Play Book Tag discussion

Two Steps Forward is an engaging story about two 40-ish individuals who decide for very different reasons to walk the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage path from France to Spain. Today it is still walked by people from all over the world, for many different reasons. The characters are both told that the Camino will change them in some way.

Zoe is an American woman dealing with the sudden death of her husband. She escapes to France to visit a college friend, which brings up other memories. Martin is a British Engineer recovering from a messy divorce. His wife had an affair with his department head so he left his job and took a temporary teaching job in the same town in France. He encounters an engineering challenge with his students which leads to an invention.

The story is told from their alternating points of views as they individually walk the path, meeting along the way.. They meet many interesting people along the way from all over the world. I really enjoyed all the different stories and interactions between the various characters. I also enjoyed the practical details about the day to day travel and lodging challenges they meet along the way. The story is not religious or deeply spiritual, but the contemplation and experiences did change people. There is a great deal of generosity along the way. It’s a relatively light read, and i enjoyed it.