“This book, shimmering with insight and honesty, deserves a spot on the very top of everyone’s teetering “to read” pile.”

— GRIPPED MAGAZINE

 “With clear eyes and ferocious honesty, Meghan weaves together the hopes, struggles and joys that accompany any journey beyond the “standard 9-to-5,” and the quest for a life more true to our inner compass. In an age when long-standing societal assumptions about life, work, career and family are increasingly questioned, Lights to Guide Me Home offers a spark of possibility; a reminder that the act of untethering and leaping towards the unknown – never easy or simple –inevitably brings us closer to the things that really matter in life.” 

—BRUCE KIRKBY, author of Blue Sky Kingdom: A Family Journey to the Heart of the Himalaya 

More than a coming of age, or a travel, or a love or parenting story, this is a tale of a woman with a vision, who is willing to carve out her existence from beyond the confines of domesticity and the mundane. Lights to Guide Me Home tenderly and relentlessly explores the nature of adventure, and how our identities can be enlarged through exploration and its complicated and rewarding challenges.

— SONYA LEA, author of Wondering Who You Are

“Lights to Guide Me Home is a candid tale of breaking with conventions and finding your true sense of self through outdoor adventure, then reinventing yourself as you become a mother. Through the good times and bad, Meghan explores her dual identities and what it means to raise a child while following your passion of traveling and living an open-air life. It is a journey that not only takes her to exotic locations around the world, but also forces her to explore unknown spaces within herself. Meghan’s vulnerability and strength make her story equal parts relatable and inspiring.”

— LINDA ÅKESON MCGURK, author of The Open-Air Life and There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather

“Lights to Guide Me Home is the story of one woman’s deliberate creation of a new identity through adventure, and the reclamation of that adventuress amidst the messy entanglements of motherhood. Ward’s prose is lively, crisp and full of sensory details that plunge us into each scene. Though she never sugarcoats the sometimes cringe-inducing chaos of travelling with young children in tow, Ward’s message is clear: life is wild and magical when we step off the beaten path.” 

—JAN REDFORD, author of End of the Rope: Mountains, Marriage & Motherhood 

“Before you set off into the wilds with a baby on your back, read this book! Meghan Ward gets down to the nitty-gritty of adventuring with infants: the frustrations and limitations, the sleep deprivation and drudgery, and the moments of sublime joy. With searing honesty, she also recounts her emotional voyage into motherhood as she refigures the balance in her marriage, recalibrates her dreams, and discovers a new version of herself. Beautifully crafted, and tackling the universal theme of facing big change, this is an engaging and thought-provoking read.”

— MARIA COFFEY, award-winning author of Explorers of the Infinite, Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow, Fragile Edge and Visions of the Wild

“Lights to Guide Me Home is a stunning memoir that follows Meghan J. Ward, a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, on her journeys around the world and through her internal dialogues. Meghan grapples with motherhood and marriage in some of Earth’s most gorgeous terrains and tries to uncover what it means to return home. Fans of Wild and wilderness documentaries will love this unique debut, out tomorrow!”

— ZIBBY MAG

“Adventurers and parents alike often struggle to navigate through uncertain and ever-changing landscapes. Tackling both difficult endeavors at the same time compounds the challenges. Yet, in this fine book, author Meghan Ward illuminates how to seek adventure while still raising and guiding a family. Her wild tales and honest self-reflections reveal how juggling career, family, and travel is not easy, but can be done, and done well. This book will inspire moms and dads alike to be the best and bravest parents they can be as life’s wild journeys unfold.”

— JIM DAVIDSON, New York Times bestselling author of The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival and The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain's Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

About the Author

Meghan J. Ward is an outdoor, travel and adventure writer, and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Meghan has written several books, as well as produced content for films, anthologies, blogs and some of North America’s top outdoor, fitness and adventure publications. As a consultant, she coaches writers and photographers to help bring their projects to life and ensure their work is seen by a wider audience. She lives in Banff, Alberta, with her husband, Paul Zizka, and their two daughters.