Six Walks in the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck

In this book, Ben Shattuck follows the paths once walked by Henry David Thoreau, using them as a framework for exploring not only New England’s landscapes but also his own inner world. Written in a lyrical, reflective style, it’s both an homage to Thoreau’s nature writing and a memoir of personal healing through walking.

At the time of these journeys, Shattuck was recovering from illness, heartbreak, and uncertainty about the future. Recreating Thoreau’s walks gave him a sense of grounding, continuity, and renewed purpose.

The six walks that Shattuck undertakes are:

1. Cape Cod, retracing Thoreau’s long walks along the Atlantic shoreline

2. Mount Katahdin, Maine, following Thoreau’s rugged trek into the wild

3. The Maine Woods, immersed in forests and rivers to mirror Thoreau’s canoe journeys and woodlands explorations

4. The Concord Area near Walden Pond, to walk in Thoreau’s home landscape

5. The Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire/Maine, inspired by Thoreau’s coastal excursions

6. The White Mountains, New Hampshire, following Thoreau’s mountain explorations

All these walks provided thought-provoking discussions, both for Shattuck and for us, including themes of renewal, mortality, transience, seclusion, survival, intimacy with the landscape and nature, and belonging/ rootedness.

Much like Thoreau, Shattuck also found healing through walking and that moving on foot through landscapes provides clarity, strength, and peace. He takes this perspective and adds on his personal turmoil, with each walk mirroring his own inner journey — grief, illness, recovery, love, and reconnection. Like Thoreau's call for using nature as a teacher, Shattuck also observes the land, sky, and water, offering insights on how nature can teach us how to live more thoughtfully.

We paired this book with Walking by Henry David Thoreau, to understand Thoreau's perspective on the importance of walking and to give further context into Shattuck's memoir. With this pairing in mind, we discussed the following:

1. How did this book compare to Walking?

2. How does walking function as a form of healing in his life? In our lives?

3. Have you ever used walking (or time in nature) to process something difficult?

4. Which part resonated most with you — his personal journey, the Thoreau connection, or the natural descriptions?

   1. Did you find the mix effective?

5. How does your pace of travel (car, train, walking) change your perception of the world?

6. Have you had moments where slowing down gave you new insight?

One of our club members conducts research on the Isle of Shoals, and during one research expedition, she overlapped with Shattuck on the island, giving us some insight into him as a person and his personality (i.e. moody writer). It was fascinating and exciting to have this connection, and we enjoyed having this as a backdrop to our book discussion.

Overall, members enjoyed this more than Walking, the writing and language more digestible to read in present day. We could relate to Shattuck's personal conflicts, and the story arc made for a well-rounded book.

Ithaca group rating: 7.3/10