Andra Watkins’ presentation was one of the most engaging, entertaining, soul-baring talks I’ve heard in a long time. The New York Times bestselling author and nominee for the 2015 National Book Award told the story of her 444-mile walk on the Natchez Trace to drum up publicity for her debut novel, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis. She is the first person to have walked the length of the Trace since the pioneers prior to the rise of steam power in the 1820’s.
Her inspiration for the fantastical tale of Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame came from the book, Undaunted Courage that chronicles the journey of Lewis, Clark, and company. Andra grew up in South Carolina and hated high school history classes, but the story of Lewis and Clark intrigued her. In colorful language, Ms. Watkins explained just how the men cavorted their way across the country and how Meriwether Lewis later committed suicide under mysterious circumstances. His death was never investigated and this perplexed Ms. Watkins.
“We all want to be remembered for something,” she remarked. Her goal was to become a NYT bestselling author.
The Natchez Trace was originally formed as a footpath by animals and people. According to the National Park Service, “The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile drive through exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of North American history. Used by American Indians, “Kaintucks,” settlers, and future presidents, the Old Trace played an important role in American history. Today, visitors can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping.” Andra thought walking the length of the Trace–from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville Tennessee—would be a good way to raise publicity for her book about Meriwether Lewis. She needed a wing-man or woman to help by dropping her off and picking her up at the beginning and end of each day’s 15-mile walk. She had only five weeks to complete the journey and the prize was to be an appearance at a bookstore in Nashville on April 3. She thought of all the people that might be able to accompany her and came around to her 80-year-old father with whom she had a difficult relationship at best. “Dad and I shouted down my teens, harangued through my twenties, and seethed away my thirties,” said the author. But she needed him to complete her mission.
In a loud, high-pitched Southern accent, Ms. Watkins explained that everything on her journey that could go wrong did go wrong. She admitted to lacking athletic ability and although she “trained” for the long walk she did so by walking on dirt instead of asphalt. Much of the original Trace footpath no longer exists, running instead along a paved parkway. “I walked through torrential rain, tornado warnings, and sub-zero temperatures,” she said with obvious emotion. ”But the physical pain paled in comparison to fighting with my family.” She explained in graphic detail a bout of diarrhea that nearly ended her journey just after it began. But she soldiered on and achieved her goal. Luckily for us, she wrote about her journey in the book, Not Without my Father: One Woman’s 444-mile Walk of the Natchez Trace.
During Q&A, Ms. Watkins said that we need to be making memories with our people. Life happens, and at the end of our lives we don’t want to say to ourselves, “I wish I’d done such and such.” “The only way we can live forever is for someone to hold us in their hearts.”
Andra Watkins is a Rotarian and past president of the East Cooper Breakfast Club in District 7770 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. She is also a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Her newest book, Hard to Die, will be published in November.