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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 15:06, 25 September 2022
, 15:06, 25 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.
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.
You don’t need to know more than that, do you? Along with superb photography of people and of the landscape, you learn about America itself. The divisions across the country are neatly summed up in one conversation:
I often judge books by the number of times I feel obliged to read quotes to someone else - and with ‘’Conversations ''Conversations Across America’’America'', I was doing it regularly. Loya has a superb talent for picking that thought-provoking comment which stays in the mind and makes you think:
There were only two occasions when the Loyas felt threatened - and then not directly but Kari is under no illusions about the fact that they had it relatively easy from this point of view because they were two white males. He readily accepts that it would be very different for women and/or people of colour. Equality has a long way to go.