Reviews matching “9781553652403”
 What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“The title, subtitle and first line of Jane Christmas’s memoir tell you almost everything you need to know about the book: who, what, where, when and why are laid out neatly, and the first sentence, ‘Impulse is intuition on crack,’ sets both the hook and the tone. …It’s a great first line and it suits the book, which is relentlessly smarter, funnier and holier than thou.” The Globe and Mail, Oct 6, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“From the snippets of the personal lives of her fellow journeywomen… to the God-forsaken pilgrim hostels to the grueling physicality of the trail, Christmas serves up a savvy and satisfying tale of daily miracles and courageous self-reckoning. She makes for an engaging tour guide, too, providing all manner of detail on the history and architecture along the way. And she can dish up theological background with the clarity – and hilarity – no theologian could ever muster.” Hamilton Spectator, Oct 27, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“An acerbic sense of humor and a somewhat irreverent attitude mark this midlife adventure. Approaching fifty, and an empty nest provoked a plan to walk the Camino. Word got out, and friends of friends asked to go, leading to a group of ten fifty-ish women meeting for the first time in St. Jean. Entertaining reading.” Backpack45.com, Oct 31, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“Many books have been written about crossing northern Spain on the centuries-old Camino de Santiago, but this one by a Torontonian is funnier, cleverer and more informative than most.” Vancouver Sun, Sep 22, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“It's a good, funny read with descriptions so lucid and real it almost felt like the author was holding my hand and guiding me through this brutal walk. The 800-kilometer walk with its mountainous, muddy, rocky terrain, its cranky and competitive pilgrims and the crowded and mostly full pilgrim lodges sound[ed] quite daunting to me, but it’s not without its good moments and of course, the wonderful humor of our host… What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim is however so much more than just the walk...it is a conversation on women's friendships, motherhood, a reflection of one's faith, of pushing oneself to the limit, the celebration of a milestone and a journal of self-discovery.” Lotus Reads, Nov 14, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim"Former newspaper editor and author Jane Christmas gives the gears to the midlife crisis travelogue with this …Forget Elizabeth George and her Oprah field memoir about a pilgrimage of rediscovery in middle age. This is the real deal… Fortunately, Christmas avoids reducing her experience to a pat epiphany or platitude about how the trail changed her life (though it did). Her style is equal parts Nora Ephron and Bill Bryson, balancing pithy observation with the history of the trail and her own experiences upon it…The warts and grottiness of Christmas's journey…are recognizable and relatable, much more so than a glossy religious experience or steamy love affair, and much more enjoyable for its accessibility." Quill & Quire, Dec 14, 2007 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“’Impulse is intuition on crack,’ pens Christmas in the book’s opener, showing a wonderful clarity and honesty that rips through the whole book… What follows is a funny account of the social shuffling that takes place amid the 14 women, some of whom soon assert their “alpha chick” status by calling a meeting where they encourage the others to do some Oprah-style soul-searching... Overall, a story well-told and worth the read. Christmas wields impressive descriptive powers and knows how to move a narrative along.” Victoria Times-Colonist, Jan 6, 2008 Read more >> |
What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim“Jane Christmas is, in a word, hilarious. She is definitely up there with Bill Bryson in the genre of funny travel writers. The Hamilton woman also exhibits wonderful candour as she recounts her one-month pilgrimage… Christmas writes with an edge and she is painfully (and hilariously) candid about her own foibles. …It makes your feet ache and your lungs gasp for air just reading it.” Kingston-Waterloo Record, Feb 16, 2008 Read more >> |