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Mother, Nature: A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences
When his mother, Barbara, turns seventy, Jedidiah Jenkins is reminded of a sobering fact: 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: 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.
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: 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.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2023
257 people are currently reading
21764 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 663 reviews
November 8, 2023
“it could have been so different but we’ve come so far” GAHHHHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭😭😭
as expected i laughed, cried and devoured this lmfao- i just have such a soft spot for jenkins’ work. i cant fully place it but there’s something about the way he writes & sees things that always leaves me so tender and emotional. it’s not a place i feel i can get to on command often so his books are always a welcome “door” in that way. this book wasn’t an exception! wanting to know who your mother was before she had you, trying to cope with her differences or just seeing her beyond the lens of being your mother in present day + the conflicting feelings that come with that, are experiences any child can identify with. reading about jenkins’ travelling with his mother to explore their relationship was heartbreaking, lovely and cathartic.
(side note: i wouldn’t go into this expecting the entire book to be about the one “big question” he wants to tackle w his mother, it’s not a jubilee video lol. since he doesnt bring up “the question” until the end of the trip and you follow their entire journey through the book, you get more mundane moments + backstory but personally i really enjoyed those parts and the observations that came from them)
as expected i laughed, cried and devoured this lmfao- i just have such a soft spot for jenkins’ work. i cant fully place it but there’s something about the way he writes & sees things that always leaves me so tender and emotional. it’s not a place i feel i can get to on command often so his books are always a welcome “door” in that way. this book wasn’t an exception! wanting to know who your mother was before she had you, trying to cope with her differences or just seeing her beyond the lens of being your mother in present day + the conflicting feelings that come with that, are experiences any child can identify with. reading about jenkins’ travelling with his mother to explore their relationship was heartbreaking, lovely and cathartic.
(side note: i wouldn’t go into this expecting the entire book to be about the one “big question” he wants to tackle w his mother, it’s not a jubilee video lol. since he doesnt bring up “the question” until the end of the trip and you follow their entire journey through the book, you get more mundane moments + backstory but personally i really enjoyed those parts and the observations that came from them)
May 14, 2023
It feels unfair to review a deeply personal book, but I'll do my best. Mother, Nature follows the author as he goes on a roadtrip with his mother, retracing the steps of a journey she originally took on foot with her ex-husband. The premise is that Jedidiah is a gay man and his mother believes homophobia is a sin. He still loves her and she still loves him, but there's a barrier between them that comes with her not being able to accept a vital part of who he is. I found a lot of the book to be unnecessary. There's lots of summaries of books, podcasts, and true crime stories that I didn't think added anything to the narrative. For such an emotional topic, I found the emotional beats of the story to be lacking. The writing was decent, but I never really connected with either person, and found the conflict to be reduced into something simple. I think it is an interesting idea to think through - can you love someone who cannot accept who you are but loves you anyway - but it never felt like they talked anything through, it all went in circles until he finally asked the question he needed a clear answer to. I did think their email exchange where they explained their sides was interesting and heartfelt, as well as their actual conversation in the car about homosexuality and God's view of it, but the rest didn't seem needed. It's a short book and I am glad I read it, but I felt like I was missing something that would've allowed me to connect to it more.
May 22, 2024
This memoir begins with the parable, The Blind Monks and the Elephant— teaching us that truth is relative to one’s own perception and because of that, we should respect everyone’s perspective, even if that looks different to our own. We really see this come in to play in this memoir with Jed and his mother and their two different beliefs in God and politics. This part of Jed’s story really resonated with me. I, having similar grief with my mother —her shaking her head and saying, more to herself than to me, “where did I go wrong?” anytime I disagree with her religious or political views— found it incredibly relatable. This book poses the very important question that we have likely all faced: How can we love and exist with those whose beliefs differ from our own? Especially when these beliefs feel so fundamental to who we are.
I strongly related to Jed’s reckoning when his mother turned 70, of being an adult child and realizing that time is also passing your parents by and that time with them is limited. It’s something that I have thought about almost incessantly since I moved away from home. So I enjoyed the description of the trips that he took with his mother, including the big trip that this book revolved around.
