
The Sunset Route
Freight Trains, Forgiveness, and Freedom on the Rails in the American West
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Erin Spencer
-
By:
-
Carrot Quinn
About this listen
The unforgettable story of one woman who leaves behind her hardscrabble childhood in Alaska to travel the country via freight train — a beautiful memoir about forgiveness, self-discovery, and the redemptive power of nature, perfect for fans of Wild or Educated.
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The Philadelphia Inquirer • “An urgent read. A courageous life. Quinn’s story burns through us and bleeds beauty on every page.” (Noé Álvarez, author of Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land)
After a childhood marked by neglect, poverty, and periods of homelessness, with a mother who believed herself to be the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, Carrot Quinn moved out on her own. She found a sense of belonging among straight-edge anarchists who taught her how to traverse the country by freight trains, sleep in fields under the stars, and feed herself by foraging in dumpsters. Her new life was one of thrilling adventure and freedom, but still she was haunted by the ghosts of her lonely and traumatic childhood.
The Sunset Route is a powerful and brazenly honest adventure memoir set in the unseen corners of the United States — in the Alaskan cold, on trains rattling through forests and deserts, as well as in low-income apartments and crowded punk houses — following a remarkable protagonist who has witnessed more tragedy than she thought she could ever endure and who must learn to heal her own heart. Ultimately, it is a meditation on the natural world as a spiritual anchor, and on the ways that forgiveness can set us free.
©2021 Carrot Quinn (P)2021 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
- An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Carrot Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carrot Quinn fears that she's become addicted to the Internet. The city makes her numb, and she's having trouble connecting with others. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. It will be her first long-distance hike.
-
-
Like an infinity of switchbacks...it just never ended
- By Anonymous User on 12-20-17
By: Carrot Quinn
-
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker
- An Appalachian Trail Journey
- By: Derick Lugo
- Narrated by: Derick Lugo
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the New York comedy scene began to think about what he might do with months of free time. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,184.2 miles of it. Suddenly he found himself asking, Could he do it?
-
-
On My Feet All Day
- By bannedbum on 08-21-21
By: Derick Lugo
-
Unlost
- A Journey of Self-Discovery and the Healing Power of the Wild Outdoors
- By: Gail Muller
- Narrated by: Gail Muller
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gail Muller was told she’d be in a wheelchair by the age of 40. At 41, she set out to hike one of the world’s toughest treks: the Appalachian Trail - a 2,200-mile journey that would help her reclaim her life and heal her mind and body. An inspiring, moving, and uplifting memoir for fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Heather H. on 10-14-21
By: Gail Muller
-
The Trail
- A Novel
- By: Ethan Gallogly
- Narrated by: Jake Hunsbusher
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Trail is a moving story of how nature helps us find what’s missing in our lives. The tale begins with Gil, who in the wake of his father’s death and recently fired from his job, agrees to accompany his father’s old hiking partner Syd on a month-long trek on the John Muir Trail. There’s just one problem: Gil hates camping and is woefully unprepared for the rigors of the journey. Moreover, he soon learns Syd may not survive the hike.
-
-
Audible version - excellent!
- By JocelynF on 02-24-22
By: Ethan Gallogly
-
Nowhere for Very Long
- The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life
- By: Brianna Madia
- Narrated by: Brianna Madia
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this beautifully written, vividly detailed memoir, a young woman chronicles her adventures traveling across the deserts of the American West in an orange van named Bertha and reflects on an unconventional approach to life
-
-
not what I thought
- By J. Abrego on 04-16-22
By: Brianna Madia
-
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
- By: David Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.
-
-
Enjoyable but severely lacking.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-01-13
By: David Miller
-
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
- An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Carrot Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carrot Quinn fears that she's become addicted to the Internet. The city makes her numb, and she's having trouble connecting with others. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. It will be her first long-distance hike.
