“In this exquisitely written memoir, Wilson weaves an authentic and suspenseful tale capturing what it means to find the grace within the grit that confronts all of us.”
—Stephanie Raffelock, editor of Art in the Time of Unbearable
Crisis and author of A Delightful Little Book On Aging and Creatrix
Rising
“All You’ll See is Sky is an extraordinary true story. This gripping memoir winds you through the African continent as the author spins tales of history, nature, culture, and people she meets along
her pilgrimage of her birthland. Truly shocking, you’ll never forget this powerful book of growth, grief, and healing.”
—Lucinda Jackson, author of Just a Girl and Project Escape
“Vivid, raw in its candor, and sensitive to the broad diversity of cultures and people, All You’ll See is Sky takes us on a life changing journey in Africa. This memoir is rich with the beauty of the continent—the roaring grunts of hippos, the diesel fumes, the sandstorms. It speaks profound truths about responsibility and compassion, intimacy and connection.”
—Marlena Maduro Baraf, author of At the Narrow Waist of the World and coauthor of Three Poets/Tres Poetas
“With honesty and humility, Janet A. Wilson takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through Africa with all the sights, sounds, and history of a very complex continent. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the land and the people of Africa, All You’ll See is Sky is
a gripping and enjoyable read.”
—Vicki Cody, author of Army Wife and Fly Safe
“Janet’s prose is clear, rich, and from the heart, and opens a window into another world. She shares a deep immersion into the beauty and power of the African wilderness and culture, and exposes the complicated and emotional knot what constitutes a
true partnership.”
—Annie Chappell, author of Away Up The North Fork: A Girl Search
for Home in the Wilderness
All You’ll See Is Sky: Resetting a Marriage on an Adventure Through Africa
By Wilson, Janet A
Takeaway: A couple’s captivating journey across Africa and into their relationship.
“I want out of this life,” Wilson declares to her husband, Tom, in the opening pages of this affecting debut, a memoir that sweeps readers to a place that feels simultaneously relatable and completely foreign. Her plan to escape: a 25,000 mile road trip along the length of Africa, “from Cape Town to Cairo.” After hard days in which the couple “shredded and analyzed our lives,” Tom surprises her: “I’ll come with you. Let’s do it.” That kicks off the adventure of a lifetime, complete with trials (brake trouble in Zambia), revelations (the 27,000 “lime-encrusted skeletons” unearthed from a mass grave in Rwanda), and wonder (kayaking the Nile; “a moonless sky swarming with stars”); beholding the fossil skeleton of early human Lucy).
The couple’s journey, of course—like all journeys—finds them traversing both the world itself but also plunging into themselves, reconnecting and moving their marriage “from breakdown to breakthrough.” Wilson’s account touches on wrenching topics, among them racial inequality, global threats, physical assaults, and genocide, with Wilson confronting the origins of humanity and also its failings, asking “why humans don’t do more to protect our most vulnerable.” The personal, too, is moving, as the couple finds this trip challenging nearly every belief, opinion, and value they held, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of their place in the world and in each other’s lives.
For all the pained material, including a shocking arrest, reading Wilson’s experiences is a thought provoking pleasure. Wilson’s frankness, vulnerability, and precision of language give power to her considerations of heartbreaks and joys in a relationship. All You’ll See Is Sky suggests that relationships work not because of what happens to couples, but because of how couples choose to handle what they’re facing. Witnessing Wilson’s transformation from brokenness to healing on a once-in-a-lifetime trip will please readers of both travelogues and relationship memoirs.
In her memoir, Wilson takes us on three intertwined stories – through Africa, into her marriage, and into her own journey to understanding and healing. She skillfully weaves her need to go back to Africa, the continent of her birth and her first realizations of apartheid, with her desire to wake herself up from the dull routine her life in Canada had become. She wanted her own life and that of her marriage to “come alive” again. She takes us on sometimes harrowing adventures in countries many of us are unfamiliar with but also the wonder of birds, animals and history. In facing adventures and challenges together, she and her husband reignite their original love for each other. When they finally face a terrifying incident, they have learned to rely on each other for strength, and love. This is a must read for anyone interested in Africa and the challenge of keeping love alive.
Karen Elizabeth Lee author of The Full Catastrophe: A Memoir