Book Review - Beyond Expectations by Kate W. Fisher
About the Book
Beyond Expectations is an 80-page short story about one person’s reflections before, during and after 6 days walking on the Camino Portugues. The Camino is a pilgrimage to northwest Spain undertaken by people from all around the world, on their own, with family or friends. The motivation for taking part differs between individuals. For our protagonist, wanting to find time and space for herself to deal with significant life changes found her fulfilling a lifelong dream of walking along the Camino.
What I Liked
Being just over 80 pages, I really like the brevity of this story. It took me just over an hour to read, so I can recommend it as a satisfying lunchtime or bedtime read. I also liked the simple written style and beautiful phrases that helped me paint a picture of Kate’s mental state as well as her physical surroundings: “Alone, yet not lonely, I savoured my meal and enjoyed the freedom of no one else to feed, no one else with a mind to read” (p22) sounds poetic to my ears. And: “I enjoyed inhaling the fragrance as well as the sight of peeling green bark and the sunlight shimmering on long leaves quaking in the breeze” (p57) is so vivid!
There are great touches about the Camino: what you might encounter, where you might go and what you might do. So this is ideal for anyone with a plan to do the walk, with a special My Camino Packing List, plus a useful English & Spanish glossary at the back. Finally, I loved how as each day Kate walked further along her route, we see her gain confidence as she interacts with different people: “I thought about the way we pilgrims shared our stories to make connections and to be mirrors for each other. We were reflecting phrases, observations, and questions that helped us make sense of our own lives” (p37). With time, she revealed more about her mental health journey and shared her own story of recovery, in a bid to reduce the stigma surrounding this illness.
Overall, I enjoyed the idea of doing something out of your comfort zone, among strangers, and how communication with people you don’t know can push you above and beyond your own expectations.
About the Author
Kate is a life-long learner and educator based in the US. Her passion is to help people worldwide make connections through meaningful conversations using English as the common or global language. She is a certified Neurolanguage Coach and hosts a podcast for English Language Learners and curious travelers. I also consider her an online friend. :)
Connect with Kate via her website Conversations With Kate. And buy her book here. Profits from the sale will be donated to organisations working to promote mental health and emotional resiliency.