On a Tuesday evening in early September, a full room of readers gathered at the main Fargo Public Library to meet a woman who, at 96, has seen more of the world than most people will in a lifetime. Grandma Joy Ryan sat beside her grandson, Brad Ryan, as the two discussed their new book, "Grandma Joy and Me: A Journey of Healing, One National Park at a Time," a memoir of the seven-year adventure that took them to every national park in the United States and, in the process, mended a family torn apart by divorce and silence.
The event, co-hosted by The Study ND (formerly Humanities North Dakota) and presented in partnership with the Fargo Public Library and Overbooked, drew a full room of readers. After the presentation, an audience Q&A was moderated by Fargo Mayor Josh Boschee. Copies of the book were available for purchase on-site. It was one stop on a book tour that has taken the pair driving across the country to all 50 states.
The story behind the book begins long before the first national park. Brad Ryan grew up in southeastern Ohio. As a child, he spent idyllic days with Grandma Joy in a state park near her southern Ohio home, exploring streams, catching crawfish, and watching frogs. "It was idyllic," he recalled. "That's the foundation of our relationship."
After his parents divorced, Brad became estranged from his father's side of the family, including the grandmother he had adored. It wasn't until his sister's wedding that he saw her again.
But the real turning point came in 2015, when Brad was in veterinary school, at risk of burning out. A fellow student died by suicide, a wake-up call that shook him deeply. "My mental health was in shambles. I was struggling with depression and suicidal ideation," he said. "That's when I called her. I reached out in a moment of crisis."
On that call, he remembered her lament that she had never seen the mountains. So he asked if she wanted to go to the Smokies. Her response was characteristically direct: "I'm ready to go."
Grandma Joy was 85 years old. She had never seen a mountain or the ocean. She had lived a life shaped by hardship: she was widowed, and two of her three sons died.
Their first trip was camping in the Smokies. They arrived at the Elkmont campground at one or two in the morning in pouring rain. She climbed mountains on that trip.
They were hooked. "I didn't see any reason to stop," Brad said.
What began as a single weekend grew into a quest. They ate a lot of ramen and camped to save money. Their first major road trip was a 28-day camping trip around the Lower 48.
At 93, Grandma Joy became the oldest person to visit every US National Park.
Along the way, they accumulated stories that defy belief, from watching penguins in Antarctica to rolling down sand dunes.
But the real journey was inward, as they worked to heal family trauma.
After conquering all 63 national parks, their thirst for travel was not quenched. At the Fargo event, Brad revealed that their next trip, to Thailand and Australia in three weeks, would make Grandma Joy a member of the seven-continent club.