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Mother, Nature
Mother, Nature: A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences | Jedidiah Jenkins
8 posts | 4 read | 9 to read
From New York Times bestselling 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 When his mother, Barbara, turns seventy, Jedidiah Jenkins is reminded of a sobering truth: Our parents wont 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 societydisagreements 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 Barbaras world and get to know her in a way that occasional visits havent allowed. They land on an idea: to retrace the thousands of miles Barbara trekked with Jedidiahs 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 leadersthe only media they can agree onwhile reliving the journey that changed Barbaras 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.
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Beautifully written memoir about a mother and son traveling across the country. So much love between them.

Jed‘s mom and dad walked across the country together in the 70s and wrote bestsellers about it. Following an acrimonious divorce, Jed mainly stays with his mom. Later, her Christian beliefs clash greatly with his homosexuality. They follow his parents‘ path to bond, and he wants to convince her it is possible to live a happy life gay.

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I had to wait forever for this at the library. Have you read it? 3mo
Bookwormjillk Thank you! This sounds great! 3mo
Megabooks @Bookwormjillk I hope you enjoy it! 3mo
Chelsea.Poole I haven‘t read this but I‘ve had my eye on it. I read (and really liked!) 3mo
72 likes4 comments
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Julsmarshall
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It was a great reading month! These are all the books I read or listened to in May (except for the ebooks). I enjoyed so many of them including Herc, The Guncle Abroad, The Bandit Queens, Red River Girl, Funny Story, Black Chameleon and, of course, my re-read of Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

Texreader Holy smokes! That‘s quite the stack! 6mo
Gissy Impressive 📚📚📚📚🤩👏👏👏 5mo
38 likes2 comments
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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

This was a delightful surprise! I loved Jenkins‘ authentic history, perspective, & voice. Getting to know him as he navigates his relationship with his loving mom who struggles with his identity as a gay man & her strict Christian faith. Jenkins‘ parents had a moment of fame in the 70s as they walked from Louisiana to Oregon, capturing national attention, & he & his Mom are retracing their steps and examining their relationship. #BookspinBingo

TheBookHippie This is on my list. 6mo
49 likes1 stack add1 comment
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mcctrish
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Pickpick

Bag #7 the hallway. I loved listening to this book about Jed and his mom recreating the cross country walk she did with Jed‘s father in the 70‘s. Jed and his mom drive the route and she references her journals along the way. But it breaks my heart that she is so entrenched in her religion that despite her love for Jed, she thinks he‘s choosing homosexuality and she will never accept it

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mcctrish
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Bag #6 brings Janice and the chicken to the apartment while Dr Drake Ramoray is on the tv

Deblovestoread Love this so much! 8mo
dabbe I. Can‘t. Even. 🤩🤩🤩 8mo
Aimeesue Doctor Drake Ramoray!!! 🤣🤣🤣 8mo
See All 9 Comments
mcctrish @Deblovestoread it is so much fun 8mo
mcctrish @dabbe I have saved it for so long 🤷🏻‍♀️and I don‘t know why 🤣🤣 8mo
mcctrish @Aimeesue seriously bringing back so many episodes and so many laughs 8mo
dabbe @mcctrish Sheer awesomeness. 🤩🤩🤩 8mo
Deblovestoread I have been eyeing it for a while and telling myself I didn‘t need it but it turns out I do need it and it‘s on its way. 😁 8mo
mcctrish Woo Hoo @Deblovestoread ❤️❤️ 8mo
43 likes9 comments
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mcctrish
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Lunch break for ramen bowls and Lego bag #5

Deblovestoread 💜💜💜 8mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 8mo
ncsufoxes The big question is do they have a duck & chicken in the set? 8mo
mcctrish @ncsufoxes so far no 🤔 8mo
47 likes4 comments
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mcctrish
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Next up on audio. Really enjoying this so far

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Tamra
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As always, Kerri Miller conducts amazing interviews. I am generally not a memoir reader, but I just placed a hold on this one at the library.

Can listen here: https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2023/12/22/jediah-jenkins-mother-nature-5000-mil...

LeahBergen This sounds good! 11mo
TheBookHippie It‘s on my list!!! 11mo
Tamra @LeahBergen @TheBookHippie you can listen to the interview - no spoilers. 😁 11mo
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AmyG Stacked. 11mo
batsy This sounds quite fascinating. Thanks for sharing. 11mo
62 likes6 stack adds6 comments