Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
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- Create Date：2022-01-15 00:51:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Harley Rustad
- ISBN：9354893422
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Summary
Harley Rustad's LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH， the story of Justin Alexander Shetler， a charismatic American who disappeared while on a spiritual pilgrimage in India in 2016， one of over a dozen westerners who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley， pitched as a mystery in the vein of INTO THE WILD that examines the centuries-old lure of India for seekers and the risky paths many have taken in search of enlightenment， to Jennifer Barth at Harper。
Reviews
Tammy
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Calling this book， a male version of Eat， Pray， “Loathe” is annoying。 This work of narrative nonfiction is a far cry from a privileged woman taking a year off to find herself in more ways than one。 Frankly， the comparison does Lost in the Valley a disservice。Justin Alexander Shetler was many things: from a young age a seriously trained survivalist， band front man， minor Instagram star， successful entrepreneur with a luxe lifestyle and finally a seeker pushing himself to asceticism。 Always， he wa Calling this book， a male version of Eat， Pray， “Loathe” is annoying。 This work of narrative nonfiction is a far cry from a privileged woman taking a year off to find herself in more ways than one。 Frankly， the comparison does Lost in the Valley a disservice。Justin Alexander Shetler was many things: from a young age a seriously trained survivalist， band front man， minor Instagram star， successful entrepreneur with a luxe lifestyle and finally a seeker pushing himself to asceticism。 Always， he was a traveler searching for a connection to the mystical universe in an effort to become whole which led to his disappearance in the remote and dangerous Parvati Valley in India。 A deeply affecting account that will resonate with me a long time to come。 。。。more
Colleen Earle
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This book just wasn’t for me。 There is nothing inherently wrong with it， but I didn’t jive with it。 Based on the synopsis I thought I would really enjoy it as it’s about a man who went missing while hiking in India。 I found the parts about India very fascinating and the parts about how this particular area at the foothills of the Himalayas is a place where many folks have gone missing over the years。 The writing was really good and engaging。 The author present the story fairly and passionately。 This book just wasn’t for me。 There is nothing inherently wrong with it， but I didn’t jive with it。 Based on the synopsis I thought I would really enjoy it as it’s about a man who went missing while hiking in India。 I found the parts about India very fascinating and the parts about how this particular area at the foothills of the Himalayas is a place where many folks have gone missing over the years。 The writing was really good and engaging。 The author present the story fairly and passionately。 I just don’t like the guy it’s about。 I hadn’t heard of him prior to reading the book， and if I had I might not have read it。 He was a popular travel blogger with a troubled past that wasn’t really revealed in full until near the end of the book。 Portions of the book， especially early on， felt very much like cultural appreciation， and while that was acknowledged around halfway through it still left a bad taste in my mouth。 I read a lot of stories and listen to a lot of podcasts about seekers， and I would consider him to be one， but there is just something about his story that I don’t connect to as I do with other seekers。 Maybe it was his clear vanity or his arrogance。 I’m not sure。 This is still a good book （two stars for me means it’s good！）， but it’s just not something I would normally read and I didn’t really enjoy it。 Thanks to the publishers for early access to this book through an arc！ #indigoemployee 。。。more
Tom McElroy
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I just finished this and read it in two days。 This is a wonderful book in the same vein as Krakauer's "Into the Wild"。 The life of Justin Alexander is remarkable and this story captures the heart of a searcher on a quest for answers to unknown questions。 It delves deep into the backstory of what drives those that push themselves for answers， adventures， and ultimately acceptance。 It's a wonderful story with a heartbreaking end and Rustad does an incredible job capturing not only the adventure， b I just finished this and read it in two days。 This is a wonderful book in the same vein as Krakauer's "Into the Wild"。 The life of Justin Alexander is remarkable and this story captures the heart of a searcher on a quest for answers to unknown questions。 It delves deep into the backstory of what drives those that push themselves for answers， adventures， and ultimately acceptance。 It's a wonderful story with a heartbreaking end and Rustad does an incredible job capturing not only the adventure， but the humanity driving it。 。。。more
