The Ride of Our Lives: Roadside Lessons of an American Family, by Mike Leonard

I am a big fan of audio memoirs and this book is no exception. The author, an NBC Today Show correspondent, decides to cheer his aging parents up by taking them on a 8,000-mile, month-long RV trip with his three grown children and daughter-in-law. This is either a very brave or very stupid man.

What ensues in the course of the trip is, at times, hilarious and heartbreaking. We get to know Mike Leonard’s parents, Marge and Jack, as we tour the country from Arizona to North Carolina, up to New Jersey and over to Illinois.

The author weaves in information about his grandparents, his childhood and career, his courtship and marriage to Cathy, and their children. We also get to meet the people they encounter and the places they visit along the way. It is the story of one average Irish American family, their roots and experiences, and three generations getting to know one another.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on audiobook CD, read by Marc Cashman. I would, however, caution the listener that there is a bit of salty language. I also recommend checking out the book version– you’ll get the added bonus of seeing the family photographs.

Check the WRL catalog for the audiobook.
Check the WRL catalog for the book.