Half of you will love this book and half of you will have trouble finishing it. Personally I loved it. There is an elevated writing style here that many will have difficulty with. It’s an older use of language – think Stephen Leacock (because there is a lot of humour – both overstatement and understatement) or George Bernard Shaw (because there is a lot of philosophy both satirical and serious). Field of Stars is a very personal account of an American Catholic priest, head of a small seminary in Belgium, fluent in Spanish from his work among the migrants in California, who walks the Camino France´s in 2003. It cuts to the quick often!!
I loved this book both for its writing style and its very detailed account of the many pilgrims the author meets along the way. You are not just reading one person’s story, you are reading many. Kevin Codd at 50 carries his own backpack, stays in public refugios, enjoys a very extended pilgrim family and celebrates his faith often along the way. He is not only walking a Camino to find some answers to help his seminary in Belgium, he is also making this pilgrimage for the joy of the challenge, the love of the earth, the camaraderie of its people and the pull of it’s spiritual magnetism.
In spite of the lofty language, it is a very engaging story. You walk with Kevin through all his ups and downs both literally and figuratively. I really enjoyed “To The Field of Stars.” It was difficult saying good-bye at the end. Definitely an emotional read!!