In March 2021, following a personal battle with cancer and national tumult over the COVID pandemic and the disputed 2020 presidential election, Neil King Jr. decided to take a walk to Central Park in New York City.  The only thing is, he lives in Washington, DC.  So this wasn't going to be a simple stroll down the street.  In fact, it led to a ramble which covered 330 miles over the course of 26 days.  King's experiences and musings about what he observed are recounted in his memoir, American Ramble: a Walk of Memory and Renewal.

King's primary vision for his ramble was to observe attentively as he walked along the "colonial backbone" of America.  Walking, rather than driving, allows the time and opportunity to observe closely, and this is what Neil King did as he walked through parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  He spent 3 days walking through Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, talking with people, visiting historical sites associated with Native Americans, colonial settlers, and Civil-War era figures, and taking in the scenic and cultural beauty.  He described an impromptu choral performance of two hymns by Mennonite school children near Ephrata as a high point of his entire trip.

King calls his "ramble" a walk of memory and renewal.  He found that paying close attention to the historical and social settings of the communities he encountered renewed his sense of the ties that bind Americans together as a people.  Well-written and thought-provoking, Neil King's book invites us as readers to ramble with him, and maybe to also become better, more thoughtful observers ourselves.

• American Ramble: a Walk of Memory and Renewal by Neil King Jr.
• ISBN 9780358701491
• 368 pages
• Hardcover
• Published April 2, 2023