Our deep read for November and December is Waypoints, by Robert Martineau, a fascinating travel book exploring the psychology of walking, pilgrimage, solitude and escape.
At the age of twenty-seven, and afraid of falling into an unfulfilling life, Robert quits his office job, buys a flight to Accra and begins to walk.
Waypoints is the story of the ensuing 1,000-mile pilgrimage through Ghana, Togo and Benin, to Ouidah, an ancient spiritual centre on the West African coast. Along the way, he meets shamans, priests, historians, archaeologists and kings.
He begins to confront the lines of slavery and exploitation that binds his home to theirs.
By walking and learning lessons from those he walks among each day, Martineau finds the freedom he craves as he reconnects with the natural world and reconciles himself with our past. Waypoints is an incredible account of a unique adventure and the inner journey that accompanies it.