Something that comes up a lot in this book is how Jed publicly discusses his mother and, of course, this book is one big, giant discussion about his mother. Something writers often question is “how do I write about others?” and it’s a question that I have often wondered myself… Until, the other day, I came across a brilliant Substack post written by Suleika Jaouad regarding the ethics of writing about others so I will just leave that here if anyone is interested. https://theisolationjournals.substack...
Ultimately, I thought that the way Jed wrote about his mother was appropriate, respectful and permitted.
This memoir is beautiful, candid, unflinching, thought-provoking and often times humorous. A must read.
PS that email that he sent his mother 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy. Grab your copy when it releases on 11/7/2023!
I strongly related to Jed’s reckoning when his mother turned 70, of being an adult child and realizing that time is also passing your parents by and that time with them is limited. It’s something that I have thought about almost incessantly since I moved away from home. So I enjoyed the description of the trips that he took with his mother, including the big trip that this book revolved around.
Something that comes up a lot in this book is how Jed publicly discusses his mother and, of course, this book is one big, giant discussion about his mother. Something writers often question is “how do I write about others?” and it’s a question that I have often wondered myself… Until, the other day, I came across a brilliant Substack post written by Suleika Jaouad regarding the ethics of writing about others so I will just leave that here if anyone is interested. https://theisolationjournals.substack...
Ultimately, I thought that the way Jed wrote about his mother was appropriate, respectful and permitted.
This memoir is beautiful, candid, unflinching, thought-provoking and often times humorous. A must read.
PS that email that he sent his mother 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you to NetGalley for my digital copy. Grab your copy when it releases on 11/7/2023!
March 30, 2024
I got a little more than I bargained for with this one.
I thought I was getting a travelogue and what I got was a mother and son locking horns over homosexuality.
In my mind the son has mixed up the words acceptance and approval. More on that in a second.
The mother is a loving but STUBBORN Christian who is firm in her beliefs.
So I will play Judge Judy here.
Son, your mother accepts you. She says that over and over. She does not approve of your choices. You want to bend steel over this and force approval.
Acceptance is all you can get from other humans.
Approval is only achieved internally. Self-approval. When you approve of yourself you no longer seek it from others. When you have done that hard work, suddenly acceptance can be your gold standard.
Mom, for the sake of love, which also has a big appearance in the Bible, allow your son the surety that whomever he loves and brings home will be loved by extension. Loving your son is enough. You know, love God. Love your neighbor. It really does show up in the Bible in a very big way I’ve been told.
There is my 57 year old wisdom. Life is short. Do not wait to be kind to others. Be kind right now. You may not get another chance.
I thought I was getting a travelogue and what I got was a mother and son locking horns over homosexuality.
In my mind the son has mixed up the words acceptance and approval. More on that in a second.
The mother is a loving but STUBBORN Christian who is firm in her beliefs.
So I will play Judge Judy here.
Son, your mother accepts you. She says that over and over. She does not approve of your choices. You want to bend steel over this and force approval.
Acceptance is all you can get from other humans.
Approval is only achieved internally. Self-approval. When you approve of yourself you no longer seek it from others. When you have done that hard work, suddenly acceptance can be your gold standard.
Mom, for the sake of love, which also has a big appearance in the Bible, allow your son the surety that whomever he loves and brings home will be loved by extension. Loving your son is enough. You know, love God. Love your neighbor. It really does show up in the Bible in a very big way I’ve been told.
There is my 57 year old wisdom. Life is short. Do not wait to be kind to others. Be kind right now. You may not get another chance.
June 5, 2023
I spent many years in a fundamentalist Christian organization so I was worried that this book would be triggering for me. It was not at all.
I could have been on this road trip with either of my own parents. They are both conservative, alt-right types who deeply believe in Jesus (although they are vaccinated lol). I do not share their beliefs.
I admire his relationship with his mom and their candid conversations on this road trip. I could totally relate to having to find middle ground to listen to in the car (no NPR etc).
I really felt I was on this journey with them and enjoyed the ride from New Orleans to the coast of Oregon. The descriptions of the little diners and thrift stores (winery) made me want to visit those places. The motels not so much! The author really loves his mom and that is very clear throughout this story.
