The notebook: Scenes from the past and a collection of intensely personal letters tell the story of a long married couple now confined to a nursing home. The wedding: To save his own marriage, a middle-aged man takes inspiration from his in-law's enduring love.

More than thirty-five years ago, Gordon Meyers had a low number in the draft pick so he packed his belongings and reluctantly left Glenna Rising, a med student without whom he could't imagine living. Now, decades later, Gordon is a former globe-trotting consultant with a grown son and an ex-wife an overwhelming desire to see Glenna again. Glenna is astonished when Gordon walks into her Manhattan office, but agrees to accompany him for a drink. Together...

Riding a bicycle across the United States is one of those bucket-list goals that many dream about but few fulfill. In 2011 at the age of fifty-seven, New York Times obituary writer Bruce Weber made the trip alone and wrote about it as it unfolded mile by mile. Now, expanding upon the articles and blog posts, Weber extols the pleasures of cycling and reflects on what happened on his adventure, in the world, in the country, and in his life.