Book Review: The Way of the Gardener by Lyndon Penner
The Way of the Gardener: Lost in the Weeds along the Camino de Santiago is a lovely escape, particularly in the wake of a global pandemic.
I first learned of the Camino pilgrimage nearly a decade ago and, like so many others, I fell in love with its romantic reputation. After watching Emilio Estevez’s 2010 film The Way, I fantasized about what it would be like to walk the Spanish countryside, meeting fellow pilgrims, tasting local wine and tapas at quaint and picturesque albergues (never once did I consider the reality of bedbugs.) Of the people I know who have trained for and made the six-week-long trek, all came home with enviable—dare I say: life-altering—stories of challenge and triumph. So, when I heard about Penner’s new book, I was eager to dive in and be transported.
Structured like a diary, with dates and locations to help situate the reader, Penner shares his near 800-kilometer hike from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela with great honesty and humour. While his primary observations of the Camino are of flora and fauna (heavy on the flora, complete with illustrations), the self-described introvert tickles the reader with anecdotes of his fellow pilgrims, of local architectural sites (mainly churches), of the food, and of the state of his body (namely his legs and feet.) I particularly enjoyed his musings on the “thimble-full” cups of coffee.
The Way of the Gardener is unlike other Camino memoirs I’ve read. If you’re looking for a touchy-feely narrative about spiritual transformation and the meaning of life, Penner’s book might not be for you. Effusive, he is not. The book reads like a series of snapshots from the road interspersed with lengthy botany lessons, and while I can’t say I was always captivated, I’ll certainly never eat another marshmallow the same way again. Penner’s love for the natural world is abundantly clear, but he stops short of revealing anything too personal. For the most part, I found this approach refreshing and wildly entertaining. Other times, I felt cheated. Penner flirts with vulnerability. He speaks of his deep love for his nephews and later, he is profoundly impacted by the generosity of others, but that’s about as much as he’s willing to reveal. As a result, this travel memoir occasionally lacks depth. Not that the reader isn’t warned. Penner is delightfully honest about his Camino experience and he doesn’t pretend to be what he is not. By his own admission, he is not a religious person and he would not walk the Camino again.
Nevertheless, The Way of the Gardener does capture something of the spiritual in its pages. Penner (sans iPod) deftly brings the reader into the present moment. His appreciation for the magpie, his love of wisteria vines, and his rich connection to the earth are infectiously palpable. Each page drips with appreciation for all that is beautiful. It is a wonderfully charming book and a deeply pleasurable read.
You can read more from Lyndon Penner on his gardening blog at www.lyndonandgardening.wordpress.com
The Way of the Gardener: lost in the weeds along the Camino de Santiago by Lyndon Penner University of Regina Press 2021, 159 p.p., ISBN: 9780889778061