First Book in the World about Traveling Across the USA via Bike, Buses, Trains and WWOOFing

Round America with a Duck is the Eat Pray Quack book you didn’t even know you’ve been craving. Released March 20, 2024 (the one-year anniversary of when the author left her home), this soul-stirring 260-page journey memoir shares the transformative solo odyssey of a 1960s-child, on the cusp of turning 60, as she embraces a 10,000-mile/16,100-kilometer quest across the United States via bike, buses, trains and WWOOFing (working on organic farms) during what turns out to be the hottest year on Earth. What’s more, she commits to the same meager budget as when she backpacked across ten countries in Europe almost 40 years ago as an optimistic 21-year-old, as she searches for hope in a country-at-a-crossroads and world-in-crisis.

Armed with a spirit of adventure (still, after all these years) and a trusty duck companion that makes strangers smile and builds bridges across generations, socioeconomic status and ideologies, the author — a married mom of two grown daughters — captures the essence of a country grappling with challenges. From the repurposed tobacco farms of North Carolina to an eco-spirituality alpaca ranch run by the aging Dominican Sisters of Peace in America’s heartland, the narrative unfolds with fast-paced humor, gut-punching realizations and unexpected encounters.

The journey extends to a homestead in Boulder, Colorado; a Krishna Temple with the largest llama rental herd in Utah; and a lavender farm in the harsh High Desert of California, along with hands-on explorations of sustainability “wows” in cities small and large from coast to coast. The author’s commitment to radical non-judgment and trust in the journey weaves through these tales, creating uplifting — and sometimes even miraculous — turns-of-events that enable her to overcome the desire to quit numerous times.

Transcending the conventional travel memoir, Round America with a Duck offers readers a nuanced and timely reflection on our interconnected humanity, including the ability to trust-fall into the hands of strangers at a time when people are more and more reluctant to do so. Additionally, the author’s face-to-face encounters with diverse climate threats during this record-breaking year make Round America with a Duck particularly useful as the author shares simple survival tips gleaned along the way.

Filled with wit, dignity and action, Round America with a Duck resonates as the right journey at the right time, desperately needed in our tumultuous world. The inclusion of a duck as a whimsical travel companion adds an unexpected charm to the tale, engaging people met along the way and reminding readers of the importance of centering joy amidst the seriousness of our daily headlines. This memoir also stands as a testament to the power of personal journeys to illuminate a shared path toward a sustainable and hopeful future, and to make peace with our lives today.

Warning: Reading this book may change your life.

For media inquiries, review copies, book club Q&A requests, or interviews with the author, please contact:

Pattie Baker at sustainablepattie@comcast.net

About the Author

Pattie Baker — featured in O: The Oprah Magazine as a Passion Person, and a member of Mensa — is a League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor (#5382), the first Metro Atlanta Bicycle Mayor as part of a global consortium with the Amsterdam-based social enterprise BYCS, and a PeopleForBikes Ambassador. She was appointed by the first mayor of her city to start its sustainability commission and was a co-founder of the largest volunteer-run community garden in the State of Georgia.

Selected at age 56 to serve in Peace Corps Uganda as an agribusiness specialist, her departure was derailed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. She then served as a communications specialist with the CDC Foundation in service to the State of Alaska’s Department of Health. During her career as a communications professional, Pattie has written for many global corporations, nonprofit organizations and magazines (click for portfolio). Her nonfiction books include Traveling at the Speed of Bike, Food for My Daughters, and Bucket List.

A native New Yorker, Pattie lives in Metro Atlanta with her husband of 34 years — and duck.

Book Details

Title: Round America with a Duck

Release Date: March 20, 2024

ISBN: 9798875745591

Paperback/E-book

Available March 20, 2024 (or shortly thereafter) at: Amazon in all global markets. To come: BarnesAndNoble.com, BetterWorldBooks.com, Bookshop.org (with a percentage of profits supporting indie booksellers everywhere) and other places where books are bought or borrowed. Download your free Book Club Discussion Guide.

Connect with the Author

Website: RoundAmericaWithADuck.com

Social Media: TikTok #RoundAmericaWithADuck

Email: sustainablepattie@comcast.net

Trust the journey