Review of Everyday Warrior

[Catherine Sweet]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Everyday Warrior" by Trudie Marie.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Everyday Warrior by Trudie Marie is a memoir about taking a long-distance hike to heal from the effects of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Trudie is a podcast host, author and certified results coach for first responders.
Trudie was a police officer when she had a breakdown at work and started treatment at the Perth Clinic. As part of her recovery, she decided to hike the 1000km Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. She kept a journal while hiking, making entries every day. She didn’t listen to any devices, just to the sounds around her. There were camps along the track where Trudie put up her inner tent in huts and stayed the night. In the evening, she ate a dehydrated meal.
The hike presented an arduous physical challenge, and Trudie had to cope with an ankle injury. She climbed up and down hundreds of steps, up and down hills, canoed across rivers, and walked through forests. Sometimes, there were storms and heavy rain for hours, and she got completely drenched. She saw snakes and kangaroos. Once, a huge kangaroo was lying by the track, and when Trudie came around the corner, the kangaroo jumped up, and they were both startled!
Trudie openly expressed her feelings during the hike. At times, it was an emotional journey, and she cried when she struggled. With no distractions, she found herself thinking about past difficulties. Some of the issues she thought about were being bullied, the ending of her police career, her childhood, her relationship with her father, and her divorce. It was a time of deep reflection and a move towards being healed.
Trudie was bullied at work when she was a police officer. It was interesting that she went to see one of her bullies at a town police station, and he gave her a lift to pick up supplies. She also met a serving police officer on the track, and it transpired that he had dated one of her bullies.
The journal entries Trudie wrote are informal and enjoyable to read. Her character comes across to the reader, and she seems authentic and humorous. The details she gave about the hike and her feelings made the reader feel part of her journey. The hike wasn’t easy, and I was impressed with Trudie’s tenacity, especially when dealing with her ankle injury.
The only negative thing about this book is the numerous editing errors. It would benefit from another round of editing.
Everyday Warrior would appeal to readers who would like to learn more about the Bibbulmun Track and a woman’s quest to heal from PTSD and embrace mental health recovery. I have taken one star off for editing errors and awarded this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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Everyday Warrior
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Nimurungi Blessing]

This seems to be a rather interesting book. Especially Trudie's perspective on PSTD and the events she shares about her experience during her hike in Western Australia.

[Mark Lazarus]

Trudie’s journey sounds like a powerful and emotional one, and her openness about her struggles makes the memoir relatable. It’s inspiring how she used the hike to heal from PTSD, though the editing errors seem like an unfortunate distraction from her otherwise compelling story.