Call of the Camino

This is a story about the pilgrimages of two women, a generation apart, on the Camino de Santiago as they walk hundreds of kilometers through Spain and Portugal, each with their own personal reasons for being on the trail. I first learned about the Camino last September when I was in Porto, Portugal and saw the many pilgrims on their own journeys.

In the present day, the story follows Reina Watkins, a journalist who jumps at a last-minute work opportunity to write about the Camino after a competitive co-worker is unable to go. Reina gets more than she expected and soon finds herself on a journey of healing and self-discovery. The earlier timeline centres around Isabelle Vidal who is on the run and trying to escape a dangerous fate stemming from a long-held family feud. The two women find solace and community and learn about the power of introspection through the simple ritual of walking. 

Told with vivid descriptions of the rugged landscape, Redfearn brings first-hand experience of the Camino and her respect for the journey, the beautiful countries, the pilgrims and all those who support them comes shining through. Readers will get a sense of community and camaraderie of the two groups of pilgrims that include a fair number of secondary characters. I have but two small issues: First, there's a large cast in two timelines and I found myself trying to remember who was traveling with Reina and who was with Isabelle. Also, Isabelle's storyline felt like it was set farther back in time than in the 1990's.

This is a character-driven story that features serendipity, healing and faith that shows the transformative experience the Camino can have on different people. It illustrates the importance of being open to new experiences, how quickly the tight knit bonds can develop quickly between strangers on different journeys on the same path and the importance of GOOD shoes if you're going to do the Camino. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author for sending me a paperback copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Suzanne Redfearn

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: Trade paperback from author

Publisher: Lake Union

First Published: Oct 1, 2025

Read: Sept 21-

Book Description from GoodReads: From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a deeply moving novel following the transformative journeys of two women walking entwined paths on a legendary route across Europe a generation apart.

Reina Watkins lost her father when she was eight. Seventeen years later, she still carries that grief. When her budding journalism career takes an unexpected turn, it leads her to the ancient five-hundred-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. Now she finds herself embarking on the same pilgrimage that her father made at her age, unaware of how profoundly it will change her.

Back in 1997, Isabelle Vidal is a teenager on the run. Fleeing from her boarding school, she heads straight for the Way of Saint James. She’s heard the Camino will provide. And so it does, in the form of a handsome young American and the promise of a new life. But it could all fall apart if her troubles catch up with her.

One woman is coming to grips with her past; the other is grasping for her future. But as each treads the same hallowed trail, it will knot their destinies together in a most miraculous way.