BEST BOOKS.
Your spiritual journey can begin long before you begin walking the Camino de Santiago with a great travel book. There are a number of well written Camino books, entertaining movies and blog posts to get you in the mood for the long walk ahead. We have come up with a list of five of our favourite books to read prior to your travels.
Each book provides a unique viewpoint of the Camino from the perspective of the author and the characters chosen to act out the long journey.
- THE PILGRIMAGE BY PAULO COELHO
This was the famous authors first book, written in 1987. In the book Paulo reflects on his experiences as he embarked on a journey of self-discovery to Santiago de Compostela in 1986. Readers should be aware that this is not a travel guide and it will not provide a detailed picture of any trails on the Camino walking route. However, it does give the reader insights into the spiritual hardships associated with the walk and the common transformative qualities believed to be linked with the walk to the Camino de Santiago.
- THE CAMINO: A JOURNEY OF THE SPIRIT BY SHIRLEY MACLAINE
Shirley MacLaine is well known as an academy award winning actress in the US. She has starred in popular films such as Steel Magnolias, The Apartment and Terms of Endearment. For Shirley, the journey of the Camino was a physical and emotional challenge.
Although is seems to be one of the travel books to read prior to your journey or whilst you are walking the Camino it should be noted that this book is more about Shirley’s dreams and reflections than the physical environment encountered on the various routes.
- BUEN CAMINO BY NATASHA AND PETER MURTAGH
This is a joint writing venture between a father and a daughter who embarked on the Camino journey together. It provides a nice account of various aspects of the most popular route along the Camino Frances. Starting out with an Irish pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick and finishing the satisfying walk at Finisterre we get a full overview of life on the Camino road.
This is a travel book and the reader will be glad to learn of tips along the way, the friendships developed and the many methods used to overcome tiredness after a long day on the road.
- SPANISH STEPS: TRAVELS WITH MY DONKEY BY TIM MOORE
This is one of the funnier travel books about the pilgrims journey to Santiago de Compostela. Tim provides a welcome break from the spiritual, educational, drama heavy writing often linked with the long walk on the Camino. The novel starts with a simply read history of the Camino route followed by a comical account of his journey on a donkey called Shinto. Readers who have already completed the pilgrimage will delight in the comical characters that the author focuses on.
Readers who are planning a trip this year will enjoy the descriptions of some of Spain’s oldest towns and the successful arrival of man and donkey at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
- THE LONGEST WAY HOME BY ANDREW MCCARTHY
Renowned as an actor in Hollywood Andrew takes us on his personal journey along the walking trails of the Camino de Santiago. This is an honest account of Andrew’s experience walking the Camino detailing his commitment struggles, the highlights of his acting career and giving some insights into his relationship with his children.
This is more of a travel diary than a travel book as it doesn’t give a lot of detail about the various stops in Spanish villages, attractions along the way or history of the Camino journey. However, it does give a full picture of Andrew’s many reasons for embarking on the journey and may be useful to anyone hoping to do a similar journey in the future.
Which one are you going to read first?
Article by Caminoways. Recommended by HOSTAL GAU TXORI, a place where you can rest, read and eat. Image: Pexels.
