Barbara Jo Jenkins co-authored The Walk West (William Morrow), which became an international bestseller and part of the permanent White House Library. A nonfiction blockbuster, it sold 15 million copies, became a Reader's Digest condensed book, and was chosen as one of the most influential bestsellers related to American culture in the last 100 years.

Jenkins' three-year, 3,000-mile walk across America with her former husband became one of the most popular stories in the National Geographic Magazine (Cover story, August, 1979).  She co-authored The Road Unseen (Fawcett), a number-one mass paperback bestseller and winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award. Jenkins wrote I Once Knew A Woman (Wolgemuth and Hyatt) and Wit and Wisdom for Women (Thomas Nelson). She appeared in magazines such as Reader's Digest, Today’s Christian Woman, Guideposts and Nashville Lifestyles. She has appeared on many national programs like Good Morning America and Focus on the Family.

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Jenkins has been a keynote speaker for colleges, conferences and national conventions. She has served as Commissioner for two Tennessee Governors, was Board Chair for Benton Hall Academy, and President of The Tennessee Women's Forum. She is Chair Emeritus of The Green Electric Company and a board member for 'Coaching; Life Matters’ for people in crisis.

Barbara Jenkins lives in Tennessee and loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys traveling, painting, writing, speaking, cooking, floral design, creative projects, and sitting on the porch swing telling stories to her granddaughters, Josephine and Lyla.