-
-
Like an infinity of switchbacks...it just never ended
- By Anonymous User on 12-20-17
By: Carrot Quinn
-
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker
- An Appalachian Trail Journey
- By: Derick Lugo
- Narrated by: Derick Lugo
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Derick Lugo had never been hiking. He certainly couldn't imagine going more than a day without manicuring his goatee. But with a job cut short and no immediate plans, this fixture of the New York comedy scene began to think about what he might do with months of free time. He had heard of the Appalachian Trail, but he had never seriously considered attempting to hike all 2,184.2 miles of it. Suddenly he found himself asking, Could he do it?
-
-
On My Feet All Day
- By bannedbum on 08-21-21
By: Derick Lugo
-
Unlost
- A Journey of Self-Discovery and the Healing Power of the Wild Outdoors
- By: Gail Muller
- Narrated by: Gail Muller
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gail Muller was told she’d be in a wheelchair by the age of 40. At 41, she set out to hike one of the world’s toughest treks: the Appalachian Trail - a 2,200-mile journey that would help her reclaim her life and heal her mind and body. An inspiring, moving, and uplifting memoir for fans of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love.
-
-
Excellent!
- By Heather H. on 10-14-21
By: Gail Muller
-
The Trail
- A Novel
- By: Ethan Gallogly
- Narrated by: Jake Hunsbusher
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Trail is a moving story of how nature helps us find what’s missing in our lives. The tale begins with Gil, who in the wake of his father’s death and recently fired from his job, agrees to accompany his father’s old hiking partner Syd on a month-long trek on the John Muir Trail. There’s just one problem: Gil hates camping and is woefully unprepared for the rigors of the journey. Moreover, he soon learns Syd may not survive the hike.
-
-
Audible version - excellent!
- By JocelynF on 02-24-22
By: Ethan Gallogly
-
Nowhere for Very Long
- The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life
- By: Brianna Madia
- Narrated by: Brianna Madia
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this beautifully written, vividly detailed memoir, a young woman chronicles her adventures traveling across the deserts of the American West in an orange van named Bertha and reflects on an unconventional approach to life
-
-
not what I thought
- By J. Abrego on 04-16-22
By: Brianna Madia
-
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail
- By: David Miller
- Narrated by: Christopher Lane
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, software engineer David Miller left his job, family, and friends to hike 2,172 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AWOL on the Appalachian Trail is Miller’s account of this thru-hike from Georgia to Maine. Listeners are treated to rich descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains, the isolation and reverie, the inspiration that fueled his quest, and the rewards of taking a less conventional path through life. While this book abounds with introspection and perseverance, it also provides useful passages about hiking gear and planning.
-
-
Enjoyable but severely lacking.
- By Amazon Customer on 07-01-13
By: David Miller
-
The Trail Provides
- A Boy's Memoir of Thru-Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: David Smart
- Narrated by: David Smart
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Disillusioned by the corporate lifestyle, David finds himself unemployed and desperate for change. Bradley, his older, more adventurous, and slightly-wreckless college fraternity brother presents an enticing offer. Just a few weeks later, the two inexperienced hopefuls abandon society and plunge into a soul-searching sojourn to thru-hike the Pacific Crest trail, a 2,650-mile Mexico-to-Canada footpath - barefoot. At the trail’s mercy from day one, the two hikers face the endless pains of walking, rising tensions, and falling behind to the coming winter.
-
-
Good Story
- By Zach mielens on 01-02-20
By: David Smart
-
Down the Drain
- By: Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Julia Fox
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julia Fox is famous for many things: her captivating acting, such as her breakout role in the film Uncut Gems; her trendsetting style, including bleached eyebrows, exaggerated eyeshadow, and cutout dresses; her mastery of social media, where she entertains and educates her millions of followers. But all these share the trait for which she is most famous: unabashedly and unapologetically being herself. This commitment to authenticity has never been more on display than in Down the Drain. With writing that is both eloquent and accessible, Fox recounts her turbulent path to cultural supremacy.