Tina Rae
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So。 This book was fascinating and heartbreaking。 I picked it up because it has a lot of Into the Wild vibes （which is actually referenced a lot throughout） and I really enjoyed that one so I thought I’d try something similar。But this one fell a little flat for me？ I really enjoyed learning about Justin Alexander Shetler since I knew nothing about him going into this but the timeline of this book wasn’t linear so I got a little lost at times。 And for being such a short book， this just didn’t capt So。 This book was fascinating and heartbreaking。 I picked it up because it has a lot of Into the Wild vibes （which is actually referenced a lot throughout） and I really enjoyed that one so I thought I’d try something similar。But this one fell a little flat for me？ I really enjoyed learning about Justin Alexander Shetler since I knew nothing about him going into this but the timeline of this book wasn’t linear so I got a little lost at times。 And for being such a short book， this just didn’t captivate me as much as I wanted it to？I really wanted more about the Himalayas and Shetler’s time there。 But most of that seemed to be crammed into the last 3rd？ So the premise that is presented here wasn’t necessarily what the book delivered。 While I did enjoy learning more about Shetler and his life before traveling， I wanted more in the Himalayas and it felt like there wasn't a ton about that？So I get what this book was trying to do and really did enjoy some aspects of it and learn a lot。 But I just didn’t really love the execution。 It felt like this book was trying just a little ~too hard to BE Into the Wild when it should’ve just told its own story。I ended this book feeling like I didn’t really know Shelter or totally understand his motivations。 He still seemed like an enigma， even after 270 pages。 Which， I get that that’s how he wanted it。 But this book had so many interviews with people who actually knew him and it felt like there could’ve been more material used from those interviews。 Instead it seemed to be a lot of the same quotes， from different people， just to prove a single point。So。 I ended up feeling just slightly disappointed by this one。 And I honestly did have a hard time motivating myself to pick it up。 I don’t know。 There were parts that I really enjoyed but， unfortunately， I ended up feeling pretty meh about this book as whole。Well， anyway， thank you to Harper Books for sending a copy of this my way in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Mary
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Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas by Harley Rustad is an utterly fascinating and enthralling mixture of biography， travel memoir， and unsolved mystery！Having developed an affinity for nature at a young age， Justin Alexander Shetler often escaped to the wilderness when life got to be too much。 In his early thirties， Shelter rid himself of the majority his possessions and set off to travel the world with little more than a motorcycle， a backpack， and his Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas by Harley Rustad is an utterly fascinating and enthralling mixture of biography， travel memoir， and unsolved mystery！Having developed an affinity for nature at a young age， Justin Alexander Shetler often escaped to the wilderness when life got to be too much。 In his early thirties， Shelter rid himself of the majority his possessions and set off to travel the world with little more than a motorcycle， a backpack， and his flute。 His Instagram account documenting his adventures garnered a large following， but Shetler hasn’t posted anything since his travels led him to the Parvati Valley in the Indian Himalayas in 2016。 Shetler’s Instagram account still says he is “currently living in a cave in India。”This book is so much more than just an account of Sheltler’s life and travels。 It examines the human desire and quest for knowledge， meaning， and fulfillment in such a deep and introspective manner。 The author discusses the pull numerous Westerners feel toward the idea of finding spiritual enlightenment and the theories surrounding several of their disappearances in India。 Did they decide to abandon their former lives and remain off the grid， encounter a natural danger that led to their demise， or become victims of a heinous crime？ Like those Westerners， Shetler’s spiritual journey led him to India in search of truth， meaning， and purpose， and his disappearance in the Parvati Valley remains a mystery to this day。 “Maybe home is something I’m looking for， and I just won’t know until I find it。”To Justin Alexander Shetler: Wherever you are， I hope you are at peace。*I received a gifted advanced copy of this book from the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sean Loughran
