The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright
Honestly, I do not know where to start with this book I received for review. Was it what I expected? Not really. Was it worth reading? Totally. Here is why….
The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright
Publisher: Gallery Books (May 19, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1501100765
About: In the vein of Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, a warm and touching novel about a woman who embarks on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral after losing her mother, sharing life lessons—in the best Chaucer tradition—with eight other women along the way.
Che Milan’s life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover abruptly dumped her, but her eccentric, demanding mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives, along with a note reminding Che of a half-forgotten promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself reluctantly undertaking a pilgrimage.
Within days she joins a group of women who are walking the sixty miles from London to the shrine of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, reputed to be the site of miracles. In the best Chaucer tradition, the women swap stories as they walk, each vying to see who can best describe true love. Che, who is a perfectionist and workaholic, loses her cell phone at the first stop and is forced to slow down and really notice the world around her, perhaps for the first time in years.
Through her adventures along the trail, Che finds herself opening up to new possibilities in life and discovers that the miracles of Canterbury can take surprising forms.
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My Thoughts: This book catches you and wraps you up into the story on many levels. It deals with repressed emotion and the family “stuff” we grow up with. It looks into who we become because of the way our Mom was and how we were raised. The influences of our upbringing and experienced mold us into the woman we are today.
I have to say I was agitated a bit as I first started reading this story. I did not know why and it is not until I thought about how to write this review that it dawned on me that it was because I did not want to get into my feelings about my own mother’s death. It is an emotional time for anyone and reading about how this journey for Che becomes an eye opening and cleansing experience kind of made me feel good and not so good.
This book is not a long book as they go, but it packs a wallop of a message. The stories the ladies tell along the trail and the way they get to know each other as they journey is one part of the story. The other is Che’s story ad how she learns about who she really is.
This story is unique, highly creative, and an amazing read. I really cannot think about how to express my feelings about this book other than to say that it is one that will leave you thinking about it for many days after you closed the cover. The rich writing and the story the author weaves is emotional yet magical too. Definitely one that you will want to add to your reading list.
Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.