named Sara who was the first person to ride her bike more than 10,000 miles solo. She is a scientist who is very passionate about the monarch's. In this story we follow her journey of her riding her bicycle alongside the monarchs. Additionally, she goes on political rants about topics that, in my opinion, are a complete tangent to the story. Meanwhile, she feels entitled to break rules and camp where she pleases, even getting an attitude with those who call her out for camping where she shouldn't be. Also- I enjoyed how she touched on what it was like to ride solo as a woman, and how she was discouraged by many people from doing so because it was 'dangerous' yet most of the people and situations that she encountered were friendly. She didn't let fear-mongering get in her way. She was smart about risks and made good choices along the way. I listened to this as an audiobook which I think is the only way I finished this book. It was an interesting listen but I don't think I could have read it without falling asleep.
People have long been fascinated by the monarch butterfly's migration across the North American continent. Thanks to this book, readers have a better idea of what that incredible journey entails [...] Dykman's enthusiasm will motivate others to be more thoughtful about their decisions." Half lost at dusk, trying to avoid the main highway, I wandered through a partially built housing complex. I passed through the gates boldly, unimpressed by subdivision names like Prairie Villas and Meadow Oasis. No one was outside to stop me. No one was awake enough to see what we were losing: true prairie in exchange for a “prairie villa.” We were trading a real prairie’s treasury of life for a toxic monoculture of sterile green grass."Dykman's transformation as she follows the kaleidoscope of butterflies is a wonder to observe as it unfolds [...] Her writing is frank, uplifting, informative, and gorgeous." Monarchs and queen butterflies dashed around the native Maximilian sunflower, so laden with nutritious blossoms that it flopped over. She has no regard for private property and even turns a trespassing situation with cops into a commentary on race. You are not entitled to ignore posted signs and then get offended when property owners or police question you. Be thoughtful, respectful, and mature, especially when you are a self-proclaimed ambassador for the Monarch. If there is a criticism, it might be that there are only a limited number of ways to keep the miles interesting. When you have over 10,000 miles to document it isn’t surprising that some of it is filled with homilies like: "The temperature plummeted that night. I burrowed into my sleeping bag. If hunger makes the best seasoning, then exhaustion makes the fluffiest bed." Robert Michael Pyle, author of Chasing Monarchs and founder of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
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