Walking with Sam
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3.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $23.99
Publisher Description
An intimate, funny, and poignant New York Times bestseling travel memoir following award-winning author and actor Andrew McCarthy as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son Sam.
When Andrew McCarthy's eldest son began to take his first steps into adulthood, McCarthy found himself wishing time would slow down. Looking to create a more meaningful connection with Sam before he fled the nest, as well as recreate his own life-altering journey decades before, McCarthy decided the two of them should set out on a trek like few others: 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago.
Over the course of the journey, the pair traversed an unforgiving landscape, having more honest conversations in five weeks than they'd had in the preceding two decades. Discussions of divorce, the trauma of school, McCarthy's difficult relationship with his own father, fame, and Flaming Hot Cheetos threatened to either derail their relationship or cement it. Walking With Sam captures this intimate, candid and hopeful expedition as the father son duo travel across the country and towards one another.
Customer Reviews
Big thank you for such wonderful experience!
I finished the book. So many things resonated with my own thoughts. Some moments were so emotional that I almost cried—silly, maybe? I need more time to process and rethink some ideas.
This book isn’t so much about the Camino de Santiago, though it does include many stories about its history and real hiking experiences along the pilgrimage route. At its core, this book is about parenting—about the delicate and profound bond of trust between a father and son.
From the moment our children are born, our world changes completely and forever. But it’s not just our children who grow and mature—parents also embark on their own journey of growth, learning to see life from a completely new perspective. Suddenly, everything is measured through the lens of what is best for our child. We constantly reflect on our own childhood experiences and, often, strive to be better parents, hoping to avoid the mistakes of our own mothers and fathers. But can we truly succeed in that? Or are we simply destined to make our own, different mistakes?
The author repeatedly says, “Everyone walks their own Camino de Santiago.” But in truth, this isn’t just about the pilgrimage—it’s about life, parenting, and childhood as a whole. Each of us walks our own unique path as a parent, shaping our own journey through life.