Santiago

Simone Chaput's fourth novel is at once a travelogue and an inspiring story of hope and renewal.

For centuries, people have made the pilgrimage through the Pyrenees and along the dusty roads of the Navarre from Roquebrun, France to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain as a test of their faith and endurance.

Dominique is a 42-year-old interior designer from Winnipeg who has given up on the possibility of love, family, and a life in art. For her, the pilgrimage is supposed to be an escape from work and from her broken ex-husband David—and a chance to visit with her art-school friend Julia.

So it is with impatience that Dominique greets the presence of Julia's depressed, bohemian brother Colin, and the news that he will be joining them on their journey.

When the three set out on a walk that will take on a different meaning for each of them, Dominique wants nothing more than to hop on a train and head home. As the party picks up members along the dusty camino, however, Domique's attitude is forced to change. Perhaps it isn't too late for her to find happiness and renewed love—to wash away the self-perceived sins of a squandered life. As the villages roll by, and her new acquaintances become friends, Dominique begins to wonder if anything has been squandered. Maybe her life isn't almost over, but just beginning—and maybe it really is the journey that matters most, and not where it leads one to.