Publishers Weekly
08/22/2022
Sean of the South podcaster Dietrich (Will the Circle Be Unbroken?) recounts cycling the Great Allegheny Passage and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath with his wife, Jamie, in this humorous memoir. While Jamie waited to find out if she had cancer, Dietrich promised her (and God) they would one day do “something big.” After the results came back negative, she coaxed him into taking on a cycling odyssey, though they were “more Krispy Kreme enthusiasts” than “outdoorsy people.” The author chronicles their escapades across four states and shares amusing anecdotes that include bruised butts, an encounter with aggressive turkeys, and getting caught in Hurricane Sally. Dietrich claims that “compared to other bikers, it had taken Jamie and me longer to finish the trail than it takes most people to finish a PhD,” but he keeps his winning sense of humor throughout. The author’s obvious affection for his wife endears: he recounts how she secretly submitted his first article to be published, and credits her for saving his life: “Before her, I was a suicide survivor, a dropout... with a considerably dim future.” The zany escapades entertain, but it’s the life-affirming reflections and conversations that set this apart, such as when Dietrich discusses the afterlife with a priest he meets along the trail. This inspiring volume will melt hearts. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
A perfect collision of southern wit and tissue-reaching truths. Sean and Jamie's story is authentic, raw, and inspiring. A must-read. Laura Jean Bell, host of Y'all Podcast
Dietrich's sense of humor and openness to others adds layers of richness to the text...[he] cleverly illustrates the importance of maintaining relationships, keeping promises, and being true to oneself. A heartfelt and inspiring journey. Kirkus
Sean Dietrich is one of America's greatest living storytellers. His writing is full of heart, humor, and honesty. The world would be a better place if more people read Sean Dietrich's books. That's a fact. Thank the good Lord that Sean Dietrich writes a lot better than he looks. How he landed a woman like Jamie, I'll never know. Sean Dietrich has a gift for storytelling that makes me slightly envious. If I weren't so much better looking than Sean Dietrich, I'd be jealous of how well he writes. Christopher Thomas, founder, MADE SOUTH
Sean Dietrich's sentences are the crack cocaine of literary humor. You Are My Sunshine is delivered with a style that would make Mark Twain jealous. Trust me: if you liked Lewis Grizzard, you will love Sean Dietrich! Andy Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Traveler's Gift, founder of Wisdom Harbour.com
There's a new book, thank goodness, from Sean Dietrich, with the Sean magic on it. Sean magic, as I call it, is the ability to weave together a story that grabs you by the heart, the throat, the stomach—wherever it needs to get a hold of you to make you react. Dave Ramsey, eight-time national bestselling author and personal finance expert
This book is more than a travel guide for the C and O trail. With his characteristic humor, insight, and talent, Sean shows us what it means to keep going...through a cancer diagnosis, during a global pandemic, or just over the ridge in the next difficult climb. Shawn Smucker, author of The Weight of Memory
Kirkus Reviews
2022-07-30
A cancer diagnosis leads a couple to embark on a difficult yet rewarding biking adventure.
When she found out that she had cancer, Dietrich’s wife, Jamie, sought to do “something big.” When they mistakenly received a magazine advertising a biking trail, Jamie considered it a sign and insisted that they begin training. The author, on the other hand, recalls thinking there was “no way in twelve hells I was doing that trail.” Jamie won out. Dietrich shares details of their travels along the Great Allegheny Passage and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, which took them from Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. Along the way, they met many intriguing characters, several of whom shared their own life-changing reasons for taking the ride, and Dietrich describes the sense of camaraderie they often felt with strangers. In addition to the beautiful and, at times, frightening scenery, the ride offered numerous opportunities for personal reflection. The author shares painful memories from his childhood, including the reason for his aversion to the woods, and he chronicles his thoughts on his faith. Despite Dietrich’s initial resistance to the trip, it proved to be a much-needed tonic. Although he and his wife intended to only ride the GAP, they were reluctant to end their journey, so they pushed on along the connecting C&O trail. Dietrich also recalls feelings of regret. “I have lived the majority of my life snug in the lap of strip malls….I was feeling a bit of regret…that I had deprived myself of the basic human right of being outside.” Dietrich’s sense of humor and openness to others add layers of richness to the text, though the offhanded sarcasm wears thin by the end. Still, the author cleverly illustrates the importance of maintaining relationships, keeping promises, and being true to oneself.
A heartfelt and inspiring journey.
