SELTie Book Club – September 2026
The SELTie Book Club continues! The book selection this time around will be Grandma Joy and Me by Brad Ryan and the discussion will be led by SELT’s Events & Outreach Specialist Derrick Trent. Light refreshments will be provided, but you are also welcome to bring your dinner.
A heartrending, transformative true story following Brad Ryan and his grandmother Joy Ryan as they embark on a seven-year journey to visit every US National Park.
Raised in Appalachia, Grandma Joy lived a life shaped by constraints and hardships, while Brad grappled with the weight of family rifts and unresolved pain. Together, they embarked on a quest not only to witness the majesty of America’s wild landscapes but also to heal generations of struggles and misunderstandings. Over seven years, they sought to visit all sixty-three US National Parks. From the towering peaks of Denali to the otherworldly beauty of the Everglades, each park became a classroom, teaching them profound lessons about nature, resilience, and each other.
Grandma Joy and Me follows a seven-year adventure of intergenerational healing, wherein a grandmother and grandson find themselves released from the injustices—real and imagined—that had long held them hostage. An emotionally charged exploration of love, forgiveness, and resilience, this unique bond between a young man and his ninety-three-year-old grandmother—the oldest person to visit every US National Park—is more than just any travel tale; it is a testament to what makes us deeply human.
- Registration Required: CLICK HERE
- More about Grandma Joy and Me can be found at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Grandma-Joy-and-Me/Brad-Ryan/9781668099261
