Walking The Camino: On Earth As It Is

One woman’s solo 800-kilometer pilgrimage on the Camino in Spain, and her overwhelming need to free herself, once and for all.

The unexpected death of Maryanna Gabriel's artistic mother would change everything, a pivot she constantly whirled around. More than overcoming loss, she needed answers. Would a spiritual pilgrimage deliver? She could never go back to the way things were.

           In 2017, Gabriel set out from her forest home on Salt Spring Island, Canada, bound for Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. From a bomb scare in Paris, to strangers with messages, a fellowship of fun, lightening up, and letting go, this is her journey into the mystery of the mother-daughter relationship and the chaos it instilled.

            Meditative, yet punctuated with humour—this sensory rendering is rich with history, art, and architecture, which entwines with her backstory as she interacts with the characters and landmarks along the way. The hardship cracks open the last of her resistance, only to bring her face to face with what she most needs to know.

           This book is for anyone searching for self reconnection and renewal in life’s many transitions, or curious about the Camino and the transformative power of pilgrimage, and the healing power it yields. Before the pandemic, the numbers swelled with each passing year. This raw account of her inner alchemy is one explanation why.