Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Patagonia: The Camino Home: A Camino of the Soul, Book 2 is a non-fiction travel memoir written by Katharine Elliott. The author first traveled the Camino Santiago de Compostela, which spoke so deeply to her that she knew that walking, writing and actively hearing the words and guidance of her angels would be part of her life from thereon. During that Camino, her Aunt Mary Joe, her grandparents, and her friend and mother-in-law, Sis, had all been there to guide and support her. Kate's life was still in turmoil as she tried to cope with the reality of a divorce from her long-term husband and best friend, Jack. For her, it meant a return to the United States after living in Europe for six years and a newly found determination to rely upon the Universe to show her the next steps in her life’s journey. When she first returned home to the US, she spent a week in Central California, reveling in the relaxing, natural and peaceful environment. And while it had only been a short time since she had finished her Camino, she was already planning a new hike. Her long-term plan was the Via Francigena, a mammoth two-thousand-kilometer pilgrimage from Canterbury, England to Rome, but, for now, she decided she would indulge in her long-held dream of going to Patagonia. First, she would explore El Chalten's trails in Southern Argentina, and then attempt the famous W Trek of Torres del Paine National Park. There would be hiking and new skills to learn on the rugged and remote slopes, but she was confident that she could do it.

Katharine Elliott's non-fiction travel memoir, Patagonia: The Camino Home: A Camino of the Soul, Book 2, had me raptly following the author as she navigated rocky terrains and braved gusting winds as she hiked the W Trek. Elliot’s A Camino of the Soul series has been so inspiring for me -- I also enjoy hiking and have long dreamed of making my own Camino. Elliott has the power to get the reader so involved in her story that it's almost as though one were on the trail with her. I loved seeing each day's hikes come to fruition and could empathize with her trepidation when traveling down steep and rocky slopes -- yes, though it seems counter-intuitive, the trip down is invariably harder than the climb up. Along the way, Elliott shares more of her marvelous tales about her life and those friends and family members who mean so much to her. Her stories about Christmas and those early memories of growing up in Port Angeles are brilliant, and MJ, known to her niece as E, is truly an unforgettable person. I’m certain that I'm not the only reader who is wondering when Elliott will travel back to England and begin the Via Francigena, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading about it in her next book. Patagonia: The Camino Home: A Camino of the Soul, Book 2 is most highly recommended.