Review of An Accidental Pilgrim

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Accidental Pilgrim" by Maria Z. Caponi.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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An Accidental Pilgrim starts with Maria's youth, a time when she left Argentina, her warm home, to escape political upheaval and pursue her studies in the United States. I like the way the book describes the desire to spread her wings, the sadness of leaving behind cherished memories, the suppression of negative feelings to focus on work, and the disillusionment with the education system. The part about drinking subpar, tasteless coffee is morbidly funny because it is something I relate to (I also drank coffee-flavoured water in university, too), even though this part is meant to emphasise the author’s disappointment and the dullness of the supposedly empowering education system. Maria’s emotional toll is clearly and vividly described in a way that creates a natural progression to her future decision to go on a pilgrimage and experience excitement again.

The rest of the book has Maria sharing her hiking journey with a group of friends, a pilgrimage she accepted in spite of her internal resistance. Trekking El Camino is described as a process that takes an extraordinary amount of time, preparation, endurance, patience, and rest. Walking more than 10 miles per day is not a small hobby that regular people with regular jobs do. Readers will have to grab a copy of the memoir and poetry book, An Accidental Pilgrim by Maria Z. Caponi, and find out what Maria discovered about herself and her friends after leaving her comfort zone.

The only drawback I can think of is the way the dialogue is written. Dialogue lines tend to be packed within the same paragraph. Instead of starting a new paragraph for each speaker, the text often continues in a single block. I recognise this as the author's stylistic choice, but it still goes against a fundamental rule of organising dialogue. It is harder for readers to follow the conversation they are reading.

An Accidental Pilgrim appeals to readers who are interested in hiking, spirituality, poetry, travelling around the world, and memorable midlife moments. I have never been to El Camino before, so the book is a great way to learn about one of the most sacred places on Earth without spending money on transportation. Since the readability of the book has room for improvement, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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An Accidental Pilgrim
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Accidental Pilgrim" by Maria Z. Caponi.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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An Accidental Pilgrim starts with Maria's youth, a time when she left Argentina, her warm home, to escape political upheaval and pursue her studies in the United States. I like the way the book describes the desire to spread her wings, the sadness of leaving behind cherished memories, the suppression of negative feelings to focus on work, and the disillusionment with the education system. The part about drinking subpar, tasteless coffee is morbidly funny because it is something I relate to (I also drank coffee-flavoured water in university, too), even though this part is meant to emphasise the author’s disappointment and the dullness of the supposedly empowering education system. Maria’s emotional toll is clearly and vividly described in a way that creates a natural progression to her future decision to go on a pilgrimage and experience excitement again.

The rest of the book has Maria sharing her hiking journey with a group of friends, a pilgrimage she accepted in spite of her internal resistance. Trekking El Camino is described as a process that takes an extraordinary amount of time, preparation, endurance, patience, and rest. Walking more than 10 miles per day is not a small hobby that regular people with regular jobs do. Readers will have to grab a copy of the memoir and poetry book, An Accidental Pilgrim by Maria Z. Caponi, and find out what Maria discovered about herself and her friends after leaving her comfort zone.

The only drawback I can think of is the way the dialogue is written. Dialogue lines tend to be packed within the same paragraph. Instead of starting a new paragraph for each speaker, the text often continues in a single block. I recognise this as the author's stylistic choice, but it still goes against a fundamental rule of organising dialogue. It is harder for readers to follow the conversation they are reading.

An Accidental Pilgrim appeals to readers who are interested in hiking, spirituality, poetry, travelling around the world, and memorable midlife moments. I have never been to El Camino before, so the book is a great way to learn about one of the most sacred places on Earth without spending money on transportation. Since the readability of the book has room for improvement, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

******
An Accidental Pilgrim
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

I just read a book about pilgrimages and their benefit in getting closer to God. It did not have many details about the El Camino trekking trail. So, I am happy to know that Maria Z. Caponi wrote a book that has more details, and I am interested to know her experiences on the trail of 500 miles; Grueling!! Her story that led up to the pilgrimage sounds interesting.I hope that Caponi corrects the dialogue issue that you pointed out so that her book can acquire 5-star status.

