American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal

A stunning, revelatory memoir about a 330-mile walk from Washington, D.C. to New York City—an unforgettable pilgrimage to the heart of America across some of its oldest common ground

Neil King Jr.’s desire to walk from Washington, D.C., to New York City began on a whim and became an obsession. By the spring of 2021, events had intervened that gave his desire greater urgency. His neighborhood still reeled from the January 6 insurrection. COVID-19 lock-downs and a rancorous election had deepened America’s divides. King himself bore the imprints of a long battle with cancer.

Determined to rediscover what matters in life and to see America's national story with new eyes, King turned north with a small satchel on his back and one mission in mind: to pay close attention to the land he crossed and the people he met. What followed is an extraordinary 26-day journey through historic battlefields and cemeteries; over the Mason-Dixon line; past Quaker and Amish farms; along Valley Forge stream beds; atop a New Jersey trash mound; across New York Harbor; and finally, to his ultimate destination: the Ramble, where a tangle of pathways converges in Central Park. The journey travels deep into America’s past and present, uncovering forgotten pockets and overlooked people. At a time of mounting disunity, the trip reveals the profound power of the country's shared ground.