This was a quick and enjoyable story and I truly enjoyed reading their debates about religion, church, aliens and more.
Her final answer to his most pressing question left me a bit sad (and hoping she will change her mind if that day ever comes!).
Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this book.
I could have been on this road trip with either of my own parents. They are both conservative, alt-right types who deeply believe in Jesus (although they are vaccinated lol). I do not share their beliefs.
I admire his relationship with his mom and their candid conversations on this road trip. I could totally relate to having to find middle ground to listen to in the car (no NPR etc).
I really felt I was on this journey with them and enjoyed the ride from New Orleans to the coast of Oregon. The descriptions of the little diners and thrift stores (winery) made me want to visit those places. The motels not so much! The author really loves his mom and that is very clear throughout this story.
This was a quick and enjoyable story and I truly enjoyed reading their debates about religion, church, aliens and more.
Her final answer to his most pressing question left me a bit sad (and hoping she will change her mind if that day ever comes!).
Thank you to Net Galley, the author and publisher for the ARC of this book.
October 30, 2023
As a non-American I hadn´t known the author before, so went into reading this memoir with an open heart, mostly going by the blurb. Jenkins goes on a trip with his evangelical mother to relive her walk across America with his father decades ago, but most importantly to talk with her about her rejection of his homosexuality. Sadly this important talk only happens after 80% into the book and is only shortly discussed. The trip itself is dragging till then, interspersed only with descriptions of podcasts and similar superficialities. The topics the author touches, like faith, sexuality, parent-child relationship and the wish to be accepted by them, are only dealt briefly with, and the persons don´t really touch the reader emotionally. Good intention but not necessarily for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2025
This book made me long for my parents and wish I’d had this kind of truth trek with each of them too. Grateful to my friend who recommended it to me.
December 7, 2023
I was drawn to Mother, Nature primarily because someone close to me is wrestling with the same core question that this book looks to address. That is, “How can someone maintain a relationship with a family member or friend when they won’t fully accept you for who you are?” In Jenkins case, his mother has shown consistent disapproval of his sexuality as a gay man, and yet his desire for relationship with her persists… but not without strain and conflict.
Jenkins is a beautiful storyteller, sharing poignantly about his 2 week journey across America (by car), retracing the steps that his mother and father made 40 years prior on foot. His memory and depiction of the conversations had between them over that two week period is astounding. It honestly felt like I was a third person driving along with them on their journey.
I will say however that I was a little disappointed that more time wasn’t given to the core question that this book tries to give focus to. Finishing the book, I felt like something was left undone. Like nothing really changed for either of the main characters. But maybe that’s a part of the point. That love can still exist while opinions still differ. I will say that Jenkins does a masterful job in the way he writes about his mother. He holds back no punches yet paints her as human and utterly lovable. He wants to honour her and their relationship yet he wants his audience to know how much damage her words and her beliefs have caused.
This lingering feeling that there was a lack of resolve is really the only reason I’m giving this book 4 stars and not 5. Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Publishing for the advanced copy. I’m really glad I had the chance to read it.
Jenkins is a beautiful storyteller, sharing poignantly about his 2 week journey across America (by car), retracing the steps that his mother and father made 40 years prior on foot. His memory and depiction of the conversations had between them over that two week period is astounding. It honestly felt like I was a third person driving along with them on their journey.
I will say however that I was a little disappointed that more time wasn’t given to the core question that this book tries to give focus to. Finishing the book, I felt like something was left undone. Like nothing really changed for either of the main characters. But maybe that’s a part of the point. That love can still exist while opinions still differ. I will say that Jenkins does a masterful job in the way he writes about his mother. He holds back no punches yet paints her as human and utterly lovable. He wants to honour her and their relationship yet he wants his audience to know how much damage her words and her beliefs have caused.
This lingering feeling that there was a lack of resolve is really the only reason I’m giving this book 4 stars and not 5. Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent Publishing for the advanced copy. I’m really glad I had the chance to read it.
November 3, 2024
Jed’s words are so easy for my brain to chew on. A nice pre bed book.
December 3, 2023
Incredibly poor writing with very little depth or introspection.
