Jedidiah Jenkins: To shake the sleeping self, 9781524761400, Penguin Random House USA, paperback 17, - $

In a time when Corona has turned travelling into a distant dream, I could not have discovered a better memoir than Jedidiah Jenkins “To shake the sleeping self” which I absolutely loved.  Damn, it is finished now and I cannot escape from the current troubling reality to a daily  bike adventure  cycling with him in spirit from Portland, Oregon down to Patagonia and the most southern point of South America, which is exactly what Jedidiah Jenkins embarked on at age 30. Self- declared physically unfit and not a cyclist at all, he had decided at 27 once turning 30 he would leave his settled life behind and head for Patagonia “to shake the self”. 

Being a veteran of numerous but definitely luxurious  biking holidays myself, I had to chuckle several times as he describes how he sets off to buy his bike and graciously allowing an almost stranger, Weston, who is his exact opposite, to become his cycling companion on this monumental  adventure. What follows is not only a narration of a  journey through countries varying greatly in wealth, character, weather conditions, climate and terrain meeting all types of travelers and people but also a brutally honest journal of his inner struggles. Having been raised by a very conservative Christian mother after his famous parents eventually divorced, (they walked across the US for 5 years in the 1970ties covered by National Geographic), Jed discovered early on that his sexual preference was towards the same sex creating tormenting conflicts and even religious retreats to change his sinful feelings. Hoping not only to find beauty on his ride but answers  to reconcile his sexual orientation with his religious believes, he shares very intimate and philosophical thoughts with his reader. 

 “To shake the sleeping self” is terrific: funny, tender, honest and candid with unforgettable descriptions of encounters, landscapes and people he meets. Jed has a big heart and I felt he had become a friend by the end of this book , have now hooked up with his Instagram postings. 5 star recommendation from me.