OnlineBookClub.org

Chi Chiu Michael Mak wrote: ↑17 Oct 2024, 21:19 [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 wrote: ↑01 Nov 2024, 19:15

Chi Chiu Michael Mak wrote: ↑17 Oct 2024, 21:19 [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

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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 wrote: ↑17 Oct 2024, 21:19
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.