Finding the Way

The time is 1250 AD, in an isolated village at the foot of the Pyrenees. Old Basque folk traditions are on a collision course with the onslaught of Christianity. Torn from the life she has always known, Amika, a Basque girl living at the foot of the Pyrenees, must find her wat to an unknown future. Amika wants nothing more than to follow her mother's footsteps as a healer. But when her familar life comes to a fiery end, she must find her own way along the Camino de Santiago.  Along the way Amika encounters danger, hardship, and fear before she meets the man and child with whom she will share her future.

REVIEWS
Tom Hymann, author of Jupiter’s Daughter and Seven Days to Petrograd 
Finding the Way is a magnificent story, brilliantly imagined and skillfully executed. Ms. Maynard has done an extraordinary job of research and a masterful job of creating a believable, coherent, and moving plot with marvelous characters. The narrative is consistently brisk and engaging, and often heart-wrenching in its emotional power. The place, the people, and their circumstances are vividly alive on the page. She brings the plot to an inspired but completely plausible resolution, with many memorable moments. Ms. Maynard has earned congratulations on a wonderful story. 

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5.0 out of 5 stars ‘Finding the Way” incredible

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

Knowing the author walked this 500 mile trek herself, inspired me even more as she must’ve imagined this young woman and friends encountering adventures along the way. Gripping and tender, I couldn’t put it down.

 

4.0 out of 5 stars A Midieval Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021

While reading Finding the Way by Cindy Burkhart Maynard, I felt as though I were traveling on the famous Camino de Santiago along with Amika, the book's teen-age protagonist. Set in the mid-1200s in northern Spain, this historical novel reads like a Grimm's Brothers fairy tale, starting with the death of Amika's mother in their small Basque village, when the evil village priest and villagers - believing she is a witch - burn her at the stake.

Fearing for her own life, Amika escapes the village and follows the Camino, or road, to the town of Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain, a traditional, multi-week pilgrimage many people make for spiritual and religious reasons. Along the way, we meet several of Marika's fellow pilgrims, including nine-year-old Esperanza, a clairvoyant who is able to foresee events through the voice of her dead mother, and Mateo, a young man who becomes a special friend. Finding food and shelter and escaping danger along the Camino is a challenge for everyone in this suspenseful story. I highly recommend Finding the Way to anyone fascinated by Spain and its cultural and natural history.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're like me, you willl have a hard time putting down this book.

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2021

Set in the middle ages, this page-turner tale with twists and turns of fate that lead a young heroine on a timeless journey to find herself, her purpose, and her place in the world. It is a hero’s journey told from a woman’s point of view, a journey that will teach her about herself and fellow pilgrims she encounters. As she makes her way along the Camino de Santiago she is advised to “look for God’s grace…if you follow your heart you will find it.” It is quite an adventure, hard to put down as the characters confront and overcome fear, self-doubt and danger around each turn. It’s a great read and one that will remind you that we are all on the path and lessons come in many forms.

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling from the first few sentences!

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2021

Since I have several friends who have taken this journey, I was excited to read this story! I have enjoyed Cindy Maynard's other books, but this one had a special allure for me. It's immediately captivating, although it's a harsh beginning for the protagonist, it touches on the metaphysical and ancient traditions that draw people to travel this path. I felt like I knew the characters and I couldn't wait to read the next chapters to discover what unfolded! This story has a wonderful way of drawing you in to the time and details of the Camino, and the stories of a few of the pilgrims who walked The Way! I highly recommend it!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story

Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2021

I enjoyed this story. The characters were well developed. The intertwining of their lives and how their pilgrimage affected their lives is well done. I liked the way the ending brought everything together. A very good read.

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THE AUTHOR
 
Cindy Burkart Maynard is the author of two previous award-winning works of historical fiction, Soyala: Daughter of the Desert and Anastasia’s Book of Days, as well as co-author of two works of non-fiction about the Colorado Plateau and the desert Southwest. She has extensive experience teaching and writing about history and the natural world. She resides in Colorado.