View source for 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

{{infobox1
|title=Conversations Across America: A Father and Son, Alzheimer's, and 300 Conversations Along the TransAmerica Bike Trail that Capture the Soul of America
|sort=Conversations Across America: A Father and Son, Alzheimer's, and 300 Conversations Along the TransAmerica Bike Trail that Capture the Soul of America
|author=Kari Loya
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Travel
|summary=A father-and-son trip across America which will make you think.  An engaging, thought-provoking read.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=
|publisher=XK Productions
|date=July 2022
|isbn=
|website=https://kariloyavo.com/
|video=14GnvM9npes
|cover=B0B7289HKQ
|aznuk=B0B7289HKQ
|aznus=B0B7289HKQ
}}

Kari (that rhymes with ‘sorry’, by the way) wanted to spend some time with his father and the period between two jobs seemed like a good time to do it.  The decision was made to ride the Trans America Bike Trail from Yorktown, Virginia to Astoria, Oregon - all 4250 miles of it - in 2015.  They had 73 days to do it - slightly less than the recommended time - but there were factors which pointed this up as more of a challenge that it would be for most people who considered taking it on.  Merv Loya was 75 years old and he was suffering from early-stage Alzheimer's.

The preparation for the trip highlighted the problems that Kari would encounter.  They had to carry all their own luggage so they needed to pack as light as possible.  Merv was difficult about the clothing he decided to take and unwilling to compromise, so Kari had to decide whether this was because of inexperience, cognitive impairment or stubbornness.  He quickly adopted a mantra of adjust, be patient, adapt and realised that smiles gave the best feedback.

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 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.

''Welcome to Wyoming, boys.  You know we got two seasons here in Wyoming - winter and construction.''

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:

''The west coast listens to young people; the east coast doesn’t listen to young people; and the middle doesn’t really listen to anyone.''

I often judge books by the number of times I feel obliged to read quotes to someone else - and with ''Conversations Across 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:

''The national pastime is not basketball, but lawn mowing''.  They saw 400 lawns being mown but only three being used.

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.

I really enjoyed the book.  Superficially, it looks like a quick and easy read but I found myself mulling over what I’d read - and sometimes going back to just enjoy the photography.  I’d like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

You can read more about Kari Loya [[:Category:Kari Loya|here]].

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[[Category:Politics and Society]]