Driven and successful Cleo is determined to help her divorced friends out of their shells and back into the world of fun with friends. Michael, a geography teacher at the school she leads, is struggling with his mental health, and very much prefers his own company. Repeatedly rejecting her offers of company on hikes, he eventually relents and agrees to a group joining him for the first few days of the 190 mile Coast to Coast walk he is about to embark upon. Marnie, living alone in London, and being a freelance copyeditor, has very little opportunity or inclination to spend time with others, always hoping for a cancellation to come through for any plans she’s reluctantly agreed to. She’s not a walker but agrees when Cleo invites her for the walk, thinking it might be just what she needs. Arriving in all new waterproofs and walking boots, she appears the inexperienced hiker Michael had suspected would be joining him (although he certainly doesn’t make the route any shorter or easier to allow for this). Cleo invites a London pharmacist along who she thinks would suit Marnie well, and triathlete Tessa for Michael. When Tessa doesn’t show and Conrad scurries back to London at the first signs of rain, their focus is forced on each other. What follows is a gentle opening up, companionship in long distance walking, and a few geographical tidbits thrown in for good measure.
The opening chapter introduces us to Marnie, and the descriptions of how her world has shrunk with age and the isolation which is inherent in remote working are painfully relatable. At thirty eight she feels left behind by her friends who are happily married and distracted with raising a family. Even when she is invited to events, on the rare occasions she goes, she is aware of the awkwardness of being the divorcee of the group, and the quiet matchmaking that her friends inflict on her. As the book progresses we get an insight into her own unhappy marriage, and although she often presents it with a hint of humour it’s clear it has left deep wounds. Despite feeling too old to start again she embraces the opportunity of the walking holiday, feigning interest in Conrad’s Formula One obsession, persevering when the weather makes the walk more than unpleasant, and generally flitting around lightening the mood.
Michael’s marriage feels like a very different beast. Him and Natasha tried for a long time to get pregnant but this took its toll, and when a brutal attack left him physically and mentally scarred it pushed them too far and they separated. It feels like there’s still a lot of love between them and a genuine desire for the other to be happy. He continues to live in their marital home, some of her possessions still there, living what feels like a half life. He spends as much time out walking as possible, in part to escape a home that no longer feels like one. He is full of anxiety and struggles to talk about what’s led him to this point. When he does make an effort it is sweet and you hope that things will work out. Will the walk show him that nature will only go so far in healing, sharing it with another might just be the key. But is he ready to let go of the hope of reconciliation with Natasha?
Conrad may be a decoy for Marnie to begin with, but it’s clear to the reader that the potential romance will be with Michael. At the outset he hopes to continue the walk as if he were on his own, walking ahead of the rest of the group, but as numbers dwindle this becomes increasingly difficult. Marnie spends most of some of the days swearing at the mud and at him for lying to her about the challenges ahead, but he gradually learns to enjoy the company, and as her departure date approaches they’re both reluctant to bring the walk to an end. She teases him gently about his love of geography and finding what others see as quite boring to be of great interest. He listens to her open up with genuine interest and care.
The walk and landscape itself is central to the novel. The peace and companionship of walking with another, whether or not you’re talking, is well drawn, and the misery of being stuck miles from anywhere in wind and rain will be familiar to any keen hikers. Each accommodation is well described, with an ongoing joke about the wifi passwords, and it really brings to life the cosy pubs, the stodgy food, and attempts to keep your clothes dry before putting them on again the next day. This is not an idealised version of the English countryside but does highlight the camaraderie of long-distance walking and the friends you make along the way.
A lovely, easy read which will put a smile on your face. The characters are believable, and although slightly frustrating at times, their backstories are shared enough that you understand what’s made them the way they are. A gentle love story that isn’t without its upsets, you long for them to find comfort in each other.
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