So Long as It's Wild

Standing Strong After My Famous Walk Across America

By: Barbara Jenkins

Narrated by: Barbara Jenkins

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling coauthor of The Walk West comes Barbara Jenkins' long-awaited tale, revealing the story of her walk across America, a journey that captured the national media spotlight. From the untold narrative of her impoverished Ozarks hillbilly upbringing, to the crushing aftermath of the walk and her journey toward newfound courage and strength, So Long as It’s Wild is her story.

As a child growing up in the wild beauty of the Ozarks, Barbara often spent her days exploring outside and daydreaming of faraway places in order to escape a life of poverty. She longed to trade her homemade clothes and outdoor toilet for spectacular adventures around the world. That chance came in the form of a wild-eyed, long-haired Viking-like young man named Peter.

After an exciting courtship and a wedding on a dime, the young couple departed on foot from New Orleans on July 5, 1976, heading toward the Pacific Coast. News of the couple’s expedition spread like wildfire, landing them on the cover of National Geographic Magazine and in countless other publications. Soon after beginning their nearly three-year journey, Barbara realized the funny, adventure-seeking, charismatic man she married was not the loving partner she thought, but she was well down the rocky path to the Oregon coast by his side. Whether facing aggressive renegades, a life-threatening fall from Engineer Pass, or a devastating heartbreak that caused her to feel lost and alone, she did it all with grit and determination.

Despite the newfound fame and the best sellers she coauthored, The Walk West and The Road Unseen, Barbara’s side of the story of that infamous walk was left in the shadows. In her own words, she said of that time, “We appeared on magazine covers, were guests on radio and television programs, and appeared in newspapers everywhere. International fame and good fortune followed until it evaporated into a trail of heartbreak, a thousand deaths, and my disappearance.” Now Jenkins is telling the rest of the story, sharing her perspective on what took place from the bayous of Louisiana to the Pacific Ocean, and beyond.

With lyrical, transporting prose, So Long as It’s Wild: Standing Strong After My Famous Walk Across America is one woman’s tale, stepping out from the mountain of the man she had followed, to find her voice and claim her story.

©2023 Barbara Jenkins (P)2023 Barbara Jenkins

Best Book EVER

She did such a great job sharing her experiences throughout her life, I couldn’t put this book down

Riveting and soul filling!

What an incredible listen. I’m in awe of Barbara’s story. Her truthful and intriguing way of laying it out was so inviting. I couldn’t put it down. I resonated deeply and was moved to tears often. Thank you Barbara for sharing your life’s journey with us.

A pleasure to listen to, both in voice and story.

I was familiar with The Jenkins’ walk before this book, as many Americans are, but was delighted and intrigued to hear about it from Barbara’s point of view. The story was more than enough to keep me listening, but the authors narration really made it a treat. Felt warmer and easier on the ears than a lot of professional readers do.

A Story of a Women’s Strength

What a pleasure it was to listen to Barbara read her book. I love when books are read by the author. Barbara shares her trials and tribulations during her life with now ex-husband, Peter Jenkins. She sheds light on her trek across America, raising a family with a non-existent husband, and surviving divorce that resulted in three very successful children today. Her voice is soothing, an easy to the ear kinda listen . Simply enjoyed her book .

Loved it!

Couldn’t stop listening to this memoir. Barbara Jo tells her life story in her sweet southern draw. Her story is real and raw. Highly recommend to anyone that is looking for a quick read. It’s the story of a woman that overcomes so many obstacles and stays true to herself.

Great storytelling

Such a great book, really enjoyed hearing her story. It was fascinating to imagine that this taking place in the 70s before cell phones and super light hiking gear.

Great Story!

What an adventure Barbara Jenkins shares and invites us into! Such a wonderfully written memoir of grit and grace. I enjoyed it so much.

The Better Half's Story of AWAA Finally Revealed

I read A Walk Across America & A Walk West when I was thirteen years old. they filled me with wonder and made me anxious to be old enough to start my adventures. In this book, we get a deeper look at the woman behind the walk. Her openness will charm you and her graciousness will inspire you. Hearing about her struggles before, during, and after the walk made the epic I grew up with that much more incredible. I felt for her and saw so much of myself and the women in my life on every page of her story. It is a beautiful one.

An Okay Book

This is pretty much a memoir of Barbara Jenkins life. You get her side of the story about her dysfunctional marriage to Peter. However we all know that there are two sides to every story. It would be interesting to hear his side of the story too. Her continual whining in the book about being alone and abandoned gets old after a while. She should have divorced him as soon as the walk was finished. All in all a good read/listen and overall things worked out okay for everyone.

What a Journey- for the author and listener

The story was captivating and at times hard to absorb. Her courage to expose her experiences from childhood to today is inspiring. But more inspiring was her resilience and her ability to change her circumstances. Bravo!!