Reviewed by Matthew McCarty
America’s national parks are full of breathtaking awe and wonder. The amazing views, natural scenery, and awesome experiences make national parks a great place to form friendships, meet new people, and even fall in love. Authors Chris Truxell and Jeff Crum use their commitment to visiting America’s national parks to strengthen their bond with each other. A National Park Love Story: 63 Parks, 15 Years, One Dream (Self-published, 2025, 346 pages) is the chronicle of the authors’ desire to experience the world around them and each other through visits to the national parks. A National Park Love Story is an enjoyable read that reflects the authors’ desire to share their relationship and their world with the reader. Purchase Here.
America’s national parks are a great place to rest, relax, reflect on, and contemplate the world of Mother Nature. Chris and Jeff decide to explore all 63 national parks to understand what their life together is about and how the struggles of emerging from two toxic marriages can sometimes overwhelm people simply looking to find someone to spend time with. A National Park Love Story underscores the importance of understanding just how complicated relationships can be. Their commitment to recovering from their pasts and to sharing that recovery with the reader is the foundational element that makes this a good story. Their nonjudgmental view of life and of the baggage of creating a new family from the broken parts of others helps carry A National Park Love Story to the finish line.
Books like A National Park Love Story tend not to pique this reviewer’s interest. These books are usually found to have too much detail that does not support the overall story. However, this story was different. A National Park Love Story was written to illustrate the idea that family and relationships are an ever-evolving work in progress. Relationships are not perfect and require the kind of effort that is almost superhuman to maintain. Chris and Jeff are open and honest about their struggles and how their life together is not viewed through rose-colored glasses.
A National Park Love Story is a well-written story that anyone who has been through trauma and the renewed energy of hope and relationships can sympathize with and identify with. The narrative flows easily and reads like a novel of hope and sacrifice. The language is simplistic and engaging. A reader looking for an engrossing nonfiction journey would do well to read A National Park Love Story. This reviewer enjoyed it immensely.