The Way of Stars and Stones -- Thoughts on a pilgrimage: More Comments about the book

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

More Comments about the book

For anyone who has ever faced a challenge, challenged your own fears, or feared the unknown, then this is a book you must read. Dealing with news of a friend's cancer diagnosis, Wilna Wilkinson set out on a challenge of her own and hikes 800 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela to try to inspire her friend and her own courage, and in the processes touches the hearts of those she meets along the way, her friends at home, and of those who follow her on the pages. Join her facebook group today, and be inspired by her book.

KDL, Belgium

Duisend dankies dat jy JOU Camino met my deel. Vir 'n non-stapper het jy wragtiewaar jouself oortref. Ek's ver van klaar gelees, maar kannie wag om die volgende dag saam met jou te beleef. Jy't verseker jou eie missie om non-average te wees behaal.Jou boek lees heerlik - . Mooiman! Trots op jou.

-- IS, South Africa

Wonderful surprise to receive a copy of your book in the mail yesterday. As I have several other books on the 'go' I thought I'd do a quick skim of your first few chapters. That didn't work as I was captivated immediately and just had to keep reading. Enjoyed the journey immensley - the characters, landforms and experiences were realistically brought to life and I felt transported to the Camino.

--AW, Australia

I got the book and can't wait to start reading. I will write to you when I have finished, if I am able, as I am told one is either in floods of tears or laughing ones head off!!

--SC, Australia

I wanted to read the book and review it for the SA Confraternity's newletter. It's wonderful and has inspired me to pick up my manuscript (that I began after my solo) again!

--CMC, South Africa

Still reading, but am really enjoying it. Feeling inspired to pack my own bag and head off!

--NM South Africa

I have just finished reading your book and was totally blown away by it- I read until 2am one night as I couldn't put it down. When I heard you were doing the pilgrimage I had no idea of what you were undertaking. It puts wandering around Milford Sound for a week into the pale!

I am sure Terrie took strength from you- two such strong women that I have been privileged to know

--MM, New Zealand

Je serai la première à m'exprimer en français,pour te dire combien ces photos éclairent ton texte, on comprend mieux tes émotions, les liens qui te lient à ces héros que tu as rencontrés, ave qui tu as partagé...s tant de souvenirs, de joie et de s...ouffrance en voyant leurs portraits et certaines scènes de partage qui ont du être mémorables. Un seul regret pas assez de photos de toi, qui est une vrais héroïne, Wilna mon amie très chère. Merci pour notre rencontre, je crois que je vais relire ton livre pour l'apprécier autrement que lors de la première lecture et mieux comprendre la leçon de vie que tu nous fais partager. je suis heureuse d'être une de tes nonbreux fans

-- BD, France

Danke Wilna......!!!!!

--CT, Germany

2 comments:

terrieOctober 20, 2009 at 12:23 PM
My dear friend, your book is an inspiration.I have sent copies to many friends who are transfixed, can't put it down. I was the same - wanted to keep reading but didn't want it to end. Tears and laughter, awe and empathy, fascination and inspiration - your words, your style, your insight, your generosity have evoked all this. I'm bursting with pride and admiration.
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AnonymousOctober 21, 2009 at 4:07 AM
The book is awesome. Thanks for posting. Let me share this with you. I have taken this presentation skills workshop and I gained a lot of confidence and was able to prepare effective slides to aid presentation. Worth checking!
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ABOUT THE BOOK

When a close friend is stricken with cancer, Wilna Wilkinson decides to walk the Camino, the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela, to find a challenge as close as possible to her friend’s battle against the incurable disease. With no answers on how to cope with the situation, her feelings of helpless ineffectiveness drive her to tackle the 850km journey in the middle of the European winter.

This is the spiritual journey of a woman who chooses to walk alone, in the heart of winter, and who generously offers to take the reader by the hand to share her experience.

On both a physical and a mental level the Camino - from the heart of France into the northern territories of Spain over the awesome heights of the Pyrenees - is a more demanding challenge than any Wilna has ever had to face in her privileged life.

The Way of Stars and Stones offers practical advice and information about walking the Camino. In addition there are spiritual reflections; an overlap of history and personal observation, of perception and of reality, of deep thought and light humour. Wilna candidly introduces the reader to many of her fellow pilgrims and travellers, she pulls you into their conversations, invites you to eavesdrop on their confessions, and to listen to their myriad points of view. She cries with you when you learn their inspirational stories, she laughs with you when their humour fills the refuge dormitories.

2010 is the Holy Year of the Camino and it is estimated that more than two million people from all over the world will be walking this ancient pilgrimage.

The author has pledged all royalties from the sales of this book to cancer research

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wilna Wilkinson’s entire life has been a joyful journey of discovery. From the first time she managed to reach the top branches in the big old Belhambra tree in the bottom corner of the garden of the home of her childhood - and discovered that from there she could see not only to the end of the street but even further - she wanted to be out there and learn, and experience more.
Wilna Wilkinson was born and educated in Pretoria. Soon after finishing her studies at Pretoria University, she got down from her tree lookout and set off on her gypsy wanderings around the globe.
As a speech writer, a coach in presentation skills and public speaking - and in particular as motivational speaker - she has travelled and worked all over the world. She had regaled and delighted audiences from Iceland to Mexico, Japan to Canada, Malawi to Brisbane,

Birmingham to Bangkok, and trained people in all walks of life to believe in themselves and to speak up for that which they believe in.
A few years ago she packed up her old life and started a new one – in a 13th Century fairy castle (which stands with its feet in the Dordogne River) in the countryside of south west France.
Here she makes her own contribution to the conservation of our beautiful planet by, for instance buying only food from the local farmers. She also makes a cultural contribution to the local community by hosting a monthly ‘Soiree for Interesting Women’, teaching English at the little local university and organising regular musical evenings to introduce exciting new musicians and hosting literary dinner parties to which she attracts some of the best French authors of the day.
“The Camino changed my life completely,” Wilna says. “Because there was so much I could tell, so much I still think about and so much I wanted to share with everyone to get them thinking too, that I had to sit down and write about my experiences and my observations on the pilgrimage. In a way the writing process was reliving and recreating the original experience. I am hoping that it will be the same for the reader.”
And will she walk it again? “You can bet your bottom dollar I will do so the first opportunity I get!”

The Way of Stars and Stones -- Thoughts on a pilgrimage

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

More Comments about the book

2 comments:

ABOUT THE BOOK

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