Long passages that are Wikipedia excerpts or transcript(s) from unnamed true crime podcasts are scattered throughout the book. Why??
At some points they are looking for places like statues, houses or cemeteries that his mom remembers from her journey before he was born but can’t find and neither of them think to google them or ask for help. Why?
He seemed to think we know his parents and why his mom went on this road trip by foot decades ago?
He didn’t explain or elaborate on basic facts nor did he explore any thoughts or feelings. What was the point of writing this book?
How did this get published? Who let this man run a writing retreat?
Long passages that are Wikipedia excerpts or transcript(s) from unnamed true crime podcasts are scattered throughout the book. Why??
At some points they are looking for places like statues, houses or cemeteries that his mom remembers from her journey before he was born but can’t find and neither of them think to google them or ask for help. Why?
He seemed to think we know his parents and why his mom went on this road trip by foot decades ago?
He didn’t explain or elaborate on basic facts nor did he explore any thoughts or feelings. What was the point of writing this book?
How did this get published? Who let this man run a writing retreat?
January 31, 2024
Jedediah Jenkins loves his mother deeply. He loves her adventure for life, he loves her deep wit, and her ability to make friends with anyone standing near her in a hotel lobby. Nonetheless, they disagree DEEPLY when it comes to religion, politics, and societal growth.
His mother, Barbara, walked across America with her then husband, and Jedidiah feels it will bring them closer together if the two of them road trip that journey from the past. He seeks unity and agreement, but finds this isn’t so simple. He realizes that they can love each other beyond those things.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has someone in their life that they feel “just doesn’t understand them.” Sometimes understanding can only go so far and love has to take over.
His mother, Barbara, walked across America with her then husband, and Jedidiah feels it will bring them closer together if the two of them road trip that journey from the past. He seeks unity and agreement, but finds this isn’t so simple. He realizes that they can love each other beyond those things.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has someone in their life that they feel “just doesn’t understand them.” Sometimes understanding can only go so far and love has to take over.
August 1, 2024
It felt like Jedidiah was grasping at straws to turn this road trip into a story. He does acknowledge that there were none of the great revelations he had hoped for. In fact, the blurbs from the podcasts they listen to on the drive are some of the most interesting parts of the book.
That being said, I love his analysis of his relationship with his mother. He so delicately describes the unique and inescapable bond that connects mother to child. We will always go back and we will always seek approval. Even if the story itself didn't capture my attention, his writing never fails to speak to my heart.
That being said, I love his analysis of his relationship with his mother. He so delicately describes the unique and inescapable bond that connects mother to child. We will always go back and we will always seek approval. Even if the story itself didn't capture my attention, his writing never fails to speak to my heart.
November 28, 2023
Another fantastic book by Jed. It was honest, vulnerable, and so educational. Jed having deep conflict with his parent who he also deeply loves and feels loved by while seeking connection feels so relevant and I think most readers could benefit from the read.
July 15, 2024
Not only was this book boring, it also had barely any plot. This felt more like journal entries, or a blog, vs a memoir. The way my jaw dropped when I read the author say he was a NYT best selling author already. Maybe his other book is really good or he’s just good at marketing since his parents were also NYT best seller who knows. ALSO why did he spend so much of the book just recapping podcasts. Ngl those parts were more interesting to me then the rest of the book but still like what was the point of that
The one thing I will say is that the (very short) sections where he’s debating religion and homosexuality with his mom did feel very similar to the conversations I have w mom- more nuanced and gentle. But still not worth the read to me.
The one thing I will say is that the (very short) sections where he’s debating religion and homosexuality with his mom did feel very similar to the conversations I have w mom- more nuanced and gentle. But still not worth the read to me.
January 29, 2025
Never thought I’d be using the half stars but here I am, 3.5 stars. I really wanted to love this book since I loved Jedidiah Jenkins’ previous books but this one sorta missed the mark for me. The insight, depth, and story of his and his mom’s relationship was so good. He’s so reflective and smart and vulnerable. But aside from that, parts of it felt repetitive, and the road trip was a bit less exciting than I anticipated. Overall I enjoyed it but didn’t love it.