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Expertly investigated and brilliantly written by Canadian magazine editor and writer Harley Rustad， this was without a doubt one of the best works of nonfiction I’ve ever read。 I was immersed from the beginning and held captive until the end while Rustad skilfully revived the story of Justin Alexander Shetler’s disappearance through his chilling prose in this electrifying book。 This story felt deeply personal at times， as I reflected back upon my own solo spiritual journey throughout the Himalay Expertly investigated and brilliantly written by Canadian magazine editor and writer Harley Rustad， this was without a doubt one of the best works of nonfiction I’ve ever read。 I was immersed from the beginning and held captive until the end while Rustad skilfully revived the story of Justin Alexander Shetler’s disappearance through his chilling prose in this electrifying book。 This story felt deeply personal at times， as I reflected back upon my own solo spiritual journey throughout the Himalayas a few years back， and while engaging with those parts of the book， I felt the hairs on my arms standing at full attention and my breath caught at the back of my throat unwilling to flow， as I thought about what could have been as mine and Shetler’s paths became intertwined。 I especially resonated with the stories of both Australian Ryan Chambers and Irishman Jonathan Spollen， both of whom disappeared in Rishikesh， where I spent a significant amount of my travels in India。 It was interesting to read about travellers succumbing to “India syndrome”， which I’m sure cast somewhat of a spell over me while I was there， as I walked barefoot in my white cotton kurta， a red bracelet threaded around my wrist， and my mala beads looped around my fingers， shoulders pinned back， walking with pride。 I， no doubt also had a yoga branded tote bag filled with a copy of Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi accompanied by several of Osho’s meditations。 While describing the scenery of Shetler’s last journey， Rustad’s writing is wildly exotic， vividly descriptive， and has the power to take readers on a richly atmospheric expedition to the Parvati Valley and beyond。 "The valley is remote， isolated， and dramatically picturesque。 Surrounded by such natural beauty and peace， it is easy to imagine that if one follows the bumpy road that follows the holy river， some fragment of higher understanding or meaning will emerge within reach。"I was surprised by how informative and well studied Justin’s backstory was， with Harley having interviewed dozens to collect his data to provide the reader with an incredible amount of insight and knowledge into Shetler’s upbringing， training， and travels。 Lost in the Valley of death is a story that will stay with readers long after they have read the final sentence。 Bravo to Harley Rustad and thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC。 Avocado Diaries 。。。more
Udisha Jain （bookstacks_literature）
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✨Presenting my first read of 2022✨Book- Lost in the valley of deathAuthor- Harley RustadSuggested reading age according to me- 16+My review- easily the best nonfiction I have ever read， let me explain it to the audience in one sentence， 'the book despite being nonfiction gives feels of a mystery， thriller and philosophy'。If you are still not convinced to go and order of your copy， read ahead for my detailed review。A man who had all the training of wildlife and adventure in the world gets lost in ✨Presenting my first read of 2022✨Book- Lost in the valley of deathAuthor- Harley RustadSuggested reading age according to me- 16+My review- easily the best nonfiction I have ever read， let me explain it to the audience in one sentence， 'the book despite being nonfiction gives feels of a mystery， thriller and philosophy'。If you are still not convinced to go and order of your copy， read ahead for my detailed review。A man who had all the training of wildlife and adventure in the world gets lost in the Himalayas but to reach its conclusion you have to absolutely read LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH by @hmrustadCome， let me tell you all more about the book。The author brings the missing person back to Life。 Mr shetler could be anywhere right now the cave， salvation or something which nobody wants， death。 But here in the book The Author breathes life into the tale of the blogger， the person， adventurer， traveller， thrill seeker and the many names known for Justin Alexander Shetler。 As an own voices reader and reviewer for this book， it was so great seeing my culture represented in a right way。 Reading on and on about India with correct HIndi words gave me such a feeling of pride。It is not just a book about an individual， the book represents life in its larger form， indian culture which is appreciated so much more by foreigners than our own Indians。 Non fiction is is definitely going to be the new trend in 2022 because of Harley Rustad。#udishasaysread 。。。more
