The Woodbridge Public Library reads PATAGONIAN ROAD

Posted: August 5, 2017/Under: News/By: K M

The Woodbridge Public Library reads PATAGONIAN ROAD

We’re grateful to Brenda O’Brien, Readers and Reference Librarian at the Woodbridge Public Library, for posting a brief and glowing review of PATAGONIAN ROAD! The Woodbridge Library, located in Woodbridge, Illinois, posts frequent reviews of books large and small. Brenda writes:

Kate McCahill brings the reader along on her yearlong journey through Central and South America, roughly following by bus the journey Paul Theroux made decades earlier by train. She gets a writing fellowship that pays for Spanish lessons, rooms in hostels, food, and travel. Kate also volunteers as an English teacher in a couple of villages and in Buenos Aires.

And yes, they are necessary in romantic relationships as well. She misses her lover and her Finnish grandmother, shares her joys and fears, and tries to immerse herself in the local culture, although she’ll always be a traveler, not a local. While readers of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild may enjoy this book, I think closer readalikes are Wild by Nature, by Sarah Marquis, and Jodi Ettenberg’s blog, Legal Nomads. I enjoyed the occasionally lyrical writing, descriptive without being wordy, and McCahill’s willingness to share her experiences and feelings with the reader.’

Thanks, Brenda and team in Woodbridge, Illinois! #readon

About Kate

Hi! I'm a writer, a reader, an editor, and a teacher. When I was young, I travelled alone from Guatemala to Patagonia, making the trip mostly overland, by bus. I learned Spanish, taught English, and wrote my book, PATAGONIAN ROAD, which was published in 2017. After that, I started teaching at the college-level and took up the role of Editor-in-Chief for the SANTA FE LITERARY REVIEW, an annual journal of arts and letters published by the Santa Fe Community College. I'm at work on another book, due for release in 2027 - and I'm raising a family here in the sunny Southwest.

I stumbled and fell a whole bunch of times, but in the end, I'm here, surrounded by books and words, my days filled with writerly discussions, editorial decisions, and lots of scribbling. Here's what I've learned along the way: Don't listen to those who try to talk you out of your dreams. You're the master of your ship, so let those doubters doubt. Focus on figuring out how to get to where you want to go in life, and then just do one thing at a time to make that dream happen. The creative risks you take might scare other people, and living according to your values and goals takes real courage. But you have what it takes. You do! All is possible, as they tell you in India. Drop me a line if you want to chat more. Happy reading!