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "An Accidental Pilgrim" by Maria Z. Caponi.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

---

An Accidental Pilgrim starts with Maria's youth, a time when she left Argentina, her warm home, to escape political upheaval and pursue her studies in the United States. I like the way the book describes the desire to spread her wings, the sadness of leaving behind cherished memories, the suppression of negative feelings to focus on work, and the disillusionment with the education system. The part about drinking subpar, tasteless coffee is morbidly funny because it is something I relate to (I also drank coffee-flavoured water in university, too), even though this part is meant to emphasise the author’s disappointment and the dullness of the supposedly empowering education system. Maria’s emotional toll is clearly and vividly described in a way that creates a natural progression to her future decision to go on a pilgrimage and experience excitement again.

The rest of the book has Maria sharing her hiking journey with a group of friends, a pilgrimage she accepted in spite of her internal resistance. Trekking El Camino is described as a process that takes an extraordinary amount of time, preparation, endurance, patience, and rest. Walking more than 10 miles per day is not a small hobby that regular people with regular jobs do. Readers will have to grab a copy of the memoir and poetry book, An Accidental Pilgrim by Maria Z. Caponi, and find out what Maria discovered about herself and her friends after leaving her comfort zone.

The only drawback I can think of is the way the dialogue is written. Dialogue lines tend to be packed within the same paragraph. Instead of starting a new paragraph for each speaker, the text often continues in a single block. I recognise this as the author's stylistic choice, but it still goes against a fundamental rule of organising dialogue. It is harder for readers to follow the conversation they are reading.

An Accidental Pilgrim appeals to readers who are interested in hiking, spirituality, poetry, travelling around the world, and memorable midlife moments. I have never been to El Camino before, so the book is a great way to learn about one of the most sacred places on Earth without spending money on transportation. Since the readability of the book has room for improvement, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

******
An Accidental Pilgrim
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

I just read a book about pilgrimages and their benefit in getting closer to God. It did not have many details about the El Camino trekking trail. So, I am happy to know that Maria Z. Caponi wrote a book that has more details, and I am interested to know her experiences on the trail of 500 miles; Grueling!! Her story that led up to the pilgrimage sounds interesting.I hope that Caponi corrects the dialogue issue that you pointed out so that her book can acquire 5-star status.

Yeah, I learned a lot about El Camino after reading the book. I probably won't have the opportunity to go on such a trip though. Obligations abound in my home country. But it's always great to experience other parts of the globe.

[Neha Panikar]

I really like how detailed yet concise your review is. I've heard about the El Camino trek, and agree it's not an ordinary feat to achieve. The book sounds interesting and hope the dialogue issue is fixed by the author. Thanks for the review!

[Julie Marie Basil]

I enjoy reading memoirs and hope to someday walk the Camino, so I think that I would enjoy this book. I appreciate the heads up about the formatting of the dialogue, I can see how that would make conversation difficult to follow.

[Priya Murugesan]

El Camino trekking sounds strenuous and interesting and I would love to read about the author's experience. Thanks for your detailed review!

[Seetha E]

The rest of the book has Maria sharing her hiking journey with a group of friends, a pilgrimage she accepted in spite of her internal resistance. Trekking El Camino is described as a process that takes an extraordinary amount of time, preparation, endurance, patience, and rest. Walking more than 10 miles per day is not a small hobby that regular people with regular jobs do.

I, too, read a book about the walk to El Camino. The author spoke about a spiritual connection and how the walk provided clarity in her life.
This book about accidentally ending up walking to El Camino sounds interesting. I would love to read it. Thanks for the caution.

[NetMassimo]

Looks like Maria Caponi had a life that brought her in various countries for different reasons. This is far from a normal travelogue, and I have to say that I have little interest in the religious element, but there seems to be more in this memoir. Thank you for your great review!

[Anu Anand]

The review made this book sound emotional and real. I’m curious about Maria’s journey and the whole El Camino experience. The dialogue style might take a bit to get used to, but it still feels like a thoughtful and inspiring read.

[Magdalyne chebet]

An Accidental Pilgrim sounds like a deeply personal and inspiring journey, both literal and emotional. I haven’t read the book, but your vivid description of Maria’s story, her inner conflict, and the beauty of her pilgrimage makes me want to. I especially appreciate how you highlighted the emotional resonance and the subtle humor. Thank you

[Stephen Christopher 1]

Michael, what I love about reading your reviews is that, unlike many reviewers (me included) who stick to one or two genres, you read a broad range of books. I've added many to my list that I would never have even known about, thanks to you. This one though, with it's unusually stylistic paragraphing and poetry elements isn't any interest to me, so thank you for that too.