Katy Budget Books
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Karen says: A startling foray into the of disappearance of a young man who appeared to have his whole life ahead of him。 Justin Alexander Shetler traveled alone on the trip of a lifetime into the Parvati Valley， whether for curious reasons， or spiritual peace and armed only with with a backpack and the bare essentials and a childhood filled with survival training。 Justin disappears into thin air。 Where is this young man？ Why did he venture off on his own and ignore the warnings from the villager Karen says: A startling foray into the of disappearance of a young man who appeared to have his whole life ahead of him。 Justin Alexander Shetler traveled alone on the trip of a lifetime into the Parvati Valley， whether for curious reasons， or spiritual peace and armed only with with a backpack and the bare essentials and a childhood filled with survival training。 Justin disappears into thin air。 Where is this young man？ Why did he venture off on his own and ignore the warnings from the villagers？ Was he able to make it to the point of spiritual healing？ Part travel blog， part mystery-an endearing memoir and tribute。 。。。more
Stephanie （abookandadog）
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I found this story incredibly interesting。 I didn't know any of the details of this case before reading the book and it was pretty haunting to go look at this guy's instagram and see the unfortunate foreshadowing that appeared in his captions。 I first heard of the McCandless disappearance just a couple months ago and it's wild how similar their stories are。 And how many people just disappear into the wilderness。 This book delves deeply into the spirituality and social media aspects of Shetler's I found this story incredibly interesting。 I didn't know any of the details of this case before reading the book and it was pretty haunting to go look at this guy's instagram and see the unfortunate foreshadowing that appeared in his captions。 I first heard of the McCandless disappearance just a couple months ago and it's wild how similar their stories are。 And how many people just disappear into the wilderness。 This book delves deeply into the spirituality and social media aspects of Shetler's life and how those possibly impacted the choices that led to his disappearance。 I found it intriguing not just for his story but also the psychological implications of social media hinted at by the author。 Thanks to the publisher for sending me this ARC in exhange for an honest review。 。。。more
Karen Bullock
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4 stars for this startling memoir of Justin Alexander Shetler。A young man who started out as quite the adventurer in his youth， more so than the average boy。 Justin appeared to love life and faced any challenges that came his way。Wildlife survivalist training， hunting and tracking training， and eventually becoming a leader and mentor to fellow survivalists。 Justin always seemed to be pushing the envelope。Following the teachings of Hinduism from one of his mother’s friends， he becomes highly inve 4 stars for this startling memoir of Justin Alexander Shetler。A young man who started out as quite the adventurer in his youth， more so than the average boy。 Justin appeared to love life and faced any challenges that came his way。Wildlife survivalist training， hunting and tracking training， and eventually becoming a leader and mentor to fellow survivalists。 Justin always seemed to be pushing the envelope。Following the teachings of Hinduism from one of his mother’s friends， he becomes highly invested in seeking his own spiritual guidance and plans the trip of a lifetime。A trip to the picturesque yet deadly region known as The Parvati Valley。A panoramic view of forests and glens and hidden villages is an easy disguise for a region known to many as The Valley of Death。Travelers who take unnecessary risks fall prey to their dangerous surroundings。Is that what happened to Justin？ Over confidant in his skill set， that he threw caution to the wind？ Traveled alone？ Did he make a fatal misstep？ Where is Justin？This is part travel， part memoir and part mystery。 An endearing and moving piece of non fiction。Thank you to Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this arc and leave an honest review。 。。。more
Mary
