Andrew McCarthy revisits the Camino de Santiago with his newly adult son, sharing not only reflections on his own life, but thoughts on the changing nature of his relationship with his son and how that connects to his relationship with his own father. I enjoyed both the insight into the challenge of the Camino, but also the glimpses into Mr. McCarthy as a person. ( )

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain by Andrew McCarthy is a travelogue of the author and his son walking Spain’s Camino de Santiago. Mr. McCarthy is a best-selling author, director, and actor.

In the summer of 2021, the author and his son embarked on a 800-kilometer pilgrimage. Father and son, embarked on a life-changing experience that neither will ever forget.

I’ve read several travelogues of pilgrims who walked this route, but never with their son, and never the author’s second time. This, of course, allows Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy to compare his own pilgrimage against his son’s, each coming into adulthood, and as is tradition, each thinking they’re already adults.

One of the reasons I loved this book is that Sam reminds me of my own son, which made this book, written by someone I’ve never met, a bit more personal. I hope that Sam will be able to read this book in a few decades and realize what an amazing experience he had with his father. I look at my own travels when I was in my mid-20s, and realize I didn’t appreciate them as I should have.

As every traveler knows, one of the greatest things about going place is the people you meet. Mr. McCarthy describes the people they met on the trail, those they kept meeting over and over which fosters a sense of community among those who suffered together. At some point, Sam admonishes other pilgrims who are just walking the last 100 kilometers, which really shows the mindset of those walking across Spain.

The book follows the path of the Camino, each chapter is a day or so over the five weeks. This creates a nice rhythm not only of the narrative but of the trial as well. Along the way, we got some history lessons as well, but that’s not really the focus of the book. The author ruminates about his failed marriage to Sam’s mother, fatherhood, and his own father.

Mr. McCarthy is a gifted writer; he writes with openness and frankness. Sam, just fresh from a breakup, is still a mystery – but this is not his book and as a father I understand, and approve, of the author’s decision to protect his son’s privacy. ( )

St. Augustine was correct when he proclaimed: “It is solved by walking.” As someone who has logged 40-to-45 miles each week for the past couple years, my 5+ million annual steps are the most inexpensive form of therapy. My walks inspire me to think, problem-solve and ponder society’s looming questions with walking companions. So when I heard that Andrew McCarthy had penned a memoir structured around a 500-mile trek with his son along the Camino de Santiago, I was instantly intrigued. A value-added bonus is that I’ve always enjoyed Andrew McCarthy as an actor (decades ago, I felt like the only person in America who loved “Mannequin.”) McCarthy the author didn’t disappoint. He’s a skilled writer who managed to capture the multifaceted dynamics that make up father-son relationships. Before I started reading “Walking With Sam,” I had lingering fears I might lose interest a hundred or so miles into this journey across Spain. My fears were unfounded. I genuinely enjoyed the book. True, I would have liked to have learned more about McCarthy’s earlier battles with substance abuse. And there were several spots where Sam’s persona became a bit annoying. But as I finished the final passages, I realized that this was yet another walk that generated valuable insights. ( )

Andrew McCarthy is a talented writer whose way with words makes for an engaging read. Andrew McCarthy, having walked the Camino de Santiago as a young man, walks the Camino again with his 20 year old son, Sam. "A father, a son, and 500 miles across Spain" is the subtitle of the book and sums it up nicely. It's a right of passage book written about a right of passage event of moving from adolescence to adulthood.

I would've appreciated more insight from the son as to what he was thinking and experiencing, but that is, of course, the point. The book is told from the father's point of view and his thoughts, feelings, frustrations and concerns. Well worth the read. ( )

Jim and I walked this the year we retired in 2012.