Ellen Waterston, poet and author who will conduct her sixth Todos Santos writing retreat in February, announces the second printing of her verse novel, Vía Láctea: A Woman of a Certain Age Walks the Camino, a fictionalized account of Waterston’s 2012 pilgrimage on Spain’s Camino de Santiago.
Vía Láctea has garnered praise from poets and reviewers alike. John Brierley, author and publisher of the premier guides to the Camino, including A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago, stated, “Many pilgrims who walk the Camino reach some form of new understanding of their life and its direction. A fair proportion of these wish to share their insights but words don’t lend themselves easily to describe the inner workings of the soul. Great sensitivity is required and this is where Vía Láctea bridges the gap so skillfully between the sacred and the mundane. Vía Láctea should be in everyone’s backpack, or at least on their bookshelf.”
The soft cover perfect bound version of Vía Láctea is available at Paulina Springs Books, and online at Barnes & Noble, Amazon. com and www.writingranch.com.
Waterston created the peregrina (pilgrim) as the guiding character in her story. Peregrina walks her way to unexpected answers to many of life’s questions along the ancient pilgrimage route and finds herself not only in conflict with herself, but also implicated in a battle between a caricature of the Catholic church and Camino Woman. The many real and imagined characters met along the Way, the variety of voices, poetic styles and forms, make this collection a provocative and lively adventure.
Author and poet Judith Barrington said, “This book is a story told through a number of poetic forms that seamlessly carried me along the Camino de Santiago. The narrative pulls readers along, yet the poetry insists that they linger with the music of words and the often-surprising images. Those who don’t usually seek out poetry will find this a compelling read, while those who do will appreciate the craft and creative innovation.” Barrington is the author of three volumes of poetry. A fourth, The Conversation, is forthcoming in 2015.
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