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I am weirdly drawn to （and conflicted by） “man alone in nature” stories。 And yes， it is most often men who are alone and who we are fascinated by when they go missing。 It’s impossible not to compare this story to “Into the Wild，” and I kept thinking， thank god Alexander Supertramp didn’t have Instagram。 This story was perhaps more baffling， as Justin had serious survival skills。 As such， it becomes more a story about the grip the idea of India has had on the west for more than a century。 Why do I am weirdly drawn to （and conflicted by） “man alone in nature” stories。 And yes， it is most often men who are alone and who we are fascinated by when they go missing。 It’s impossible not to compare this story to “Into the Wild，” and I kept thinking， thank god Alexander Supertramp didn’t have Instagram。 This story was perhaps more baffling， as Justin had serious survival skills。 As such， it becomes more a story about the grip the idea of India has had on the west for more than a century。 Why do people want to start over， disappear， etc。 ？ Can you truly be alone in nature when you have a couple thousand Instagram followers？ 。。。more
ElphaReads
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Thank you to NEtGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！Stories where people up and disappear into the wild or wilderness or what have you always intrigue me， and LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH by Harley Rustad fits that bill。 It is the story of Justin Alexander Shetler， a traveller and adventurer who was looking for meaning in his life， and who disappeared in the Parvati Valley in India while on a spiritual trek。 Rustad tells his story as well as a broader examination of a desire seen i Thank you to NEtGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！Stories where people up and disappear into the wild or wilderness or what have you always intrigue me， and LOST IN THE VALLEY OF DEATH by Harley Rustad fits that bill。 It is the story of Justin Alexander Shetler， a traveller and adventurer who was looking for meaning in his life， and who disappeared in the Parvati Valley in India while on a spiritual trek。 Rustad tells his story as well as a broader examination of a desire seen in other Westerners who go to India in search of themselves and spiritual awakening。 I liked slowly peeling away the many layers of Shetler's story， and a story that very easily could have been about a Western gaze and misconception about the 'Mystical' East is a bit more than that。 Though don't get me wrong， there is still a bit of that， though I think Rustad doesn't glamorize it too much。 At the heart of it this book is about a person who is trying to find himself after going through a massive amount of trauma， and how trying to find oneself can be life altering。 I liked the history of the Parvati Valley， as well as the history of Westerners going to India and exploring for their own self discovery （and the fallout and consequences of that）。 And I also liked that Rustad doesn't strive to speculate or answer what happened to Shetler。 Perhaps he was the victim of foul play， perhaps the victim of an accident， or perhaps he did， indeed， find a new life。 It's an interesting read。 。。。more
Krista
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The Parvati Valley has earned its own nicknames: the Valley of Shadows， the Valley of Death。 It is a place where every moment exists on a knife edge， where a wrong turn tips a vehicle over an unbarriered cliff edge， a wrong step pitches a traveler into a churning maelstrom of a river， a wrong turn sends a hiker to ranges unknown。 Since the early 1990s， dozens of international backpackers have vanished without a trace while traveling in and around the Parvati Valley， an average of one every ye The Parvati Valley has earned its own nicknames: the Valley of Shadows， the Valley of Death。 It is a place where every moment exists on a knife edge， where a wrong turn tips a vehicle over an unbarriered cliff edge， a wrong step pitches a traveler into a churning maelstrom of a river， a wrong turn sends a hiker to ranges unknown。 Since the early 1990s， dozens of international backpackers have vanished without a trace while traveling in and around the Parvati Valley， an average of one every year， earning this tiny， remote sliver of the subcontinent a dark reputation as India’s Bermuda Triangle。 The circumstances of each disappearance are different — the tourist’s country of origin; villages visited or paths walked; last known location — yet eerily similar。 All feature a spirited backpacker seeking an off-the-beaten-track adventure， a collection of anecdotes from fellow travelers relating the backpacker’s final days， a family’s anguished search， and thousands of unanswered questions。 I absolutely loved Harley Rustad’s last narrative nonfiction tale — Big Lonely Doug:The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees — so I was excited to read his latest: Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas。 And while Rustad brings the same eye for detail， background， and narrative tension to this story of Justin Alexander Shetler — a thirty-five-year old American backpacker with an incredible life story， a large social media presence， and who mysteriously disappeared in the Indian Himalayas — I’m left feeling， somehow， that the story of the tree was ultimately more interesting and relatable。 