Women of the Way: Embracing the Camino

by Jane V. Blanchard

What do you like most when reading about adventures: descriptions about the terrain, the culture, the challenges, the personal growth, the interactions between other adventures? Women of the Way: Embracing the Camino successfully combines all these elements in a heartfelt and personal recounting of Jane V. Blanchard’s 2011 five-hundred mile pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago—hiking from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles in Spain, and then westward across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostella.

For over a millennium, Christians have made this pilgrimage to the cathedral in Santiago, where the remains of St. James the apostle are entombed. Today, this journey is known as a European Cultural Itinerary, attracting people from around the world. In 2011, more than 183,000 people completed the pilgrimage; 44% of these pilgrims were women.
Though Women of the Way is about Jane’s journey on the Camino de Santiago (also known as “The Way”) and discussions with women she met on the pilgrimage, this is not a “chic” book. It is about embracing the Camino, the personal changes, and the beauty and appeal of the most popular of all the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, the Camino Frances.

— Discover why people from around the world walk the Camino.
— Learn how to prepare for the Camino, about the daily rituals in long-distance walking, and the camaraderie shared among these modern-day pilgrims.
— Visualize the beauty of northern Spain through Jane’s vivid descriptions.
— Understand why so many people embrace the Camino.

“An articulate, well-observed and thoughtful look at walking the Camino.” ~ Adam Nathan

“I felt as though I, too, was a pilgrim as I saw the beautiful landscapes Jane described, felt the tiredness she experienced, enjoyed the food along with her, laughed and cried with her.” ~ Elizabeth Chandler

“My husband, John (62), and I are reading your book while we prepare to walk the Camino in May of 2013. We are loving it! I like your honesty and factual approach. Your descriptions have caused us to laugh and almost cry at times. Thank you! We are reading a little each day and John reminds me to bring the book in the car or to bed. The spirit of the Camino is already appearing in our relationship as we prepare. I can see a change and it is wonderful!” ~ Kim Todaro

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2011

About the author

Jane V. Blanchard, adventurer, author, and public speaker, was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She lived in Hampstead, New Hampshire, twenty-three years before moving to Sarasota, Florida, where she now resides. In Florida, Jane became active in several organizations benefiting women and hosted a weekly radio talk show, Women Matters.

Jane loves the outdoors. She climbed her first mountain, Mount Washington, in 1974. Since that initial ascent, Jane has climbed twenty of the forty 4,000-foot mountains in New England. She started mountain bike racing at age 50; in 2002, she won second place in the Masters Division EFTA Championship Series.

In September and October 2011, Jane, now a sexagenarian, hiked the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage across northern Spain. As she walked, she talked with women from different nations. The book, Women of the Way, weaves these conversations with Jane's journey.

When Jane married in 1974, her husband, Dennis and she joked about creating a lifetime of memories to chat about when sitting in theirs rockers in old age. Jane is still creating memories, experiencing life as fully as possible, and looking forward to a long future.

Reviews

[Dennis Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, but then why wouldn't I, I'm one of the characters in the book. Jane and I had a wonderful time walking the Camino together and this is her story of that walk.

[Lisal Kayati Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the female perspective!The writing was okay - more like a journal - so we won’t count any need for ferocious editing. Of all the books I’ve read about the Camino- this one made me feel anxious about all the pitfalls (bedbugs, tendinitis, snoring, bad food etc). The author’s negativity was disguised by the wonderfully positive accounts garnered by interviewing other female pilgrims. I did learn a few things to prepare for my pilgrimage next year.

