Scan barcode
A review by guarinous
Petra's Ghost by C.S. O’Cinneide
5.0
Petra's Ghost is, as you'd expect from the title, a ghost story. However, the the true beating heart of this entertaining tale of pilgrimage is the theme of redemption and its many, often incomplete forms.
Admittedly, I went into this book not having ever heard of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Spanish pilgrimage route. C.S. O'Cinneide draws here on her own experiences while walking the route in 2015, and I need to point out what a fantastic job she does bringing the route to life, using real life locations and details that add realism to the story. The main character, an Irish ex-pat named Daniel, is a well drawn out figure of grief and guilt over the recent cancer death of his wife Petra. Daniel has come to the Camino to spread Petra's ashes and to perhaps find something in the pilgrimage for himself.
Daniel soon meets Ginny, a girl from California who immediately proclaims him as "different", and an older Dutchman who takes on the role of wise sage. They're soon besieged by a mysterious entity that seems to follow them along the path. The book from this point assumes the dual roles of horror and travelogue: Daniel and Ginny visit many historical locations, festivals, and inns along the path, interspersed with encounters and far off sightings of the entity. Throughout the book, I found myself comparing certain sections to M.R. James' classic "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'". I can give no higher praise as I consider that one of my favorite ghost stories.
I'd imagine Petra's Ghost will rank fairly highly on my year end book list. Grief and guilt can be as terrifying as actual apparitions, but as one character succinctly puts it: Not all ghosts are out to harm you, but they all carry messages.
***I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Dundurn.**
Admittedly, I went into this book not having ever heard of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Spanish pilgrimage route. C.S. O'Cinneide draws here on her own experiences while walking the route in 2015, and I need to point out what a fantastic job she does bringing the route to life, using real life locations and details that add realism to the story. The main character, an Irish ex-pat named Daniel, is a well drawn out figure of grief and guilt over the recent cancer death of his wife Petra. Daniel has come to the Camino to spread Petra's ashes and to perhaps find something in the pilgrimage for himself.
Daniel soon meets Ginny, a girl from California who immediately proclaims him as "different", and an older Dutchman who takes on the role of wise sage. They're soon besieged by a mysterious entity that seems to follow them along the path. The book from this point assumes the dual roles of horror and travelogue: Daniel and Ginny visit many historical locations, festivals, and inns along the path, interspersed with encounters and far off sightings of the entity. Throughout the book, I found myself comparing certain sections to M.R. James' classic "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'". I can give no higher praise as I consider that one of my favorite ghost stories.
I'd imagine Petra's Ghost will rank fairly highly on my year end book list. Grief and guilt can be as terrifying as actual apparitions, but as one character succinctly puts it: Not all ghosts are out to harm you, but they all carry messages.
***I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Dundurn.**