Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are

Like Streams to the Ocean

A beautiful, attentively humane writer ... I couldn't put these essays down

Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of Self-Portrait in Black and White

Like Streams to the Ocean is as inviting, wide-ranging, and philosophical as an all-night conversation with a best friend, and as revealing and thought-provoking as the diary of a curious adventurer

Sasha Sagan, author of For Small Creatures Such as We

It's rare to find the level of honesty and authenticity that Jenkins brings to his audience. This is the type of storytelling the world needs more of

Chris Burkard, award-winning photographer, author of At Glacier's End

Jedidiah Jenkins is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and Instagram personality. Jenkins began his professional career with the non-profit Invisible Children, where he helped orchestrate multinational campaigns to end the use of child soldiers in central Africa. He is the executive editor of Wilderness magazine; Jenkins's work has appeared in the Paris Review and Good magazine, and he has been covered by National Geographic.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
A soul-searching meditation on the foundations that shape us, Like Streams to the Ocean is an essential guide for the crossroads of life. 
 
In the busyness of the day-to-day, we rarely have time to think clearly about the questions that matter most: Who am I? What makes me, me? What do I stand for? 
 
With the passion and clarity that made his debut, To Shake the Sleeping Self, a New York Times bestseller Jedidiah Jenkins explores the eight signposts we all face as we find our way in life: ego, family, home, friendship, love, work, death and the soul. In this soothing work, Jenkins reveals how we can find fulfilment in the people and places around us and discover the courage to show our deepest selves to the world.

A Quest for a Life with No Regret

To Shake the Sleeping Self

I am in awe ... you must pick up a copy. It's liberating and life affirming in multiple ways

Thrilling, tender, utterly absorbing ... Every chapter shimmered with truth ... An unforgettable debut

Thought-provoking and inspirational . . . This uplifting memoir and travelogue will remind readers of the power of movement for the body and the soul

Jedidiah Jenkins is a storyteller and one of those humans that makes everything about them seem inviting

Jedidiah Jenkins is a mystic disguised as a millennial

Tom Shadyac, author of Life's Operating Manual

Jenkins' words are brutally honest and leave me thinking a little deeper about my own observations when I pass a stranger on a street or see a flower blooming on a rocky trail

At once an adventure story and personal diary of the internal struggles and ultimate triumph of a deeply thoughtful gay man

'Liberating and life affirming' Fearne Cotton 
 
'A thrilling, tender, utterly absorbing book. It's an unforgettable debut' Cheryl Strayed 
 
A soul-stirring read for the wanderer in each of us, To Shake the Sleeping Self is an unforgettable reflection on adventure, identity and a life lived without regret. 
 
On the eve of turning thirty, terrified of being funnelled into a life he didn't choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent sixteen months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip online, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living?

Jedidiah Jenkins

'Tender, funny, and courageous, exquisitely written and completely compelling. As Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent-child bond and to wrestle with a love that hurts. Their relationship is as complicated as it gets, yet as beautiful as I've ever had the privilege to witness in words. I don't know a single person who wouldn't benefit from reading Mother, Nature.' - Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms

'A gorgeously written story of a mother and son's journey across the country, back into the past, over craggy emotional and ideological territory, as they try to find a way forward together. Again and again, Jenkins' conclusions surprised me and made me consider my own "deal breakers." Ultimately Mother, Nature is a book about love, acceptance, and the freedom that comes from knowing, at long last, the truth. As a mother and as a daughter, I'll be thinking about the conversations at the heart of this book for a good, long time.' - Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful

'A beautifully crafted road trip through the sad, sweet, aching truths of a mother, a son, her faith, and his reason; a peacemaking of love unresolved and overwhelming.' - Rabbi Steve Leder, New York Times bestselling author of For You When I Am Gone

'Mother, Nature may chronicle a familiarly fraught parent-child odyssey, but reading it feels like a soul-soothing stroll. Jenkins's vulnerable, clear-eyed storytelling is a gift.' - Amanda Montell, author of Cultish

'First of all, fuck Jedidiah Jenkins. As a soon-to-be mother of a son, I am completely gutted by this brilliant book. It's one of the most vivid and generous accounts of a mother I have ever read, and a masterclass in confronting unspoken truths; the ones lodged in our throats for years, risking the sting for something sweeter: freedom. At its core, Mother, Nature is an act of devotion and defiance, proving that an imperfect love, 'a love that limps', offers us both.' - Nada Alic, author of Bad Thoughts

A 5,000 Mile Journey to Discover if a Mother and Son Can Survive Their Differences

His mother walked across America in the seventies. Her past fascinates him. Her faith confounds him. They embark on a 5,000-mile journey to discover how families can stay together when beliefs are pulling them apart. 
 
When his mother, Barbara, turns seventy, Jedidiah Jenkins is reminded of a sobering truth: Our parents won&rsquo;t live forever. For years, he and Barbara have talked about taking a trip together, just the two of them. They disagree about politics, about God, about the project of society &ndash; disagreements that hurt. But they love thrift stores, they love eating at diners, they love true crime, and they love each other. Jedidiah wants to step into Barbara&rsquo;s world and get to know her in a way that occasional visits haven&rsquo;t allowed. 
 
They land on an idea: To retrace the thousands of miles Barbara trekked with Jedidiah&rsquo;s father, travel writer Peter Jenkins, as part of the Walk Across America book trilogy that became a sensation in the 1970s. Beginning in New Orleans, they set out for the Oregon coast, listening to podcasts about outlaws and cult leaders &ndash; the only media they can agree on &ndash; while reliving the journey that changed Barbara&rsquo;s life. Jedidiah discovers who Barbara was as a thirty-year old writer walking across America and who she is now, as a parent who loves her son yet holds on to a version of faith that sees his sexuality as a sin. 
 
Along the way, he peels back the layers of questions millions are asking today: How do we stay in relationships when it hurts? When do boundaries turn into separation? When do we stand up for ourselves, and when do we let it go? 
 
Tender, smart, and profound, Mother, Nature is a story of a remarkable mother-son bond and a moving meditation on the complexities of love.

Jedidiah Jenkins

Praise for Mother, Nature

'Tender, funny, and courageous, exquisitely written and completely compelling. As Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent- ...

'A gorgeously written story of a mother and son's journey across the country, back into the past, over craggy emotional and ideological territory, as they try to find a way forward together. Again and again, Jenk ...

'A beautifully crafted road trip through the sad, sweet, aching truths of a mother, a son, her faith, and his reason; a peacemaking of love unresolved and overwhelming.' - Rabbi Steve Leder, New York Ti ...

'Tender, funny, and courageous, exquisitely written and completely compelling. As Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent- ...

'A gorgeously written story of a mother and son's journey across the country, back into the past, over craggy emotional and ideological territory, as they try to find a way forward together. Again and again, Jenk ...

'A beautifully crafted road trip through the sad, sweet, aching truths of a mother, a son, her faith, and his reason; a peacemaking of love unresolved and overwhelming.' - Rabbi Steve Leder, New York Ti ...

'Tender, funny, and courageous, exquisitely written and completely compelling. As Jenkins traces a 5,000-mile route with his wildly entertaining mother, Barb, he begins to untangle the live wires of a parent- ...

'A gorgeously written story of a mother and son's journey across the country, back into the past, over craggy emotional and ideological territory, as they try to find a way forward together. Again and again, Jenk ...

'A beautifully crafted road trip through the sad, sweet, aching truths of a mother, a son, her faith, and his reason; a peacemaking of love unresolved and overwhelming.' - Rabbi Steve Leder, New York Ti ...

Books by Jedidiah Jenkins

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