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Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist
When thinking about Simsion & Buist’s Two Steps Forward, the word “gentle” keeps coming to mind. It is a soft romance with gentle humour about two people who have little in common other than having recently gone through painful and life-changing events.
Despite being stereotypical opposites, Zoe and Martin are both endearing in their own ways. She is a socially conscious, feisty, and artistic type who is used to getting by, and he is a man who always has a plan, a first aid and toolkit, map, GPS, guidebook, etc., and is very British in his emotional reserve.
The pace of Two Steps Forward is quite deliberate, with Zoe and Martin putting their individual journeys—midlife self-awareness growing—before romance. But it seems the fates, and a colourful and eclectic ensemble cast of fellow Camino pilgrims, have other ideas…
I had never read any of Buist’s fiction before, but I have so far thoroughly appreciated all of Simsion’s works. His skill for crafting engrossing dialogue is on full display, even though the tone of Two Steps Forward is warmer and less humorous than earlier ventures.
Additionally, the alternating first-person accounts were effective. The necessity for their characters to mourn for things lost and connect with sensations and emotions they had previously repressed felt very authentic, ultimately cathartic and uplifting.
It is hardly surprising that Fox Searchlight has selected the film Two Steps Forward, which will be produced by A Very Good Production Company, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jeff Kleeman. The setting and expansive views of the French and Spanish countryside should be enough to make the film adaption enjoyable to watch, but as with any character-driven drama, finding the right lead actors who fit the plot’s intended audience’s demographic will be crucial.
About The Book
Zoe is from California and dabbles in painting. Engineer Martin is from Yorkshire. Both have arrived in the charming town of Cluny in the centre of France. Both are having a hard time dealing with their recent pasts: Martin’s nasty divorce; Zoe’s husband’s passing.
Each sets out on their own to walk the two thousand kilometres from Cluny to Santiago in northwest Spain, following in the footsteps of pilgrims who have travelled the Camino—the Way—for centuries, in an effort to start over. It’s said that the Camino alters you. A chance to discover a different version of yourself.
But can these two very different people find each other? The husband-and-wife team of Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist alternately tell Martin’s and Zoe’s stories in this witty, humorous, and sappy journey.
The Review
Two Steps Forward
10 Score
This was a delightful and gentle read, telling the story of Zoe and Martin and their journey on the Camino, and through a difficult period in their lives. It was refreshing to read about real people, with messy, complicated lives and there is a complete lack of cliche here. I felt like I was reading an autobiographical account and it was clear from the narrative that the authors had undertaken this journey themselves. It felt very authentic. As others have mentioned, the star of the book is the Camino itself, and it definitely inspires a desire to travel and consider such an undertaking.
PROS
- Simply Wonderful.
- Authentic Camino Experience.
- Charming Characters.
- Interesting, Unique Story.
CONS
- Very Tedious And Uninteresting.
- Intensely Boring.
- Very Disappointing.
- Tenuous And Shallow.
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