rating

Pages: 288

ISBN: 978-1553652403

Published: 2007

What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim

by: Jane Christmas

The psychic should have told her to stay home. Jane Christmas is an accomplished writer but not a pilgrims bootlace. Having recently walked the complete French Camino, I found her account of this iconic trail misleading, inaccurate and quite strange. At times she seemed quite unhinged, struggling to decipher what was real and what was imaginary.

She invited about a dozen middle aged women whom, she had not met previously,  to join her, even though she had no experience with hiking in general and the Camino in particular. She quickly fell out with them and left them to their own devices. 

She only walked half the journey, taking buses, taxis and trains as much as her own feet. Her betrayal of the local as being unfriendly and negative accounts of the albergues is at odds with any I heard on the trail. 

Fluffy towels, crisp white sheets and manicures were front of the author's mind. The Camino is an extraordinary experience and this account is not typical for most pilgrims. It takes a resilience and determination to endure in order to complete the journey and emerge changed and uplifted. 

When I read the Amazon reviews, the only positive reviews are by those that have not walked it. Anyone who has completed this pilgrimage has little patience for Jane Christmas's account. 

My 1.5 stars are for her easy, readable writing style.