January 5, 2024
I like Jedidiah Jenkins and his mother so. very. much.
Walk Across America was my first “walking” book. It was on my dad’s bookshelf and I was all in. I found the Jenkins’ other books and ate them up, too. Getting to read their son’s words, too, feels like a privilege.
After two DNFs this book was a good start to a new year of reading.
Walk Across America was my first “walking” book. It was on my dad’s bookshelf and I was all in. I found the Jenkins’ other books and ate them up, too. Getting to read their son’s words, too, feels like a privilege.
After two DNFs this book was a good start to a new year of reading.
July 8, 2024
I adored reading this. it is so important to remember that we are all complex people, and that you can probably find commonality with anyone you come across.
that being said, as a queer person myself I am so lucky to have a loving family and cannot imagine the pain of being openly gay and your mother being openly against that. much love to him.
that being said, as a queer person myself I am so lucky to have a loving family and cannot imagine the pain of being openly gay and your mother being openly against that. much love to him.
November 3, 2024
DNF - Got 3/4 through and was tired of feeling like most of the book was excerpts from other books or podcasts.
March 18, 2024
Listening/ reading this book while driving around a different country while examining my own life made some really good connections. I’ve loved Jedidiah Jenkins since following him on Instagram during his bike ride.
This book is a great discussion on how asking the hard questions to the people we love most in our life is uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable and painful as having them left unsaid.
This book is a great discussion on how asking the hard questions to the people we love most in our life is uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable and painful as having them left unsaid.
May 10, 2024
Millions of books have been written exploring, analyzing, and decoding the fragile threads that bind (or strangle) mother and child. This particular audio book actually made me laugh out loud in places and other times made me sorrowful and afraid they would say irreparable things to each other. I have to applaud the effort it took for both parent and child to put their feelings on display and I am really glad that I chose the audio version since the author does the narration.
January 10, 2024
Downloaded the audio book after listening to Jedidiah on armchair expert. I just had to hear more. Having left a religion I can relate to every emotion in his writing. Inspired by how we can navigate relationships and love others despite different core beliefs. Found it really healing
June 20, 2025
Thank you Valerie for recommendation. Read at night when couldn’t sleep. Love a road trip book. Inspiring how Jed is determined to have a relationship with his mother very conservative and she doesn’t approve of him being gay. Jed is amazing storyteller. Lessons on how we need to have conversations and relationship with people / family even when we don’t agree with their religious and political beliefs. Love conquers all. Also. Excellent side deep dive on this family and Jed is a great instagram youtube follow with video vlogs with his Mom that are a hoot.
December 3, 2023
I decided to read this after hearing Jedidiah’s episode on Armchair expert and absolutely loved the read! I haven’t read a memoir like this but the story telling is excellent with hilarious moments and deeply emotional ones. A great story and peak inside the behind the scenes of a complex relationship between a mother and son. Highly highly recommend
August 18, 2025
Jed’s mother clings to her bible in the same way I see my grandparents do with fox news. They love me, they try to accept me, but they will never be able to fully realize how much their ignorant conservative views affect me and my life. This book juggles with loving these kinds of people through accepting that they will never quite understand or support all of you, because the rest of their love is worth dealing with it. Good book. I especially enjoyed reading the email the author wrote to his mother.
September 19, 2023
I knew before even starting this book, it was something I was going to need to savor. Jedidiah’s writing has been like a salve to me ever since I discovered him on Instagram all those years ago. Having read his other two books, I knew whatever he wrote next I would love.
But this book? This one hits close to home. As someone whose identity is at odds with the Christian world they were brought up in, it feels aptly timed that I finished Mother, Nature on the flight to my hometown for the first time since understanding this part of me.
Jedidiah writes so openly and honestly about his relationship with his mother. He doesn’t sugar coat anything and his perspective is one that’s not often discussed. Queer people either have accepting parents or they don’t. They have relationships with their families or they don’t. Jedidiah offers an alternative - a deep loving and understanding that our parents are complex beings. Their choices and beliefs may wound us and upset us. But there is a way to build love and relation through boundaries.
