A pilgrimage into growth
Portuguese born Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias graduated in Environmental Engineering and Natural Resources of the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. He lives today in the Basque Country, Spain and on his social media listing addresses himself and an author, ornithologist and a cork tree expert! His books to date -THE GOOD DICTATOR Trilogy. MAMUEL FOR A MURDER , and now LOVE AND FEAR ON THE SANTIAGO PATH. The translation from the Portuguese is by Rachel Thomas.
Of note, the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in Galicia, Spain – a form of spiritual path or retreat for spiritual growth. Gonçalo opens his novel with a poignant Preface: ‘My psychologist diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and encouraged me to let out my feelings as this would help ease my pain about recent events. That is why I have started to write this short story about what has happened to me recently, while I sit waiting, in this enormous airport, to board the plane on a flight that will take nine hours to get me to my next destination. One of the symptoms of PTSD is distressing, recurring and involuntary flashbacks of a traumatic event and, I must confess, my dear readers, that I frequently see that black pick-up truck approaching, its tinted windows, and the swift noise of the side door opening… One fine day, completely by chance, I came across a documentary about the Camino de Santiago on television and the camaraderie amongst the pilgrims, the different nationalities of the walkers the numerous hostels set up to welcome them, the landscapes and the challenge of making it to the final destination…yes this was what I was looking for…’ And with sensitive introduction we meet Ricardo, the primary character of the story.
Using the format of a mental diary/journal Gonçalo uses his inimitable lyrical style to convey not only the visual pleasures of Ricardo’s journey, but also the myriad permutations of psychological challenges that make this story a thriller. He condenses the plot as follows – ‘A young man decides to do the Santiago Path alone. There he meets Valeria, a young Brazilian who, after a bad break-up, is eager to start a new life. The two meet each other, walk together and end up falling in love. As they begin making plans for their future, however something unbelievable happens in the middle of the Path and they’ll have to fight, not only for their relationship but also for their lives.’
The juxtaposition of a new romance with the dire challenges the couple faces makes for a superb novel. Said once, say again, Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias – learn how to pronounce it and remember it as a writer who is likely to become a controversial seer!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book