Writer Amy Allen will discuss her journey along the Appalachian Trail as she presents her book, Summoning the Mountains: Pilgrimage into Forty, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.  

Allen, a recently divorced single mom, cast aside family and society’s expectations to follow a lifelong calling. On the eve of her 40th birthday, she reached for her personal goal of hiking the Appalachian Trail. After settling her teenage sons at their father’s house, Allen embarked on her 2,000-mile journey.  

Taking on the name her sons give her, Willow, she transports the reader into the forest, giving the armchair hiker a glimpse into a world of coyotes, butterflies and bears. She shares her experiences of storms, injuries and the determination to ward off hunger and doubt. Summoning the Mountains is a book about embracing challenges and accepting change.  

828.586.9499.