From beginning to end, this book truly captivated me. It's at once a travel diary, a memoir, a commentary on human behavior, a tribute and so much more. I love the way it keeps the reader slightly off balance, with narrative, poetry, memories and photos combining to produce a surprising journey for both the author and the reader. In the author's bio, it says she is a physicist and a poet. I think she could add "psychologist" to her resume. As a tribute to her late husband, she conveys the complexity of needing to move on but wanting to hold onto memories. As an essay on the human condition, she observes--sometimes with wry humor--the ticks, quirks and motivation of those around her, both friends and strangers. What I especially loved were the glimpses into her childhood and the absolute magic of her marriage. These memories give context to her journey on the Camino, and in the end, provide a tribute to resilience, perseverance and love

uthor Maria Caponi has crafted a memoir that combines narrative prose, poetry, and photography to give the reader a richly layered portrait. It’s seemingly about her 200 km hike along El Camino de Santiago, Spain with three friends, but this book is really about a life—a life filled with great love but also great loss, with the excitement and strife of reinventing oneself in a new land after emigrating from Argentina to the U.S., and with the never-ending thirst for new experiences and meaningful connections.

I was captivated by Caponi’s story, and I found the flashbacks to her childhood and the story of her marriage to Enrique to be especially affecting. There’s often a sad, wistful quality to her writing, but it is peppered with humor, wisdom, and an appreciation for nature that make the journey an inspirational one.