Becoming Forrest

Starred review from November 22, 2021
Ultra-athlete Pope debuts with a stirring chronicle of his more than 15,000 mile run across the United States to recreate Tom Hanks’s famous cross-country trek in Forrest Gump. An English veterinarian, marathon runner, and longtime Gump enthusiast, Pope dedicated his run to raising money for charities including the World Wide Fund for Nature and Peace Direct. Early chapters detail his start in Alabama in 2016—decked out in “Gump paraphernalia,” including a “pristine new pair of white Nike Cortez”—and then follow Pope day by day, state by state. Along the way, he meticulously catalogues his experiences, dutifully posting his mileage, new roadkill spottings (in Louisiana: “one otter”), and his latest gnarly blisters. What quickly becomes striking—on top of the extreme distance of his runs, often “forty miles every day without rest”—is Pope’s innate curiosity and fascination with the world around him. While running near the Mexican border, for example, he reflects upon George Harrison’s quote that “all things must pass,” and after President Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would be leaving the Paris Agreement regarding climate change, Pope ponders the shifting tides of American life and culture during a stop in Indiana. This is sure to inspire distance runners as well as those interested in a hearty slice of Americana.

January 1, 2022
A British veterinarian and marathoner re-creates film hero Forrest Gump's 15,248-mile run across America. Pope had often wondered whether the run the film's main character claimed to have completed in "three years, two months, fourteen days and sixteen hours" was really possible. Other runners had actually completed one of the five legs that had comprised it, but Pope wanted to be "the guy who tried" to do it all. A seasoned competitive distance runner, he transformed his Forrest Gump obsession into a fundraiser for the World Wildlife Federation and Peace Direct. For the next year and a half, Pope flew back and forth across the Atlantic to undertake each leg. His girlfriend, Nadine, followed him in Jenny, the RV they christened after Gump's love interest, while friends and admirers followed him on social media and sometimes opened their homes to him as he traveled. Often sporting Forrest's iconic red Bubba Gump hat, the author traveled through cities, prairies, mountains, and deserts, battled extremes of weather and temperature, and suffered the inevitable injuries that came from running 30 to 50 miles per day. When Nadine returned to England midway through his venture to have their child, Pope found himself torn between family responsibilities and finishing his project. "There was no question I'd be heading home for the birth, but if she needed me during her pregnancy I was ready to cancel everything and come back to her at the drop of a hat," he writes, "She kept telling me she'd hate to be the reason for doing that, but I didn't care--she came first." Ultimately, Pope's enthusiasm for his venture and for America itself, which reveals itself through the myriad details he offers when describing people and places, never flagged. Those who followed Pope on his amazing odyssey, as well as readers with a penchant for travelogues, are most likely to enjoy this book. Others may be put off by the story's overdescriptiveness, length, and lack of interiority, and the author too infrequently makes room for voices other than his. A well-intentioned but flawed adventure memoir.

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February 1, 2022
Before Rob Pope's mother died in 2002, she made him promise to ""Do one thing in your life that makes a difference."" When you're an only child and a "momma's boy," he admits, you do just that. The veterinarian from Liverpool, England, an accomplished marathoner, and a fan of the movie Forrest Gump, set a lofty goal of re-creating Forrest's 15,000-mile, transcontinental run across of the U.S. while raising awareness for Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund. From 2016 to 2018, Pope completed his challenge, restaging scenes from the film, including starting in Alabama clean shaven and finishing at Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border with a full beard. His partner, Nadine, provided logistical support from an RV (named Jenny), but after the vehicle breaks down, she returns to England, leaving Pope to continue solo, pushing a baby jogger filled with necessities. In this memoir of self-discovery, Pope grows from ultrarunner to adventurer, experiencing harsh conditions and the generosity of everyday folk. His monumental endurance feat makes an enjoyable travelogue and a welcome antidote for anyone needing an affirmation of faith in humanity.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.