While I’m not sure if I have the mental fortitude to make this separation between person and parent, his words comfort me while I’m on the precipice of a life shift. I laughed, I cried (very publicly on the plane), and I’m left with a raw tenderness in my heart.
He also doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. This book is not where the story ends. His relationship with his mother is ever evolving. As life goes. I’m just endlessly grateful that he shares his truth with those who are lucky enough to read it. It’s makes me feel a little less alone in this world.
There are some parts of the narrative that didn’t feel fully necessary, like the summary of podcasts or other mundane topics they discussed on the road trip. But regardless, 5 star read for me.
But this book? This one hits close to home. As someone whose identity is at odds with the Christian world they were brought up in, it feels aptly timed that I finished Mother, Nature on the flight to my hometown for the first time since understanding this part of me.
Jedidiah writes so openly and honestly about his relationship with his mother. He doesn’t sugar coat anything and his perspective is one that’s not often discussed. Queer people either have accepting parents or they don’t. They have relationships with their families or they don’t. Jedidiah offers an alternative - a deep loving and understanding that our parents are complex beings. Their choices and beliefs may wound us and upset us. But there is a way to build love and relation through boundaries.
While I’m not sure if I have the mental fortitude to make this separation between person and parent, his words comfort me while I’m on the precipice of a life shift. I laughed, I cried (very publicly on the plane), and I’m left with a raw tenderness in my heart.
He also doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. This book is not where the story ends. His relationship with his mother is ever evolving. As life goes. I’m just endlessly grateful that he shares his truth with those who are lucky enough to read it. It’s makes me feel a little less alone in this world.
There are some parts of the narrative that didn’t feel fully necessary, like the summary of podcasts or other mundane topics they discussed on the road trip. But regardless, 5 star read for me.
January 13, 2024
I finished this one at the back of December as a kind of companion to a reading series on motherhood. As someone who spent much of adolescence in a faith practice under my mother’s influence, I was interested in how a gay man (raised even more religious than me with a mother more devout than mine) would write about his mother.
I hate to be hard negative on a book a publisher was so kind as to let me read for free, but I know other people are positive on Jenkins’s work, so I feel there is enough counterbalance.
My biggest issue is there is little fulfillment of premise. The author’s goal is to have a (kind) confrontation with his mother following an email he sent her trying to establish the limits her religion may be having on her acceptance of the author. Jenkins does all this while recreating with his mother a journey across America that Jenkins’s parents became famous for in the 70s.
Out of respect for his mother’s age, they take this recreation as a road trip, which means immediately that the journey lacks meaningful arduousness. Furthermore, nothing substantial happens during the travel to them or their vehicle, meaning all tension must take place between the two of them.
Unfortunately (and relatably), Jenkins is too much of a former Christian Southern boy to actually confront his mother, so most of the tension is actually internal, creating little vehicle for a narrative. Add to this significant passages of text taken from podcasts and books (including his parents), and the story never really gains momentum.
I can relate to what is happening here, but I cannot say that it makes for a compelling story to novelize.
I hate to be hard negative on a book a publisher was so kind as to let me read for free, but I know other people are positive on Jenkins’s work, so I feel there is enough counterbalance.
My biggest issue is there is little fulfillment of premise. The author’s goal is to have a (kind) confrontation with his mother following an email he sent her trying to establish the limits her religion may be having on her acceptance of the author. Jenkins does all this while recreating with his mother a journey across America that Jenkins’s parents became famous for in the 70s.
Out of respect for his mother’s age, they take this recreation as a road trip, which means immediately that the journey lacks meaningful arduousness. Furthermore, nothing substantial happens during the travel to them or their vehicle, meaning all tension must take place between the two of them.
Unfortunately (and relatably), Jenkins is too much of a former Christian Southern boy to actually confront his mother, so most of the tension is actually internal, creating little vehicle for a narrative. Add to this significant passages of text taken from podcasts and books (including his parents), and the story never really gains momentum.
I can relate to what is happening here, but I cannot say that it makes for a compelling story to novelize.
January 21, 2024
This one hurt. And was beautiful. Was I Invested-yes. Hopeful—yes. Gutted at the realities of growing past our parents and working to stay in relationship because they matter to us? Le WOOF.
