It Only Takes ‘Two Steps Forward’ To Begin A Journey of Self Discovery [REVIEW]

Still reeling from unexpected changes in their lives, two people find their way on a pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago in Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist’s Two Steps Forward. (Photo by Marcin Bajer, Flickr)

Perfect strangers are about to take the journey of a lifetime for very different reasons. But one thing is guaranteed, by the time they reach their destination, both of them will be changed in ways that they never saw coming. Lose yourself in the pages of Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist’s transformative tale of love, loss, laughter and redemption, Two Steps Forward.

William Morrow

For centuries, pilgrims have been traveling the Chemin (aka the Camino de Santiago), a 700 mile trail through France to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain, as a way to reconnect with the universe. When Zoe and Martin each decide to take the journey, however, it is for very different reasons.

Zoe is a new widow who is still reeling with grief. An artist from California, she initially came to France to visit an old friend, but she quickly realizes that she isn’t ready for reunions or to get back into the dating scene. She needs to take the trip to have time alone with her thoughts, to unplug from well-intentioned family and friends and process her loss if she is ever to get back on her feet again.

On the other hand, Martin is an English engineer whose marriage ended in disaster and who has lost everything as a result. Now he has created a new cart that he wants to market to individuals traveling the Chemin, but first he needs to road test it himself. And so he packs up his cart and starts walking, ready for the challenge and shrugging off the advice of strangers to wait until spring.

As both Zoe and Martin begin their journey from the same French town, they have different goals and expectations of what the future may hold. Yet the Chemin doesn’t care about what they thought they would get from the trip. Instead, it tests their mettle, pushing them farther than their faith and endurance have ever gone before. Together, they learn to trust one another, to open their hearts and minds to the unique challenges and opportunities that come their way, and to accept and repay the kindness of strangers who cross their path.

Two Steps Forward is one of my favorite kind of books. It allows us to travel through exotic, picturesque destinations from the comfort of our armchairs, yet simultaneously leaves us feeling inspired and motivated to tackle new trials of our own. This is a book that celebrates the best of humanity as it introduces us to wondrous characters who, despite their differences from the weary travelers, are frequently willing and ready to lend a hand to individuals on the road to their own personal awakening. More than that, however, this book implores each of us to take leaps of faith and look for opportunities to extend hospitality to others.

If you’re among the readers who loved Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love or Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, you’ll love getting lost in the pages of husband and wife writers Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist’s new novel. Infused with wisdom and humor, this is the kind of story readers will undoubtedly want to share with friends looking for a pick-me-up, passing dog-eared copies around for years to come.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Graeme Simsion
(Photo by Rebecca Rocks)

Graeme Simsion is a Melbourne-based novelist, screenwriter, and the number one bestselling author of The Rosie Project, which has been optioned for film by Sony Pictures, was a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and won the Australian Book Industry Association Book of the Year.

The Rosie Effect was also a number one Globe and Mail bestseller, a New York Times bestseller and a People magazine Pick of the Week. Simsion’s most recent novel, The Best of Adam Sharp, has also been optioned for film. Two Steps Forward is his first novel co-written with his wife, Anne Buist.

Visit his home on the Web at GraemeSimsion.com, like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Anne Buist

Anne Buist is the chair of the women’s mental health department at the University of Melbourne and has 25 years of clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry.

She is the author of two Natalie King mysteries, and has published 10 erotic romance-suspense novels under the pseudonym Simone Sinna.

Visit Anne at her home on the Web at AnneBuist.com and follow follow on Twitter.

TWO STEPS FORWARD
By Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist
368 pgs. William Morrow. $15.99

Purchase Two Steps Forward at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Two Steps Forward is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.