Two Steps Forward
Fiction
William Morrow Paperbacks
May 1, 2018
Advanced Reader Copy
384
Free copy from publisher
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project comes a story of taking chances and learning to love again as two people, one mourning her husband and the other recovering from divorce, cross paths on the centuries-old Camino pilgrimage from France to Spain. “The Chemin will change you. It changes everyone…” The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is a centuries-old pilgrim route that ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Every year, thousands of walkers—some devout, many not—follow the route that wends through quaint small villages and along busy highways alike, a journey unlike any other. Zoe, an artist from California who’s still reeling from her husband’s sudden death, has impulsively decided to walk the Camino, hoping to find solace and direction. Martin, an engineer from England, is road-testing a cart of his own design…and recovering from a messy divorce. They begin in the same French town, each uncertain of what the future holds. Zoe has anticipated the physical difficulties of her trek, but she is less prepared for other challenges, as strangers and circumstances force her to confront not just recent loss, but long-held beliefs. For Martin, the pilgrimage is a test of his skills and endurance but also, as he and Zoe grow closer, of his willingness to trust others—and himself—again. Smart and funny, insightful and romantic, Two Steps Forward reveals that the most important journeys we make aren’t measured in miles, but in the strength, wisdom, and love found along the way.
My review:
This book reminded me of The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright (reviewed here), in that it is about a journey taken on a well traveled path in Europe. In this case it is the Camino, which was a pilgrim route through France into northern Spain. We follow two main protagonists along the route, sometimes they are together and sometimes not. As they keep running into one another, a sort of friendship begins, although both have baggage they feel will hinder anything more. The novel is told in chronological order in a dual narrative time frame, with lots of other interesting characters popping in and out of the story along the trail. I liked the setup, and thought it to be interesting overall, but I will admit to feeling a bit bored in parts where I wasn't as invested in the characters or place. One thing I know for certain....you will never catch me trying one of these pilgrimages! I like to walk, but not like that 🙂
A fun narrative about two characters taking a pilgrimage along a famous path, with lots of interesting places, characters, and situations thrown in. Maybe you'll decide to walk it after reading?
I enjoyed The Rosie Project, but I also felt it relied heavily on stereotypes, so I'm interested in this book and nervous it will be really bad at the same time. I'm curious if this book had the same problem. Did you feel like the characters weren't interesting to you because they were too much based on stereotypes or caricatures instead of real people with some depth? Or was it something else that didn't work for you?
I was ok with the characters for the most part, I just wanted them to act a little more like the adults they were in places. I did enjoy the descriptions of the spots along the trail. Hope it works for you if you give it a go!