Walking with Sam - by Andrew McCarthy (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An intimate, funny, and poignant New York Times bestseling travel memoir following award-winning author and actor Andrew McCarthy as he walks the Camino de Santiago with his son Sam.

When Andrew McCarthy's eldest son began to take his first steps into adulthood, McCarthy found himself wishing time would slow down. Looking to create a more meaningful connection with Sam before he fled the nest, as well as recreate his own life-altering journey decades before, McCarthy decided the two of them should set out on a trek like few others: 500 miles across Spain's Camino de Santiago.

Over the course of the journey, the pair traversed an unforgiving landscape, having more honest conversations in five weeks than they'd had in the preceding two decades. Discussions of divorce, the trauma of school, McCarthy's difficult relationship with his own father, fame, and Flaming Hot Cheetos threatened to either derail their relationship or cement it. Walking With Sam captures this intimate, candid and hopeful expedition as the father son duo travel across the country and towards one another.

Review Quotes

"[Walking with Sam] recreates the loping, pleasant rhythm of the trail. Along with potted guidebook history lessons, it also establishes a gradual sense of community and camaraderie among the other walkers they encounter, and paints a clear picture of McCarthy as somebody exceedingly in touch with his feelings. "--New York Times

"I greatly enjoyed this father-and-son saunter for its fractiousness and sulks, exasperation and blisters, and ultimately its harmony and resolution, proving the saying solvitur ambulando--'it is solved by walking.'"--Paul Theroux

"McCarthy shares exquisite details of their surroundings, providing historical context as they leave France's Pyrenees, journey through Spain's Basque Country, cross the areas of Pamplona, La Rioja, Leon, and Galicia, and end in Iberia a month later. Along the way, they face weather extremes, blisters, the love triangles of fellow pilgrims, and McCarthy's own fears of being exposed to his son as deficient in his abilities and knowledge. The process of the two connecting over time is heartwarming and relatable. . . A sweet gem of a tale that will appeal to McCarthy fans and those who appreciate a challenging journey."--Library Journal

"McCarthy's depiction of the rewarding endeavor of walking the Camino with his son is both worthwhile and entertaining."--Booklist

About the Author

Andrew McCarthy is the author of three books in addition to Walking with Sam: Brat: An '80s Story, Just Fly Away, and The Longest Way Home--all New York Times bestsellers. He is an award-winning travel writer and served for a dozen years as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. Best known as an actor for the past four decades, Andrew has appeared in such iconic films as Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He lives in New York.