22/12/2019
now available for Canadian distribution by Red Tuque Books - A Hug for the Apostle: On Foot from Chartres to Santiago de Compostela by Laurie Dennett.
"HAVE YOU WALKED THE WAY OF ST JAMES in France or Spain? Have relatives or friends done so? Do you hope to make the journey one day? Would you like to experience it, at least vicariously? Here is your ticket!
Historian Laurie Dennett walked the longest route of ‘the Camino’ (some 1,600 kilometres) in the spring of 1986. She headed south on Easter Sunday from Chartres Cathedral, through the Loire Valley with its medieval châteaux, then to Tours, Poitiers, Saintes, and Bordeaux, each so significant in French history, and across the desolate Landes, to the foothills of the Pyrenees. She then trekked over the mountains, via legendary Roncesvalles, into Spanish Navarre, and on past La Rioja’s vineyards, across the vast meseta of León, to the green hills of Celtic Galicia, finally reaching Santiago de Compostela.
The book about her pilgrim journey — A Hug for the Apostle (1987) — sold out in eight months. It became a hard-to-find classic, renowned for its direct style, its cultural and historical insights, and its observations on the hospitality, kindnesses, and simple pleasures of life on the Camino in what seems almost a different world, tho’ not long ago. Laurie remained very involved with the Camino, witnessing its transformation – from fewer than 2,000 pilgrims in 1986 to some 325,000 in 2018.
An updated, lightly revised, lavishly illustrated version of A Hug for the Apostle seemed a natural to Words Indeed. While preparing it, publisher and designer have savoured vicariously the precious joys and happenstances of the Camino, its adventures and occasional mishaps, and its many treasures. Whether or not you ever walk the route (and you’ll be tempted!), these evocative words and images will take you there."
