Brief

Based on a true story. At 24 and coming from a poor background, John wanted to go coast to coast
on horseback, so he did. He experiences all that America has to offer, while making a lifelong friend in
Gizmo, his esteemed horse. A story about pushing oneself to the limit - and then going further.

What We Liked

The message of this book is to follow your dreams; to take a leap of faith, and then figure it out later.
Along the way we get to know John’s thoughts and opinions about the vast landscape and people he
experiences, like we’re riding alongside him. We care whether or not he makes it, not just to the East
Coast but through the night - and we care about Gizmo. This is the hero’s journey in its purest form,
presenting a clear path of knowledge and redemption, with the stakes relating to not just whether he
and Gizmo will make it alive, but to how. The meticulous, calm pace of the book offers detailed looks
into John’s musings about the pursuit of happiness and his interactions with others, while offering
breathtaking locations throughout the way.
Key points: The bond between Gizmo and John. By the end you realize it is more pure than any other
relationship you have come across; experiencing the journey along with John. He doesn't know what's
coming around the bend and neither will the audience; the scenery - America is a beautifully different
country. Much like its people, its landscape is vastly different; the people John encounters - almost
like the Odyssey of North America, John encounters a plethora of of interesting characters, from one
night stands to angry drunks; John's reluctance yet wanting to belong. He avoids human interaction
as much as possible - yet, when it is thrust upon him, he enjoys not having another lonely night.

Synopsis

In 1974, a disenfranchised young man from a broken home set out to do the impossible. With a
hundred dollars in his pocket, a beat up cavalry saddle, and a faraway look in his eye, John Egenes
saddles his horse Gizmo and starts down the trail on an adventure across the North American
continent, set on going horseback riding from California to Virginia.
Over the 7-month ride, about 30 miles a day, John learns a few things about his horse, maps, weather,
wild animals, and his fellow man. He endures all the hardships one would think to encounter on a trip
like this; frigid temperatures, hot swampy days, detours, exhaustion, the songs from a pack of
coyotes, lack of resources like food and water, and loneliness. He also ventures across black widow
bites, a pair of hippie females looking for a good time, drunk men with something to prove, notoriety
of his trip from local and national news, cult zealots, and the "lock 'em up happy" mayor of a small
country town. One defining night, John stumbles across a water trough and takes a bath. He is
greeted by a farm girl his age, named Elizabeth. This one night encounter paves how John
experiences females throughout the rest of his adventure and life. They sit, drink, and talk all day and
most of all night. They talk about their dreams and going after them. This strikes a chord with
Elizabeth. Eventually she has to leave so she kisses him and takes off, never to see him again. He,
however, gave his heart to her.
By the time he reaches the shores of the Atlantic, the audience feels they went on the adventure with
him. It all ends years later, when his best friend and steed, Gizmo, has a benign tumor and John is
there on his last days - hugging and caring for his friend, as he passes away. John buries him in the
New Mexican Desert, snow falling, signaling that Gizmo says "thank you for the adventure".

About The Author

John Egenes has been a musician, a saddlemaker, a dog catcher, and a hobo, among other things. He only learns by making mistakes and he views his life through a windshield full of squashed bugs. He currently makes his home in New Zealand.