You Are My Sunshine: A Story of Love, Promises, and a Really Long Bike Ride

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.)