This is still an intriguing story， well told， that asks interesting questions about what a meaningful life looks like。 （Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms。） Over time， Shetler’s stories began to acquire their own near-mythological quality。 There was the time he carried the injured toddler in Nepal， running for hours — some who have heard the story say days — to take her to the nearest clinic; there was the time he went into the wilderness in Idaho， or， as some recall in Montana， with nothing more than a knife and emerged weeks later wearing buckskin clothing; there was the time he was beaten up， or possibly even stabbed， in Bangkok while trying to save a young woman from harassment。 Shortly after quitting his job， he found himself at a Los Angeles restaurant talking with Jonathon Goldsmith， the actor who was appearing on television commercials as “The Most Interesting Man in the World” for a long-running advertising campaign of Dos Equis beer， who remarked， “I think you might actually be the most interesting man in the world。” Shetler illegally climbed the most famous bridges in the United States， he became a Buddhist monk in Thailand， and he crossed snow-covered Himalayas in flip-flops。 It was all part of a story that Shetler wanted to build， a story that， as he saw it， was just beginning。 This passage doesn’t even reference Shetler’s unconventional childhood （that saw him attending a wilderness survival academy instead of high school）， his time fronting the alt rock band Punchface， or the three years he worked with a tech startup and travelled the globe on a luxury budget。 Approaching his mid-thirties， Shetler decided to leave his high-paying job， give away the majority of his worldly goods， and embark on a quest for deeper meaning （which he believed could only be attained ascetically as the heroes had in the books he grew up reading）。 Shetler spent the next couple of years vagabonding across the United States， South America， and Asia — boosting his social media following with beautiful pictures and enviable adventures — and by the time he found India calling to him irresistibly， Shetler was on the horns of a dilemma: Should he continue to focus on growing his ego-boosting online presence or was it time to give himself over to a sadhu， an Indian holy man， who could teach him to entirely free himself from his ego by learning to let go of the world。 When Shetler decided to accompany one such sadhu on a dangerous trek to a holy lake， his last post to social media was: These Babas are said to have magical powers from decades of ancient yoga practice。 But。 I really don’t know what to expect。 I’ve never done yoga， and his style is extreme — based on the grotesque swellings on his joints。 But I want to see the world through his eyes， which are essentially 5000 years old， an ancient spiritual path。 I’m going to put my heart into it and see what happens。 My back is in bad shape， （broken when I was 19） and even with daily soaks in hot springs， this cave/mountain life has recently put me in a state of constant discomfort。 I’m sadly inflexible， and I can’t even sit still for a few minutes without pain。 Maybe Baba Life will be good for me。 I should return mid September or so。If I’m not back by then， don’t look for me。 ;） And as it turned out， that was Shetler’s last ever social media post。 So， how seriously were his friends and family to take that final thought， “If I’m not back by then， don’t look for me”？ How to interpret the wink？ Was he joking or saying goodbye？Rustad went to India （several times） in search of those answers， and this book is filled with his conversations with the people who knew Shetler， as well as long passages from Shetler’s own writings。 Rustad quotes freely from famed literature set in India and fills in the history of the area: many foreigners have contracted “India Syndrome” in this magic-filled valley at the foot of the Himalayas and disappeared into mountain caves to live undetected; sometimes for decades。 This is also one of the remote settings of India’s illegal cannabis cultivation （the hash produced here is apparently world-renowned） and the hills are filled with black marketeers， thieves， and fake holy men。 As we get to learn more and more about Shetler and his quixotic nature， there is certainly narrative tension in wanting to know what Rustad learns of the backpacker's fate。 Despite all of the crazy antics in Shetler’s life， I really did find the story of Big Lonely Doug to be somehow richer， but it’s not really Rustad’s fault that I wasn’t completely wowed — Rustad set out on his own journey without knowing what he would ultimately find and he presents the results in a narrative that is consistently interesting and well-written。 。。。more
Kate Harris
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