-
-
Zero Character Growth.
- By Alisa on 11-27-23
By: Julia Fox
-
Wild
- From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Cheryl Strayed
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 22, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State - and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone.
-
-
Glad I Took the Trip
- By FanB14 on 04-08-13
By: Cheryl Strayed
-
Demon Copperhead
- A Novel
- By: Barbara Kingsolver
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.
-
-
Wow! It’s a Masterpiece
- By Billy on 10-25-22
-
Becoming Odyssa
- Adventures on the Appalachian Trail
- By: Jennifer Pharr Davis
- Narrated by: Jennifer Pharr Davis
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After graduating from college, Jennifer isn't sure what she wants to do with her life. She is drawn to the Appalachian Trail, a 2,175-mile footpath that stretches from Georgia to Maine. Though her friends and family think she's crazy, she sets out alone to hike the trail, hoping it will give her time to think about what she wants to do next. The next four months are the most physically and emotionally challenging of her life.
-
-
Just read WILD again.
- By Candice Philpot on 10-02-20
-
Where's the Next Shelter?
- By: Gary Sizer
- Narrated by: Gary Sizer
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Where's the Next Shelter? is the true story of three travelers on the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile hike that stretches from Georgia to Maine, told from the perspective of Gary Sizer, a seasoned backpacker and former marine who quickly finds himself humbled by the endeavor. If you long for the horizon or to sleep under the stars, then come along for the hike of a lifetime. All you have to do is take the first step.
-
-
If You Liked AWOL, You'll Like This
- By Rebecca on 06-02-16
By: Gary Sizer
-
Only When I Step on It
- One Man's Inspiring Journey to Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone
- By: Peter E. Conti
- Narrated by: Peter E. Conti
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was 23 months after his accident, and Peter was still dealing with constant excruciating pain. He'd seen dozens of doctors and tried a myriad of medications, but nothing seemed to work. Faced with the impossible choice of suffering through the rest of his life, he had an unlikely epiphany, "If I could somehow hike 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail, then my leg will have to be better." He set a starting date three weeks out, cobbled together a novice's pack, and set off on a journey destined to change his life forever—though not exactly how he had envisioned it.
-
-
Inspiring story
- By D Williams on 05-29-22
By: Peter E. Conti
-
To Shake the Sleeping Self
- A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret
- By: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Narrated by: Jedidiah Jenkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the eve of turning 30, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent 16 months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living? In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure - the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world - as well as the internal journey that started it all.
-
-
Different that I expected
- By Sabrina on 02-21-20
By: Jedidiah Jenkins
-
The Things We Cannot Say
- By: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now 15 and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears.
-
-
Don’t Miss This One!
- By Mary Smiroldo on 08-06-19
By: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Covenant of Water
- By: Abraham Verghese
- Narrated by: Abraham Verghese
- Length: 31 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time.
-
-
Story Telling At Its Best
- By Regina on 05-06-23
By: Abraham Verghese
-
Divided
- A Walk on the Continental Divide Trail
- By: Brian Cornell
- Narrated by: Zac Katz-Stein
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once a person hikes a long trail, they catch the bug, but does it get any easier the second time around? Four years after starting the Appalachian Trail with his brother, Brian takes to the Continental Divide Trail for his second thru-hike in familiar company. However, trail life is not always as rewarding and romantic as the pictures you see or second-hand stories you hear.
-
-
Generalities and platitudes
- By RLCalhoun on 12-13-22
By: Brian Cornell
-
Into the Forest
- A Holocaust Story of Survival, Triumph, and Love
- By: Rebecca Frankel
- Narrated by: Natalie Pela
- Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1942, the Rabinowitz family narrowly escaped the Nazi ghetto in their Polish town by fleeing to the forbidding Bialowieza Forest. They miraculously survived two years in the woods—through brutal winters, Typhus outbreaks, and merciless Nazi raids—until they were liberated by the Red Army in 1944. After the war, they trekked across the Alps into Italy, where they settled as refugees before eventually immigrating to the United States.
