I predict that ALL THAT WE CARRIED will be one of the winners of the Michigan Notable Books award in 2022. This book not only tells the story of two sisters on a hiking trip in the wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it does a great job of describing the beauty and the dangers of that wilderness.

Olivia and Melanie have been estranged for 10 years. They are attempting to reconcile on this hiking/camping trip. Neither is from the UP or familiar with the area they are hiking. So I knew right away that they were asking for trouble.

And trouble they sure do find right from their first night. But they find themselves a guardian angel. At least that’s what I decided he must be.

Olivia and Melanie cautiously befriend a fisherman. He’s mysterious from the get-go; he knows their names before they introduce themselves.

At that point, I thought that ALL THAT WE CARRIED would turn out to be a thriller. But, no, it is not. Still, that fisherman remains mysterious right to the very end.

I hope someone in Hollywood runs across ALL THAT WE CARRIED. It would make a great movie, especially if they film it on location, in the wilderness of the UP. In a movie, I would concentrate less on the reconciliation and more on the mysterious fisherman.

Two sisters that have been estranged since the death of their parents go on a hiking trip to reconnect.

It may not have been the best idea. It was a pretty stressful trip, and both sisters still held grudges.

Melanie and Olivia had some good moments, but most of the trip was bickering.

ALL THAT WE CARRIED wasn't as enjoyable for me as Ms. Bartels' first two books. I actually wasn't anxious to get back to the book.

Those readers who enjoy family drama and hiking will love this book.

The writing is amazing as always, but it was different from her other books and not something for me. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.

Ten years ago, while on a hiking trip Melanie and Olivia, sisters, receive news that their parents have been killed in a car accident. The driver of the other car was a longtime friend of the sisters. They handle the tragedy in different ways and have no contact with each other for ten years. Melanie now feels the need to reconnect and try to start anew. To reach this end, she reaches out to Olivia and convinces her to go on a wilderness hike. Olivia reluctantly agrees. What ensues is a journey of love, faith and forgiveness.
Overall the story was very good, however I felt at times it was a bit confusing.