All the Way to the River - Book Review

Charles shares a personal reflection on Elizabeth Gilbert’s new memoir All the Way to the River—a raw, beautifully told story about love, addiction, and loss. He explores what makes Gilbert’s writing different from typical books on recovery and co-dependence, how her honesty resonates with his own journey, and why the audiobook version delivers an especially powerful experience.

Transcript

Charles: 0:00

Welcome to the Mindfully Masculine Podcast. This is Charles. Today I want to share an abbreviated book review of a memoir I recently listened to on some long walks and some drives. It's called All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it tells the story of her relationship with her partner Raya and deals with issues like codependence, addiction, and terminal illness. It's not the kind of book that really lends itself to the usual model of our podcast, which is Dan and I spending weeks dissecting, praising, in my case, often attacking a written work, but it did have a profound impact on me, and I think it could have the same effect on other people as well. So I wanted to share some of my thoughts. First, let me say that Gilbert is a brilliant, best-selling author, and I am one half of a podcast that has cultivated a following of literally dozens of loyal listeners. So compared to her, my skill as a writer is essentially that of a toddler who found an uncapped Sharpie while his mom was distracted. So what this review will lack in literary quality and eloquence, I hope to make up for in honesty. The first time I became aware of Elizabeth Gilbert's work was when I saw a trailer for the movie Eat Prey Love ahead of its August 2010 release. I didn't really feel strongly about the film, not that it looked particularly good or bad to me, it just looked not for me. So I didn't really think about Gilbert much again for years. The first time I really engaged with her writing was when my best friend, who later became my girlfriend twice, recommended Big Magic. She told me it was inspiring for understanding the rewards and struggles of human creativity. So I bought the audiobook, and I remember listening during a drive to Georgia, and then during the hike up and down Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta. Gilbert's writing style was engaging and easy to follow. And Gilbert herself is a great narrator. That book left a strong positive impression on me, and I recently recommended that Dan uh read or listen to it, and he took my advice. And last time I checked, he was still in the middle of it. So I'm looking forward to hearing from him what he thought of it and how it might positively impact his creative pursuits. A few years later, I heard uh Gilbert on Glenn and Doyle's podcast, We Can Do Hard Things. She told the story of losing her partner, a story involving drug use, terminal illness, and grief. It was extremely raw, honest, and deeply moving. I came away with a lot of respect for her ability to speak openly about such painful truths. So, fast forward to now, autumn 2025, when a number of culturally impactful women released some new books. Brene Brown's Strong Ground, which I'm in the middle of reading, well, really listening to right now, Kamala Harris's 107 Days about the 2024 presidential campaign, and All the Way to the River by Gilbert. Gilbert's was the one I chose to listen to first. I should say, again, I experience this as an audiobook narrated by Gilbert herself. She delivers it with such emotion and presence that it goes far beyond just an author reading her own words. She brings it to life with the sincerity of a person sharing their life story in a recovery group and with the skill of a professional voice actor, and that makes the listening experience incredibly powerful. What really stood out is how different this book felt from others I've read on addiction and codependence. Most of those stories are written by clinicians, valuable, insightful, but sometimes a bit dry in tone. Whereas Gilbert is a master storyteller and that changes everything. She doesn't just explain addiction and codependence, she makes you feel them. And she shares stories most people would never have the courage to tell. That honesty resonates with me, and it's the kind of bravery that I aspire to. As I listened, I saw parts of myself in the story. I saw people I love reflected in it. And I admired both Elizabeth and Raya, their courage, their humanity, and the way they loved each other through unimaginable struggle. Despite the heartbreak, I came away feeling encouraged and even inspired. I think this book will encourage and inspire many people, especially women dealing with codependence and addiction. It's both beautiful and brutal and deeply human. The one part I especially appreciated was how Gilbert described her experience with 12-step recovery. She was open about trying it, not connecting with it at first, stepping away, coming back, and eventually finding real help there. I hope that honesty inspires others to give recovery a chance, to attend a meeting, see if it might help them, because Gilbert made clear just how much it helped her. And for me, the way I listened added another layer to the experience. Again, most of the book I heard while out on long walks through the woods, along the lake near my home, in city parks. And that combination of being in nature while hearing Gilbert tell this raw emotional story made it even more powerful. So, to wrap this up, All the Way to the River is a book I'm very glad Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, and I'm very glad that I listened to it. It's raw and painful, but also life affirming, inspiring, and beautifully told. I recommend it wholeheartedly, especially the audiobook. Thanks for listening, and we'll talk to you on the next show.