About the author-
Guy Stagg was born in the year 1988. He grew up in Paris, London, Heidelberg, and Yorkshire. The book was awarded the Edward Stanford travel writing award in 2019 and was also shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio prize in the same year. The book 'The Crossway' is about his pilgrimage from Canterbury towards Jeruselum.

Storyline-
The book is about Guy Stagg who is a non-believer of his religion. As he deals with mental health issues and depression he thinks about starting a pilgrimage. He starts his journey thinking that pilgrimage and religion could heal him. He initiates his journey from Canterbury up to Jerusalem. On his way, he crosses ten countries and walks about 5,000 kilometers. He walks the pilgrimage route alone without any group or friends. As he walks down the ancient route of pilgrimage he encounters various incidents and a wide range of people. His journey solely depends on the people he meets. For his accommodations, he usually stays in churches wherein there are families and nuns. They help him for his stay and he learns a lot from the people he meets on his way.
"I thought my journey might build me up again. I walked to mend myself."
-Guy Stagg

He leaves his home on New Year's Day and then continues to the Alps and then to Rome. Further, he meets the new pope in Rome itself and crosses the sea to reach Albania, Macedonia, Greece and then he enters Turkey. He even becomes a part of the mass protest in Istanbul. During his stay in Lebanon, he encounters a terrorist attack and survives it. As he carries out the pilgrimage alone he discovers parts about himself that he was unaware about.
The book is about the author's traveling adventures, historic places, religion, and pilgrimage and is full of wonders. Guy Stagg's pilgrimage begins with suffering and pain and at the end it doesn't reach any triumph rather into different deep doubts.
What I liked about the book?
The cover page of the book is intriguing and I analyse and understand it as a person being open to the world and asking for healing him with open arms. As the cover page also includes mountain ranges and a rucksack at the back it gives us an idea that it will include travel incidents. The book answers the question of whether there is still some meaning to religion for people who are non-believers. The author has a good style of writing and the book has a very well-described plot. There are tiny details about the author's account of people and places and they are well expressed. I felt like I was travelling along the author as he has vividly described the ancient cities of pilgrimage. I highly recommend all readers to read this book at least once in their lifetime. I am so thankful to Dipika aunty for gifting me such an amazing book.
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