Sweet stories, real emotion, a beautiful blend of a mother’s past life and her children’s futures. AND messy real life in there.
Very real resonance with the commentary in late-blooming because of evangelical purity culture rules.
All around a yes.
Sweet stories, real emotion, a beautiful blend of a mother’s past life and her children’s futures. AND messy real life in there.
Very real resonance with the commentary in late-blooming because of evangelical purity culture rules.
All around a yes.
January 11, 2024
I seem to have fallen into a rabbit hole of parent-child relationships with each of my last 4 books dealing in part with this topic. With Mother, Nature: A 5,000-Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences, I walked into it willingly, because I intended to read it as a companion piece to The Marches: A Borderland Journey Between England and Scotland another book about a son traveling with an aging parent.
Jedidiah Jenkins is the son of Peter and Barbara Jenkins who walked across America in the 1970s. They have since divorced but Jedidiah has remained in contact with both of them. He has often been on trips with his mother, he loves her but they have vastly different views on many topics.
They decided to recreate her trip by following her path by driving from New Orleans to Florence, Oregon. It is about the trip and the people they meet but it is mostly about their conversations.
I must say that one of my very favorite parts of the book are the small pictures of elephants as imagined by blind monks at the beginning of the chapter. In its own way it encapsulates perfectly what the book is about.
I wouldn't say this is a perfect book or even a good one if you are considering the travel aspect, but it reminded me of my mother and her unbendable resolve in her beliefs.
Jedidiah Jenkins is the son of Peter and Barbara Jenkins who walked across America in the 1970s. They have since divorced but Jedidiah has remained in contact with both of them. He has often been on trips with his mother, he loves her but they have vastly different views on many topics.
They decided to recreate her trip by following her path by driving from New Orleans to Florence, Oregon. It is about the trip and the people they meet but it is mostly about their conversations.
I must say that one of my very favorite parts of the book are the small pictures of elephants as imagined by blind monks at the beginning of the chapter. In its own way it encapsulates perfectly what the book is about.
I wouldn't say this is a perfect book or even a good one if you are considering the travel aspect, but it reminded me of my mother and her unbendable resolve in her beliefs.
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July 12, 2023Jedidiah Jenkins is such an eloquent, thought-provoking writer. His first book To Shake The Sleeping Self was so moving and insightful to me that I was really excited to get a chance to read Mother, Nature.
Similar to Jedidiah’s other work, this book is a perfect escape for readers who are interested travel, adventure, and seeking deeper meaning. However, this book also explores complicated family dynamics and how to maintain relationships with those we fundamentally disagree with as he takes a trip across the country with his mother, retracing the steps she took on a walk across the country with his dad back in the 70s.
I really appreciate Jedidiah’s willingness to discuss faith and sexuality and his perspective on the differing beliefs he and his mom have. I made it to the end of this book wondering what the point of this whole story was, but I think in the end, the point is that life and relationships are messy and sometimes they don’t ever get wrapped up in the perfect bow we want them to be wrapped up in.
Similar to Jedidiah’s other work, this book is a perfect escape for readers who are interested travel, adventure, and seeking deeper meaning. However, this book also explores complicated family dynamics and how to maintain relationships with those we fundamentally disagree with as he takes a trip across the country with his mother, retracing the steps she took on a walk across the country with his dad back in the 70s.
I really appreciate Jedidiah’s willingness to discuss faith and sexuality and his perspective on the differing beliefs he and his mom have. I made it to the end of this book wondering what the point of this whole story was, but I think in the end, the point is that life and relationships are messy and sometimes they don’t ever get wrapped up in the perfect bow we want them to be wrapped up in.
February 20, 2024
4.5⭐️ This was a beautiful exploration of how we love those closest to us when there are such fundamental differences in our beliefs. There was a bit of a lull for me about halfway through, but afterward I realize it had to culminate exactly how it did. So much was unspoken for much of the book that it came tumbling out all at once. I had a lump in my throat for the last 30 pages, but ultimately finished reading the last paragraph with a chuckle and a feeling of hope. I’ll be thinking about Jed and his mother for awhile.
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