C.W. LockhartBlanket of Stars: Thru-Hiking the Camino de Santiago: Travel Adventures, Volume 1

I’ve always wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago but wondered if I was capable at age 65.After reading C.W.’s story and the people she met on her journey I’m inspired to take this leap of faith. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down.

I wanted to love this book. I’m obsessed with the Camino and have been searching for a memoir. I’m sober and I’m in recovery and the author drinks nightly on her pilgrimage and talks about the alcohol in detail. For people who drink this is probably a plus but for me it was too much. A mention here or there in a book doesn’t even register on my radar but this was excessive. On the one night she didn’t drink she talked about it. I want to read about the Camino, and the author’s emotional breakthroughs, not about alcohol consumption. The other thing that irked me was in the very beginning she stated she is not religious but that’s untrue and there is a lot of talk about Jesus, God and Christianity. Totally understandable as this is a spiritual hike but why go through the effort to claim you’re not religious when you so clearly are? This just turned me off but that doesn’t mean you won’t like the book. I was interested in her personal journey, her past, her marriage and her process but there wasn’t enough of that for me.

I had the joy of a serendipitous meeting of the author while hiking my first Camino last month. My daughter and I ended up seated next to her and her husband as we enjoyed a cafe con leche at a cafe in La Faba. A horse went by carrying a pilgrim up the mountain and I heard her exclaim, “That’s Luna!” And then she shared Luna was the horse she rode on her first Camino and I was so excited to learn she had written a book on her experiences and the Luna story was included. I loved this book from beginning to end- the strength and honesty and the candid way in which the author tells this engaging story is such a great read. I purposely slowed down because I didn’t want it to be over, just like a stopped in Santiago on the way to the cathedral because I didn’t want my Camino to end. But as the author says, the Camino is always there, waiting. And yes, I am already planning my next visit. In the meantime, this book is always here waiting, and I am sure I will be picking it up again and again. To remind me of my own wonderful adventure and to get me excited for the next one on The Way.

Absolutely loved the book! With every fascinating step along the Camino de Santiago, Lockhart walks us through her inner struggle to wipe her slate clean and find “purpose”, “God", “happiness”, “equilibrium”, or whatever it is we look for as human beings. A deeply thoughtful and honest analysis of her own life and mind is seamlessly woven along with the stories and struggles of her fellow Camino companions. They range from hilarious and heartwarming to absolutely soul crushing and terrifying, all written in a very flowing and easy to read way.At 280 pages it’s not very long but there’s so much packed in the book that it’s truly a pick your own message book. Great use of symbols and allegories are seen throughout, my particular favorite being the beautiful interweaving of a favorite childhood game of chicken with her marital problems. Blanket of Stars is interesting and informative about the history and walking of the Camino de Santiago, entertaining in the ridiculously funny stories of the trail, humbling in the author’s look inward and pursuit of bettering herself, and inspirational in showing our ability to overcome the imperfections and horrendous scars of our past. Well worth the read by anybody, I hope there is a second work from C.W. Lockhart.

The story is a beautiful read not only about the Camino but about the author. Having walked the camino frances in 2018, I felt I was sitting at her table with a vino tinto after a hard day's walk washing away the dust, aches and pains of the camino but also the worries of past problems. The clarity of her writing provides a rich illustration of what a 35 day hike looks and feel like. Compeed for all!

Have you ever met a stranger that changed your life forever? On my last day of the Camino, I met a woman during a lunch break who said to me, "you carry the weight of your fears." Literally, I was carrying too much stuff in my pack. Figuratively, I was carrying so much emotional baggage that I wasn't reaching my potential. I had finally had the emotional and mental breakthrough that I so desperately searched for on the whole camino. Entering the streets of Santiago, I became a changed person. I had a clean start.The woman whom I refer to, is C.W. Lockhart. In this book she shares stories of all aspects of life. Her marriage, her children, the pain, love and joys of her past. And especially how fear can shape who we become. She writes her story in such a way that brings laughter, tears, and paints such vivid pictures in your mind that you won't be able to put the book down. For all who feel lost and carry your fears, give this a read. She might just change your life, or convince you to walk the Camino.

Honest, funny, and authentic, our peregrina (or pilgrim) bares all her scabs and scars: the road wounds of hiking across Spain, the ordinary struggles of a woman whose life is changing, and the real trauma in her past. But with every step, this is a hopeful story. She is a woman of action and has left the pity party at home on the couch. She opens her eyes to the beauty of nature and the history along her path, and her heart to the people who share her journey, receiving and giving kindness and more than a few laughs. She has slowed down (what choice does she have if she walks 500 miles?), and can clean and dress the old wounds so they can finally heal. With every step you cheer her on, believing that if she can manage to lug all the old baggage one more time, she just might be able to toss it into the sea at journey's end and walk-on through life lighter and freer. And, she just might inspire you to start your own pilgrimage, with or without the actual blisters.

C. W. Lockhart brought more emotional baggage than most to her Camino and laid it all out there for the reader to process as well. A really honest description of the inevitable highs and lows of setting out on your own to walk 500 miles and the thoughts, welcome and otherwise, you will experience on route .

I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.I would describe this as a very down to earth,truthful account of a first Camino,and one showing the fears,the joys,the friendships and the hardships that can be encountered on'the way'.

The author takes you by the hand and leads you through her pilgrimage. Her unfolding self-awareness and emotional restoration are heartwarming. She has a good story to tell and can tell a good story.

Having walked the Camino twice myself, I can say this is a realistic description of what to expect along The Way ,even if you don't leave the house it's a great read in plain language and you feel you have to root for her right to the end ,it's a fine balance in these kind of books to bring out the emotional impact without being too soppy and it has been achieved here ...recommended

The writer was very brave to openly speak how she did about her anxieties and I loved her physical and spiritual journey in a quest to leave the old self behind. The book also shows a realistic side to camino and I will certainly be taking a leaf or two out of her book as a guide for my camino