Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Parks

Lassoing the Sun is author Mark Woods’ chronicle of the year he spent traveling America’s National Parks. Though the story originally was to center on Woods’ travels to the parks, it took a different turn when his mom was diagnosed with cancer and given only a few months to live. The resulting narrative has a nostalgic tinge to it as Woods lost his mother halfway through the year and the peace he sought in the parks took on another layer.

Woods provides a personal approach to his book, interviewing park officials and giving an insider look at the actual issues going on in each park he visits, such as the battle over noise pollution going on in Olympic National Park. He also introduced some lesser known parks like Dry Tortugas National Park. The book did feel a bit disappointing in how few parks actually were visited. Obviously traveling is costly and it is understandable that Woods needed to stay closer to his mom in the first part. However, it seems like there should have been more than one park visited a month – at least in the second half- given the subject matter. That issue aside, the writing is approachable and Woods brings his own life stories and experiences into play. The result is a relaxing travelogue with heart to it.