Janet A. Wilson joins us this week to discuss her new memoir, All You’ll See Is Sky
Author Name: Janet A. Wilson
Book Title: All You’ll See Is Sky: Resetting a Marriage on an Adventure Through Africa
Book Genre: Memoir
Release Date: April 16, 2024
Publisher: She Writes Press
Welcome, Janet! Please tell us a bit about All You’ll See Is Sky.
Reliant on each other, my husband, Tom, and I set off on a daring adventure, driving 50,000 miles alone across East Africa. We collided with the world and each other; our relationship tested to the edge of survival, including —every traveller’s worst nightmare— my arrest amidst a heartbreaking tragedy.
What drew you to write a memoir about this experience?
The most common question is, “How did you put up with each other alone in a car for several months?” To answer this question, I wrote my memoir of how Tom and I had to learn the street smarts of marriage to successfully navigate demanding and, at times, dangerous situations across Africa and how we went from a bickering couple to a formidable team. During my midlife crisis, I found the courage, commitment, and conviction to follow my dream of driving across Africa. It was the most impactful midlife crisis I could have wished for. All the experiences, both the tragic and the wonderous, made me who I am today, a gentler, kinder, and wiser woman in a stronger and loving relationship.
At the time of my arrest and being taken into police protection, Tom and I had fortunately been traveling for eight months. I had no doubt what I needed to do, and Tom and I trusted and respected each other’s decisions during this crisis. Our ability to safely manage the heartbreaking situation may have even saved my life.
What made you want to tell this particular story?
It was a difficult choice and decision. I did not want to write about painful experiences, but I had great mentors and editors who encouraged me. Before our first trip across Africa, Tom and I had been in marriage therapy. I had even contemplated divorce. Fortunately, our terrific marriage therapist taught us to talk to each other without anger. We left on our journey as a fragile couple. We still had a lot to learn about each other despite being married for over 33 years.
In my memoir, it is not a how-to but rather my story of how my husband and I slowly began to work as a couple, then as a team, and finally as a formidable team. Marriage therapy gave us life jackets, but we still had to swim to shore. We both had to find the courage to venture out of our comfort zones and discover who we are as individuals and as a couple. There are no simple formulas for achieving a sustainable, healthy relationship. Marriage relationships are hard work and ongoing; love is not enough, and romance can be dangerous.
What was your research process like for All You’ll See is Sky?
Before our trip, we did extensive research and planning. Our planning document was 54 pages. We had to do additional research on the journey as we ventured into areas we had yet to plan to travel to. In some countries, such as Rwanda, we had done extensive research before leaving, but we had so much more to learn and research once there.
I was fortunate as I had kept detailed journals while travelling. I also had 1000’s of photos and hours of video. All of which I could reference.
While writing my memoir, I double-checked all my previous documents and journals. I also researched the facts and details that I included in my memoir. Simple things, such as a bird’s name, or difficult ones, such as slavery facts.
After our Cape to Cairo journey, we return home. However, we returned to Africa and completed two more extensive overland journeys across West Africa. Then, we drove from Alaska to Argentina’s most southern town.
Initially, I was still determining which trip or experience to write about. But when authors and writers heard about my experiences during the Cape to Cairo journey, they all said, “That’s your story.”
We’d given many presentations about our adventures to general audiences, adventure travel seekers, and businesses. Still, the question remained unchanged regardless of the audience: How did we survive as a couple?
My research included reading all my journals and reviewing all the photos and videos, which was, at times, fun reliving our incredible experiences, and at other times, the memories were painful and heartbreaking.
What’s capturing your imagination these days outside of reading and writing?
I am learning to cook healthy and tasty meals. I have no allergies and will eat almost anything. On our travels, I had only two main food rules: I wouldn’t eat anything I once loved, like a guinea pig, or anything known to carry human diseases, such as monkeys. We bought our food daily in the local markets and ate mainly fresh bread, fruit, and vegetables. We bought fresh fish from the fishermen. There were no preservatives or sugar in our foods. We both lost weight and had never felt healthier. So, no sugar, no preservatives and plenty of vegetables and fruits in our diets suit us best. We also ate very little meat or chicken.
I enjoy photography, playing with my dog Sky, and working out to stay strong and fit and debating Tom.
What was the last book you read?
Love Warrior, by Glennon Doyle. Exquisitely written and powerful.
I am currently reading The Last Train, A Family History of the Final Solution by Peter Bradley.
Where can readers find you?
Website: https://janetawilson.com/
Facebook: https://goo.by/BDXCgz
Instagram: https://goo.by/ZldfcV
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/JAWilsonCA
Goodreads: https://goo.by/LNQADE
YouTube: https://goo.by/gDTqhR
LinkedIn: https://goo.by/ZdzSdj
Amazon: https://goo.by/PHWsot
Thank you, Janet! All You’ll See Is Sky is out today.
All You’ll See Is Sky
Despite having everything she could ask for, Janet Wilson couldn’t shake a sense of emptiness in her life–or her desire to return to the continent of her birth. After much back-and-forth, she and her husband reached an agreement: they would embark on a daring adventure, driving 25,000 miles across Africa. What they couldn’t anticipate then was how this trip would challenge almost every belief, opinion, and value they held.
Over the course of their journey, Janet and her husband collided with the world and each other. There were tears and laughter. They shared thrilling highlights and challenges that forced them to negotiate and cooperate with one another. And after a heartbreaking tragedy and Janet’s arrest, they made critical decisions that transformed their relationship, bringing them to a level of trust and commitment they had never before experienced. Ultimately, this led them to a deeper understanding about their place in the world–and each other’s lives.
A suspenseful and emotional true account that explores themes of love, commitment, resilience, and the power of forgiveness in the face of adversity, All You’ll See is Sky is a memoir of a woman’s transformation from brokenness to wholeness and a couple’s transformation from breakdown to breakthrough.
Author bio:
Janet A. Wilson is a South Africa–born author and adventurer with a passion for Africa’s wilderness, wildlife, and diverse cultures. She met her husband, Tom, during student anti-apartheid protests in South Africa, and they later immigrated to Canada with their sons in 1979. Together, they have completed three extensive overland travels, driving a total of over 50,000 miles around Africa as well as from Alaska to Argentina and around Europe. Janet has a degree in sociology and nursing and obtained her master’s in health administration. She completed the Creative Nonfiction Certificate Course at Toronto’s Humber School of Writers. She and Tom currently live in Calgary, Canada.