Book Review: Walking the Caminos
Walking the Caminos: A User’s Guide
by David Mercer and Debbie Mercer
Independently published, 2021
235 pages (paperback and Kindle editions)
Reviewed by Jerald Stroebele | Anchorage, AK
I read this book three winters ago but ripped right through it in two evenings because the information I was seeking—on the Camino Mozárabe—was near the very end. I found the info I needed and put it aside. I later reread it in my leisure hours and discovered it is a goldmine of general information on the Caminos.
David and Debbie Mercer are a Scottish couple who walked 17 Caminos before the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stay home…and write this book. It begins with a general description of the Camino and the pilgrims who walk it, provides a lot of practical information and advice on all matters Camino-related, and devotes the last 144 pages to a summary description of the 17 Caminos they walked. This includes line maps, advice on what to expect based on the time of year, route descriptions and difficulty, detailed information on how to get to and from each Camino, long lists of website resources, and just plain beautiful color photographs.
Camino descriptions start with the well-traveled Camino Francés and roll quickly into the lesser-traveled routes. Reading the book sure makes you want to walk them all. Or not: “Difficulty: Hard in places,” or “this is not a camino for a beginner,” or “recommended only for more experienced pilgrims.”
This is far from a dry reference read. The authors are excellent writers who obviously care for their fellow pilgrims; the local people on the Caminos; and the religious, spiritual, cultural, and natural values associated with the pilgrimage.
This is an excellent overall guide for the Caminos de Santiago in Spain and a joy to read.
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