Paddle for Water: Canoeing across America with a Message and a Man I Never Intended to Marry

Paddle for Water: Canoeing across America with a Message and a Man I Never Intended to Marry

Perhaps impetuous, perhaps brave, Nancy can’t resist ditching her job and modern-day comforts to paddle 5,000 miles across the United States in a canoe. Paddling roller coaster waves, camping with alligators and dodging barges prove manageable, staving off her paddling partner’s romantic intentions—not so much. Nancy and her paddling partner Tom, embrace their self-appointed roles as river custodians. The message shared with the media: water is our earth’s best treasure. Respect it. Care for it. Each river bolsters Nancy’s passion to follow her career path as an environmental educator, helping people connect with nature and treat Earth’s gifts with reverence. Paddle for Water is an adventure travel memoir about rivers explored by Lewis and Clark two centuries earlier. It recounts the real-life wacky escapades of a “just do it” kind of gal, the guy who so often rescues her from hair-raising situations, and a relationship forged by living life with gusto. "An epic journey reminiscent of Lewis and Clark, this gripping tale documents a daring modern-day, coast-to-coast canoeing expedition by two conservationists. With vivid descriptions and heart-pounding adventure, the author adeptly captures the physical and mental challenges, the struggles and triumphs, and the breathtaking landscapes encountered along the way." -Jeff Lander "This is a story about discovery as well as commitment and care for the natural world and our rivers. Life depends on rivers and Nancy DeWitte Condon's compelling narrative of paddling 5,000 miles across the United States reinforces the importance of caring for them." -Andrew Fisk, Ph.D. Northeast Regional Director American Rivers "The intensity of the challenges these two people faced was well captured by the author and made the story certainly compelling, sometimes anxiety-riddled, humorous off and on, and humbling. The author's ability to bring the reader into the canoe was remarkably visceral." -Liz Austin Connecticut River Conservancy "...fresh, authentic, inspirational, and a pure pleasure to read." "...invigorating and engrossing, from the opening paragraph to the conclusion." -Rebecca Todd Executive Director Connecticut River Conservancy "...this book is about trust and building relationships, but it is also about being brave enough to take a chance on your dreams." -Heather Wyman "I highly recommend this book to anyone who reads. Everyone will find themselves, and people they know and love, in this book. And then there is the dog who occasionally steals chicken off the plates of other picnickers ...." -Dr. Lynne Fullerton "Nancy has a fantastic way of taking a travel journal and turning it into a thrilling adventure. I could not imagine what traveling in a canoe from the Pacific to the Atlantic would be like, but paddle by paddle I went with her and Tom." -SEV