I really like books that involve a journey. Travel books are some of the best because they are memoirs of real experiences, and you can even try them out yourself if you have the time and resources. In every good book about a journey the goals are defined, the rules explained, and then we watch the travelers as they attempt the journey.
This book clearly sets these out at the beginning, and the book chronicles more than a year of their life as they take this challenge. These are people who are struggling against medical and financial problems, but yet they still keep trying and get some self-discovery along the way.
I really liked that the people get closer to nature, and discover that life in the town or city is not for them. They seem to find resolution for their issues and the book ends on a triumphant note.
Most fascinating was the idea that even without (much) money or a home people could go out there and enjoy some adventure, even at an older age. The setting of the book was interesting too – I had read a similar journey by Paul Theroux but he stayed more to the rail lines and wasn’t wild camping. The nature along the coastline of the path that they followed sounded beautiful and dramatic.
Later I read elsewhere that some of the circumstances that led the author on this journey were sort of misrepresented, allegations of theft and hidden resources, and medical conditions not being as clearly diagnosed. While these issues are in dispute for me the journey itself was what attracted me to the book and these issues didn’t really change the events in this book. But I can understand if some readers might lose trust.
It was a good book – and it made me want to read more travel. For now I am switching gears and reading a thriller – The Doorman by Chris Pavone.
