Nowhere for Very Long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life

Written by Brianna Madia

Narrated by Brianna Madia

Narrated by Brianna Madia

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

A woman defined by motion, Brianna Madia bought a beat-up bright orange van, filled it with her two dogs Bucket and Dagwood, and headed into the canyons of Utah with her husband. Nowhere for Very Long is her deeply felt, immaculately told story of exploration—of the world outside and the spirit within.

However, pursuing a life of intention isn’t always what it seems. In fact, at times it was downright boring, exhausting, and even desperate—when Bertha overheated and she was forced to pull over on a lonely stretch of South Dakota highway; when the weather was bitterly cold and her water jugs froze beneath her as she slept in the parking lot of her office; when she worried about money, her marriage, and the looming question mark of her future. But Brianna was committed to living a life true to herself, come what may, and that made all the difference.

Nowhere for Very Long is the true story of a woman learning and unlearning, from backroads to breakdowns, from married to solo, and finally, from lost to found to lost again . . . this time, on purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Apr 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063048010

Brianna Madia

Brianna Madia has lived a life of relentless intention, traveling the deserts of the American West in an old Ford van. She made a name for herself on social media with her inspiring captions-cum-essays about bravery, identity, nature, and subverting expectations. She lives in Utah with her four dogs. Her first book, Nowhere for Very Long, was a New York Times bestseller. Never Leave the Dogs Behind is her second book.

Reviews for Nowhere for Very Long

[Michelle · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was excited to listen to this book but found it disappointing. The jumping around made it hard to follow at times. Some major events seemed to be rushed through and left me with a bunch of questions and wanting more. If you followed her on Instagram the book is pretty boring since she's shared almost everything in the book on Instagram. The ending felt super odd and the book felt like it just ended at a really weird point. I mean why would a book called nowhere for very long end with buying property and then tied together with finding a horse in the desert?

[Julie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good story that kept me interested till the end. Author's voice is mellow and easy to listen to.

[Nicki McMahon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully written book which I highly recommend.

[Michelle Gigger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For the most part the stories she tells are captivating. Since I listened to the audio version and didn’t read the book the jumping around from story to story left me confused and feeling like i had spaced out more than once. I had to occasionally skip back to make sure I didn’t miss anything. If you’ve seen her Instagram the stories aren’t new, and some of her captions are passages from the book, but I liked it.

[Jojanne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely amazing. The way Brianna writes, it’s almost as if you’re in the desert with her, looking over her shoulder, and seeing the things she writes about. What an amazing story. Very well written, witty and inspirational. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this being read by her, too. 10/10!

[katie zeitler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a fantastic and well-written book. The authenticity was admirable and made the author relatable. I loved hearing her read the book too. I cried, I smiled, and I felt seen and heard. Thank you for writing this beautiful piece.

[mary3write · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

She's amazing, and even if the desert and dogs are not your thing you can always learn that finding your way might mean getting lost too!!
This book makes me appreciate life more and fight for myself!!

[Erika Lind · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, read beautifully. Thanks for the story desert lady, your soul and spirit are inspiring.

[Darris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brianna’s descriptive writing brought me along on her adventures…the adventure I never took myself. I carried my phone and listened while I was cooking dinner and making my morning tea…it was that kind of a book for me. I hope that she continues writing…she has a gift.

[Dace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Raw and emotional journey. It also touches on the new Instagram life - the bright and the dark side of it.

[Danielle Fehr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! I don’t listen to biographies very often but I loved this one.

[Angie Stegall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a nomad myself, this story grabbed me, and held on. So many memories of my time living on BLM land in southwestern Utah, exploring the desert with my husband, cat, and dog. Those were simpler times! Thanks for sharing your story, Brianna. I'm grateful.

[Sandra Lehto · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Left this book feeling conflicted. The author admittedly lies in a couple of situations in the book, shows distaste for the upper middle class, yet sleeps in her van in those very neighborhoods for safety reasons, and continuously blames her father. Her editor didn’t do their job, the book is full of grammatical errors and fragmented sentences. I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t feel that they narrator was reliable or believable.

[Ariel Jiana Wilson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed listening to Brianna narrating her story. Having 3 dogs and also having lived in several vans, a lot of it was very relatable, especially about women becoming codependent in relationships (not giving ourselves credit) in such situations. Listening to her learning to live for herself in a new way after hardship really inspired me.

Bri- we all make mistakes, but something that has taken me my whole life to grasp is that we aren't our mistakes. They may change us, if we let them they may teach us, but we aren't the sum of our worst moments. It is about how we chose to grow from pain and regret that cultivates true character and human growth. I am so happy to see you flourishing and I wish you and any other ladies struggling with appreciating their own self worth and power all the best in finding solace in theirselves. Thank you for sharing your story. Fuck the white picket fences, chase that dream of yours while you still can!

[nadinerashad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I felt a real connection to the author. Her live. Her struggles and her personal highlights are captivating, honest and raw. I feel that I met a friend.

[formerenglishteacher · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I’ve read several books in this genre, most recently “Between Two Kingdoms” by Suleika Jaouad, “Mothertrucker” by Amy Butcher, and “Nomadland” by Jessica Butcher. While these books differ in the details of the women and their adventures and certainly differ in the outcomes for each woman, they all represent the genre of women and their attempt to become independent, especially from men. I have very mixed feelings about “Between Two Kingdoms.” I’m drawn to adventure books and have read several cold weather adventures, a couple of dust bowls, and more than one storm at sea. And that’s why I was drawn to this book: for the adventure. Part way into the it, it was obvious that the book was probably less about one woman’s adventure and more about her desperate need to prove herself, especially as an independent woman not reliant on anyone, especially, again, men. If you look at the promotional materials for the book (including the book’s cover), you wouldn’t know that a man, namely the author’s husband Neil (in real life apparently, Keith), was part of this adventure for about 2/3 of the book. From reading reviews where readers have attended book readings, the author obviously doesn’t bring him along even though her success in the end is partly due to his input. But, that aside, the story is a good one. Many reviews mention the quality of the writing and how that might be the most laudable part of Madia’s book. I am a retired English teacher, and while I’m not an expert on the quality of memoir writing, I feel as if this book sounds in parts more like a nighttime writer’s workshop assignment than a heartfelt personal memoir. The many, many similes and metaphors, along with the rest of the imagery in the book, often feel forced to me. Without giving aways spoilers, I’ll say that one particular part of the book I thought was overly dramatic, and, just to set the record straight, I am an animal lover, especially a dog lover. So, I’m going to be in the minority among the many reviewers of this book in giving it a mere two stars, but I’m glad it has been a success for Brianna Madia.

[Allison · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wish there had been some kind of clue in the description for the chapter about what happened to the dog. I never would have listened to this audiobook book had I known. It was awful to listen to.

[viviennestrauss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When I picked this book up at the library I had never heard of the author and had no idea that she was an Instagram "influencer" - if I had, I would never have checked it out. I actually enjoyed the book and her writing and am glad I read it though the "influencer" thing literally makes me gag.