Monster of a Land by Lauren Hough
Lauren Hough’s narrative chronicling her three-month trek across the country with her canine companion, Woody Guthrie, is contemplative and immensely entertaining. An odyssey in a well-equipped yet questionably operational van, Lauren’s travels take her from her home state of Texas through the many highways and byways of the United States, the sounds of the open road and her lengthy playlist providing the ambience. Hough’s writing is both evocative and literary; the reader is taken along for a memorable ride with Lauren and Woody.
In 2021, Lauren published her first book, Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing, which was deeply personal and cathartic. The lockdown restrictions from COVID and the emotional aftermath of the death of her previous dog left Lauren restless. The pandemic was becoming a blip in the rearview mirror when Lauren decided to follow in the footsteps of literary great John Steinbeck and embark on a transnational trip accompanied by her new dog, Woody Guthrie. Lauren had procured a 2001 Dodge Ram and transformed the rear interior of the vehicle into a quasi-kitchen and bedroom as she planned to spend much of her journey sleeping in the van while parked under the stars in parks and other outdoor locales across the country. Her journey commenced in March 2023 when she left Austin for parts east, south, north, and west.
The Open Road and a Faithful Companion
As Lauren mapped out her trip, she wanted to forgo interstates so she could see more of America, the scenic and authentic areas that weren’t dominated by fast food restaurants, gargantuan service stations, or big box chain stores. Woody is a mostly well-behaved dog, and Lauren has been a dog person since she was a small child, so the pair are almost perfect travel companions. When the nomadic duo arrives in New Orleans, Woody escorts Lauren on a bar crawl where he receives whipped cream from bartenders, while his owner usually gets a shot of something stronger.
Lauren briefly vacillated over the decision to drive southward into Florida to visit her mother, while the choice to avoid South Carolina was a given, as there was a bench warrant for a years-old traffic violation. The hassle of a diversionary trip pales in comparison to a possible jail term. As the Dodge Ram burns miles per gallon and occasionally threatens catastrophic failure, Lauren revisits old friends in DC, experiences the occasional anxiety-inducing moments, and must occasionally intervene in a canine-feline fracas. The trip proceeds from the East Coast through the Midwest and further out to the Pacific Coast, with nights spent surrounded by the bucolic splendor of nature.
Humor and Human Connection
When reading Monster of a Land, one of the many things that stand out is how funny and self-deprecating the author is. There are more than a few moments, whether it be recalling a dire bathroom emergency while stuck in traffic or relating the futility of cleaning off a feces-drenched Woody, that will leave the reader in stitches. Lauren Hough is unafraid and unapologetic in sharing deeply personal aspects of her life, and this allows for a most refreshing and well-rounded travel memoir. The idea of escaping the day-to-day routine and embarking on an adventure is courageous. The appeal of the narrative lies in the experiences Lauren and Woody have during the time away from home and the search for authenticity in both people and places. While Lauren reunited with family and friends during her sabbatical, some of the most illuminating times were with strangers, from hitchhikers to vagabonds. Monster of a Land is a book that is affecting but also uplifting and relatable on many levels.
About Lauren Hough:
Lauren Hough was born in Germany and raised in seven countries, and West Texas. She’s been an Air Force airman, a bartender, a bouncer, a construction laborer, a driver, a green-aproned barista and a cable guy. She’s the author of the New York Times bestselling essay collection, Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, Texas Highways, Huffpost, and The Guardian. She’s a writer at large for Texas Highways. She lives in Austin with a dog named Woody Guthrie.