-
-
Great story with an added benefit
- By Scottsville Stu on 12-30-21
By: Rebecca Frankel
Critic reviews
"This beautiful memoir of forgiveness, redemption, and the power of the human spirit is more important than ever before. Carrot Quinn’s story is one of bravery writ large, of our ability and inclination to save ourselves in the face of trauma, anchored and steadied by the mundane magnificence of the natural world. I was captivated by it.” (Elissa Altman, author of Motherland)
“An intimate memoir of loneliness and hope.” (Kirkus)
“The Sunset Route is a captivating tale of hope and profound courage. Carrot Quinn tells her story with unflinching honesty and grit, illuminating the magic and majesty of the landscapes of the American West. The story unfolds like an adventure on every page. I felt the railways rumble beneath me and the cold wind blow through my hair and had to remind myself to breathe. Carrot Quinn’s brave spirit shines as a bright reminder that what lies within us is stronger and more powerful than any circumstance. The Sunset Route is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking. By the end, I wanted to stand up and cheer for Quinn as she carved her own path to redemption.” (Ruth Wariner, author of the New York Times best seller The Sound of Gravel)
What listeners say about The Sunset Route
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Larry Haines
- 03-13-22
Wow a heartbreaking & ultimately beautiful story
This is a great companion to "Thru Hiking Will.Break Your Heart". Really inspiring how Carot turns a chilhood filled with pain into a lifetime of adventure.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dancing A
- 07-10-21
A beautiful and vulnerable work.
What a beautiful and vulnerable memoir. It is a gift that carrot Quinn has the courage to share themselves in this way.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laura Burns
- 07-11-21
Sad that it's over! Another great one from Carrot!
This book is a beautiful tender mix of entertaining adventure stories, heart breaking memories of a childhood filled with insecurity and trauma, and the roller coaster journey of figuring yourself out and finding the family you need. I have been a huge fan of Carrot's writing for years and devour every book, blog post, Instagram caption, and dispatch from the trail. Its great to read this wonderful engaging writing and get to be part of her life for a little while. Even if you haven't read anything from her before you will love this book. I highly recommend it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jgoshorn1
- 09-01-21
Now I want to listen to Carrot's first book again
great narrator. story line goes back and fourth through time in a some what confusing way that had me losing track of some of Carrot's travel companions.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JG, Shreveport, LA
- 04-15-22
Narration detracts from story
I loved the story and the writing. I just wish Audible would get better narrators. Usually the author is the best narrator. No offense to Erin Spencer but her voice is wrong for this story. Her voice sounds like a very young sorority girl, privileged and private schooled. Her voice is way too sweet for this gritty hardscrabble story. I wish we could hear Carrot.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- AJ
- 02-24-24
Excellent!!
moving story that kept my interest all the way through. author Carrot Quinn had a subtle poetry to her writing that I love so much
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Flying Waltini
- 08-24-21
U go Carrot
Haha….. a joy to hear and a great read without over dramatization. Especially for people that feel under privileged to the point of exhaustion. Go figure it out like Carrot rather than be defeated and depressed by pity. Carrots are good for the eyes!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeff Connally
- 09-21-24
Homelessness is not just the state of being unhoused
Powerful descriptions - terrific insights into the life of a young woman who does her best, but is burdened by multi-generational neglect …. It’s now impossible to see homeless with disdain .
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael Gosuico
- 02-06-25
I enjoyed traveling with the author. This is my kind of book, being in the actual story, pretending to be the narrator.
This is both a fantastic book that travels through gut wrenching scenes and enviable peaceful moments. i cannot wait for the next book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- shawna
- 07-19-21
Loved this book
The plot is not complicated. So if you’re the person that likes a lot of action then this might not be a book. I however loved it. Her narration is fabulous and I just couldn’t put it down.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!