The climate change debate has been felt in the most remote parts of the world and those closest to us. Although A WALK IN THE PARK is not a memoir that declares itself a story about our shifting natural environments, it sort of is. Without meaning to do so, curling itself into a narrative that revolves around a most insane and dangerous journey, it brings to light the new --- and at times concerning --- directions in which nature is taking everyone, particularly bold explorers.

Kevin Fedarko has spent two decades writing about conservation, exploration and the Grand Canyon. But here he presents readers with a most ridiculous, enthralling and life-threatening set of adventures that he has managed to survive. It all started when his best friend, National Geographic photographer Pete McBride, came up with the idea of traversing the Grand Canyon on foot the entire way. McBride promised it would be “a walk in the park,” and Fedarko agreed to a venture that was both bold and harebrained.

"A WALK IN THE PARK is an exciting adventure, a compelling drama and a moving romance that illustrates how the people we love and the places we admire find equal space in our hearts."

The Grand Canyon is a naturally designed set of ledges and valleys, desert, and flora and fauna unlike any other on the planet. It is 120 degrees in the shade during the day, and the temperature plummets to the 40s in the evening. Without fully planning on all the obstacles that could get in their way, Fedarko and McBride begin their trek, believing that they have all the knowledge and supplies that will carry them through this labyrinthine trek.

However, as the pair faces imminent disaster too many times to count, they will rely on members of 11 Native tribes and nameless tourists to show them the way --- from shortcuts to the hidden mysteries of a land that can be appreciated only by those who mark these paths on foot. As the subtitle states, it is indeed a misadventure. Yet, thanks to Fedarko’s compelling writing style, readers will be on the edge of their seats as if they’re watching a Tom Cruise action film.

At the beginning of the book, Fedarko explains his fascination with the Grand Canyon. His father introduced him to the great explorers of the west. He had hoped to make such a trek as a young man and was fully supportive of Fedarko’s attempts to do it on his own.

A WALK IN THE PARK is an exciting adventure, a compelling drama and a moving romance that illustrates how the people we love and the places we admire find equal space in our hearts. It reminds us of how wondrous our natural world is and how we must do our best to help it continue to thrive for generations to come.