[Elizabeth Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to hike the Camino but don't have the ability to do so just yet? If so, you'll love this book. Quite honestly, even if you never had the desire, you'll still enjoy this book. Ms. Blanchard takes you on her journey and offers not only her viewpoint, but the perspectives of fellow women she meets along the way.
As she invites you into her world at the very beginning of the planning stage, she offers insight into all of the worries and concerns most of us would have if we were to trek along the same adventure. Important things we might not even think about at first, such as how do you break the news to your boss that you'll be taking a month-long (or longer) vacation from your job? What do you pack? What's too much? Too little? What kind of bag do you pack? As she describes her thought process, I found myself nodding my head in agreement, saying "Oh yeah, I never even thought about that. Good point."
As you arrive in Barcelona, you see the world through the author's eyes and feel as if you are right alongside her in the hike, taking in the scenery, listening to the wildlife and enjoying the bond with nature. Of course, you don't share the blisters or the fatigue! But you can almost taste the wine and dare I say, even feel the relaxation at the end of a fruitful day.
As she and her husband get closer to the end, you can feel her sense of accomplishment and understand the spiritual transitions that have taken place amongst her and the women that she had interviewed along the way.
I was able to understand how dropping the hustle and bustle of everyday life can be a humbling, yet fascinating and uplifting experience. On the Camino, it really doesn't matter if you are rich or poor. It seems as though egos are dropped at the beginning of the walk and very liberating as they are left behind.
Though I love to hike, I'm in no way a hiker like the people who have made this journey, but I enjoyed this book immensely. I think you will too.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Blanchard's book, Women of the Way: A Journey to Joy, was truly joyous to read. Jane starts out in the same "place" many of us are ... with a stressed, busy life. But as she submerges herself bit by bit in the spirit of the Camino, the stress starts to melt away and the real "Jane" floats to the surface. In addition to allowing us a glimpse of who she really is, she shares the stories of other women that she meets along the way and their own personal challenges and awakenings. Walking the Camino isn't just about getting exercise or taking a hike; whether you are religious or not, it is a trip into yourself and Jane shares her personal introspection with the reader. And she shares the stories of the women that she and her husband, Dennis, met along the way. What I found to be most engaging was the way people interact on the Camino. With all the trappings of daily life a thing of the past (if only for a while), people seem to have a natural ability to communicate with one another. It would be nice if "real" life were this way, but I suspect that will never be. I also suspect I'll never get to walk the Camino myself, so I am grateful that I was able to walk it vicariously through Jane's book. Whether you actually plan to do the Camino or not, this book will give you a taste of the experience and bring you to a place of peace.

[Áine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read, particularly if you are considering doing a long-distance hike and are looking for inspiration. The author does a wonderful job of portraying the challenges and the joys of preparing for and journeying on the Camino. It is a worthy read for anyone who is interested in hiking, travel, and introspection and learning about the many ways people find themselves on the same journey together.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good combination of the story of the author's Camino walk and those of the women she met along the way. There are a lot of journals of people's walks, and I'm working my way through a lot of them, but this one had a unique twist.

[Caryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hoping to cycle the Camino this fall and Blanchard's very readable account of her walk across Spain was exactly right for me- practical details plus interesting descriptions of fellow travelers.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was delightful to read and so much more upbeat than the whiney man's tale of the same walk. I need to read a few more Camino de Santago accounts.

[RSter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually stay away from self-published books, but I couldn't put this one down. Blanchard's recounting of her own camino experience is insightful and interesting. I have long thought about walking the Way, and this book had me recommitting to the idea. I do wish she had touched more on women who walk the Way alone, but perhaps that's another book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat light but interesting read. In some ways it's like most Camino books, a memoir of the author's walking the Camino de Santiago. But it adds something extra with the feminist focus: the author's experiences are intercut by short interviews of women she met along the Way, in which the women explain why they decided to walk the Camino and afterwards how they look back on it.

The interview parts were really the most interesting to me; in comparison the rest, which was really just a diary with some information that can be found in other books, felt a little lacking. Still, not a bad read for women contemplating walking the Camino.

[Anne Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the different stories and perspectives. Excellent vacation read.

[Janette Waraker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Relevant content (to our intended Camino) but not well written.