Mother, Nature

A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences

De: Jedidiah Jenkins

Narrado por: Jedidiah Jenkins

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of To Shake the Sleeping Self . . .

“Exquisitely written and completely compelling . . . As Jedidiah Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent-child bond and to wrestle with a love that hurts.”—Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms

LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST

When his mother, Barbara, turns seventy, Jedidiah Jenkins is reminded of a sobering truth: Our parents won’t live forever. For years, he and Barbara have talked about taking a trip together, just the two of them. They disagree about politics, about God, about the project of society—disagreements that hurt. But they love thrift stores, they love eating at diners, they love true crime, and they love each other. Jedidiah wants to step into Barbara’s world and get to know her in a way that occasional visits haven’t allowed.

They land on an idea: to retrace the thousands of miles Barbara trekked with Jedidiah’s father, travel writer Peter Jenkins, as part of the Walk Across America book trilogy that became a sensation in the 1970s. Beginning in New Orleans, they set off for the Oregon coast, listening to podcasts about outlaws and cult leaders—the only media they can agree on—while reliving the journey that changed Barbara’s life. Jedidiah discovers who Barbara was as a thirty-year-old writer walking across America and who she is now, as a parent who loves her son yet holds on to a version of faith that sees his sexuality as a sin.

Along the way, he peels back the layers of questions millions are asking today: How do we stay in relationship when it hurts? When do boundaries turn into separation? When do we stand up for ourselves, and when do we let it go?

Tender, smart, and profound, Mother, Nature is a story of a remarkable mother-son bond and a moving meditation on the complexities of love.

Incredibly real and deep

Bryant Jedediah is such a vulnerable truth teller. I really enjoyed the depth of which he went in this book.

Captivating story telling

I absolutely love listening to jediah tell his story. Many aspects of this story remind me of my own mother, my mother-in-law, and my life growing up in a strict mormon family.

You’ll feel it all

I loved this book. You’ll laugh, cry, and examine the complexities of relationships and how to love through the challenges.

A sweet story of love and truth.

I would definitely want to go on a road trip with these two! Tender, revealing, enjoyable.

Love this and love you JJ

This is the real deal: The complexity of human thinking, feeling, behaving, relationships. It’s heartbreaking and heartwarming in one.

Compelling

Deeply moving and thought provoking. Amazed by the level of love and respect Jed and his mom have for each other even in their differences.

Beautiful & raw

My third book from Jedidiah and couldn’t put it down. As a woman raised as a conservative Christian and mother of two gay children, this touched me very deeply. I hope to write my own story some day.

Not what I expected

I thought that Jed was going to be walking across America with his mother. But, they drove the entire time. The cover made it sound like they would be walking. They didn’t pick up a backpack once. Oh well, interesting if you’re interested in LGBQ relationships with family members. I wasn’t really interested in that particular topic. I hope Jed writes more about future adventures rather than relationships.

The Roadtrip Many of Us Are too Afraid to Take

This book brought many smiles to my face and achs to my heart. Author Jedidiah takes a trip with his mother as he recollects the years of effort he and she made to keep their relationship intact. For anyone who has a relationship with someone who has ideals or beliefs that threaten to shatter your connection with them, this book is for you. Jed writes with great humility and reminds us that the people whom you no longer share fear with, hurt for you too, feel the space between you, and wish for better for you as well. Beautifully done.

Wonderful!

Jed continues to bring the heartbreakingly funny insightful and tender messiness of life to his books. Love his voice and depth of experience. I was waiting for this book and it was worth it.