Slowing Time - by Deborah R Taggart (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For fans of transformative travel memoir, a widowed woman's account of setting out on Spain's Camino del Norte--and learning as she goes that slowing down may be the most courageous way forward.

On a six-week solo trek along Spain's rugged northern coast, Debbie carries only a backpack--and the accumulated memories of a life shaped by love, loss, and travel. What begins as a physical journey through rain-soaked forests, windswept cliffs, and small coastal villages slowly becomes something more intimate: a reckoning with time and the uneasy task of beginning again.

As the steady rhythm of walking slows Debbie's days, unbidden memories surface. The Camino stirs reflections on her marriage, her husband's death at home, and their travels together through East Africa. Scenes rise and recede alongside her footsteps--a rural community in Mbita, Kenya; the Royal Drummers of Burundi; the spray of Sipi Falls in Uganda--each memory moving forward with her rather than holding her back. With honesty, humor, and emotional clarity, Debbie navigates solitude, physical fatigue, and uncertainty even as she remains open to the quiet generosity of fellow pilgrims, shared meals, and one unexpected encounter that briefly awakens her heart.

Reflective and vulnerable, Slowing Time is not simply about walking through remarkable natural beauty; it is about learning how to live alongside memory, how to carry love forward, and how slowing down can open the way to renewal.

Review Quotes

"Candid, funny and deeply moving . . . Her story is a stirring reminder that it is never too late to step into the unknown and discover a renewed sense of meaning along the way."--Barry Hoffner, author of Belonging to the World

"Vivid descriptions of the breathtaking landscape are beautifully intertwined with her journey with grief . . . The story reminds us that new paths can be found and hope endures."--Kathy Elkind, author of To Walk It Is To See It

"Taggart strikes notes both melancholy and joyful as she meditates on her past, meets other pilgrims, and ultimately recognizes how God has worked through serendipitous moments . . . Taggart's spiritual journey will keep the rest of us reading to the end."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Deborah R. Taggart grew up in Virginia, raised four children while pursuing a demanding career, and lost her husband shortly after they restored a historic home in North Carolina. Since then, she has traveled widely--often alone--drawn to questions of time, renewal, and reinvention. She currently lives in Harbor Springs, Michigan.