This brilliant book has been a long time in the gestation. Van Bohemen walked the 850 kilometre pilgrimage trail across northern Spain in 1998, and kept a journal which forms the core of this evocative and powerful book. Gregory O'Brien's illustrations add atmosphere to a book which is about many things. At its heart is the walk with its blisters, bad weather, aggressive dogs, but also charming companions along the way, all described beautifully. It's also about the history of pilgrimage and those who have written about it, religious and literary history, and van Bohemen's own life and family. It's a lovely, gently evocative and moving book, a joy to hold and to read. I didn't want to get to the end.