To Hell's Mouth and Back: Pilgrimage, suffering and hope

by Trystan Owain Hughes

After a gruelling 140-mile pilgrimage walking across the rugged terrain of North Wales, Trystan Owain Hughes finds himself facing another, very different pilgrimage as he recovers from a serious injury sustained on the walk.

In To Hell’s Mouth and Back he explores his experience of suffering, considering how God can redeem and transform pain and disability, and examines how common experiences of pilgrimage are echoed in the challenges of our life journeys. Along the way, the reader is led to consider the journeys we all face, as we search for God’s presence and hope in our joys and pains.

162 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2025

About the author

Trystan Owain Hughes attained a Masters in Theology from Oxford University and a Doctorate from the Bangor University, Wales. Author of Winds of Change, he is widely published in journals (including Journal of Ecclesiastical History, North American Journal of Welsh Studies, and Welsh History Review) and contributed to the Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales. He has presented papers at international conferences, including at Universities in Sydney, Chicago, Philadelphia, Edinburgh, and Dublin. He is chaplain at Cardiff University, and his books Finding Hope and Meaning in Suffering and The Compassion Quest were recently published by SPCK to wide acclaim, with the latter being endorsed by Tony Campolo as "a book that was waiting to be written".

Reviews

[Rachel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and found it helpful while living with chronic illness.
There are chapters on Suffering, Wonder, Signs, Company, Dependence and Hope, and in each chapter the author reflects on his own walking pilgrimage and illness 'pilgrimage', and discusses what different philosophers and theologians have had to say on the topics as well as offering questions for reflection on your own life.
It gave me a lot to ponder on so can't be read quickly. There is a study guide at the end that I wished I'd found earlier to help with reflecting on each chapter.