The Ride of Our Lives by Mike Leonard

The Ride of Our Lives

By Mike Leonard

225 Pages Hardcover (Non-Fiction)

Mike Leonard decides he is going to take his family across the country in a pair of RVs. His parents are in their 80’s and he wants to show them the United States. He hopes to provide them with a final view of where they came from and where they have never been. Their plan is to make it to Chicago before Mike’s daughter has his first grandchild.

The trip basically starts in Arizona once they pick up his parents and start heading east. They travel through Texas and Louisiana to the east coast. They follow the coast north and turn west again towards Chicago.

The book reads extremely quickly. It took me just a few days to finish it. Mike isn’t a first class writer. It is very simple and to the point. He jumps around a lot in his writing and one subject slides into another. This isn’t a criticism just an observation. He describes what it happening to them in various places and that usually segues into a piece of his family history. These stories are touched with humor and humility. You soon realize this is more like a family history than a trip around the country. His history is more of the focus than the trip itself.

His strange parents are the “stars” of the book. His mother is an 80 year old pessimist who drinks and swears about everything that bothers her. His father is an optimistic, calm guy who can talk the ears of anyone with a pulse. Their daily battles are a big part of what makes this book endearing.

5 Emotional: You get to know the quirky Leonard family and feel as if you know them. A little like you a travelling with them and hearing all their stories.

1 Intellectual: This books focus is family and doesn’t delve much into anything else.

2 Long Term: This book reminded me a lot of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. Most likely it will be over shadowed by other more notable authors.

8 out of 13. This score makes it look worse than it is. It is still worth reading for anyone interested in a light hearted family book. I wouldn’t buy it, but borrow it if you want.

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