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Conversations Across America: A Father and Son, Alzheimer's, and 300 Conversations Along the TransAmerica Bike Trail that Capture the Soul of America by Kari Loya (view source)
Revision as of 12:50, 23 September 2022
, 12:50, 23 September 2022no edit summary
We get a story of how they conquered the trail - and it’s certainly no misery memoir. I quickly grasped Merv’s limitations and saw how frustrating they must have been for him - this was a highly-intelligent man struggling with cognitive impairment - but we understood his strengths too. He was a communicator and drew the best out of the people he met.
‘’My family is from the West Indies (Jamaica) and I’m sorry but everyone here works too hard. They donlt ernjoy don’t enjoy life. Don’t get me wrong - I work very hard until med-December (as a plumber), but then I take a couple of months off. No one ever remembers the days in the office, they remember the trips, time with family.’’
It was these conversations which Kari and Merv had with the people they met which provided a second thread running through the book. We get a picture and a quote, sometimes short and occasionally quite detailed. Somehow you understand the essence of the people you encounter. They’re from all walks of life and all beliefs. You understand more about the states the pair pass through. Kentucky was memorable for dogs - two-thirds of the dogs that chased them were in Kentucky.