I have a soft spot in my heart for this book. The author, Robert Ward, is from Toronto. I didn’t, however, set out to add this book to my reading list. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed, until a knitting friend gave it to me as a Christmas gift.
Something that has sat on her bookshelf for a few years has turned out to be very entertaining! Ward’s story is incredibly well-written. In fact, it is the author’s excellent use of language that structures the book and keeps the story of three pilgrimages merged into one from falling apart.
Robert walked the Camino France´s three times – 1999, 2000 and 2003. He wrote his first book, Virgin Trails – A Secular Pilgrimage, after his first walk. He then went back for more. “All The Good Pilgrims” is more of a slide show in presentation, than a linear walk. Ward himself toggles back and forth between villages, years and a bewildering host of individual pilgrims. Stories are entwined, alberques come and go, pilgrims appear, disappear, and reappear in more of a lateral, than a logical line of thought. This may sound confusing, but as I mentioned, Robert’s superior writing ability holds it all together, making the book a captivating read.
I definitely recommend reading “All The Good Pilgrims”. There is a rich tapestry of life here, that I haven’t found in other books.