A Walk Across America (1979) Review

What is your deepest desire? If you know what that is, what are going to do to find satisfaction? Some find it in their business endeavors, some in the arts, and others in politics. For Peter Jenkins it's self-discovery that leads him on a search for his country and for himself. With his desire, Jenkins discovers a career he least expects. Jenkins' 1979 novel, A Walk Across America, describes an internal battle that he has in order to understand The United States in a time of misunderstanding.

The Back Story: 

In 1969 Peter starts his collegiate career at Alfred University. Alfred University (AU) is a quaint private University in Upstate, New York.  It's small in comparison to Peter's home in Greenwich, Connecticut. Peter originally enrolls in Liberal Arts College, but quickly transfers into the College of Art. Seemingly, this is where Peter discovers his love for sculpting and other works of art. After finding his niche, he learns to balance his social life with work and school. He then soon finds himself in a debacle at graduation. The dreaded...I don't know what to do next!

After countless discussions with friends and colleagues, Jenkins decides it's time to settle a score with society. He takes initiative and talks to an athletic coach at AU about conditioning the mind, body, and soul for a massive undertaking: To walk across America. After listening to the athletic coach, Jenkins decides to save money from working at an on-campus job as an assistant electrician and to condition himself that gets him and his Half Malamute, Cooper, in tip-top shape to walk across America in the search of understanding complex social/societal issues that this country battles on a daily basis.

Peter's Quest for the Unknown: 

 On October 15, 1974 Peter and his friendly companion, Cooper, take on a quest that starts in Alfred, New York. Peter and Cooper set out on foot to the deep south where a journey is defined. With his passion comes determination. Jenkins' determination out-weights any physical, psychological, or emotional alignment. It's a phenomenon that conquers negative self-talk. It's definitive and inspirational and it moves people in ways that is difficult to describe. Where a "typical" person is unable to find the words, Peter does so poignantly.

To sum up Jenkins' search in his discovery of his country, the making of a lifetime commitment, and yearning for his best friend, Peter writes:

"From my first searching journey out of Alfred, I had lived a life of extremes...I had started out searching for myself and my country and found both. I had come face to face with God, and accepted Him as my own. Still, as much as I had experienced, there was more waiting to be found. I had started out with a feeling of burning dullness and desperation. Now I was filled with a thrill and expectation of new discovery."

Peter not only defines his journey, but what he gives his readers is priceless--delivering art in its rarest and most natural form.