Two Steps Forward: A Novel

Written by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist

Narrated by Penelope Rawlins and Simon Slater

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Rosie Project comes a story of taking chances and learning to love again as two people, one mourning her husband and the other recovering from divorce, cross paths on the centuries-old Camino pilgrimage from France to Spain.

“The Chemin will change you. It changes everyone…”

The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is a centuries-old pilgrim route that ends in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Every year, thousands of walkers—some devout, many not—follow the route that wends through quaint small villages and along busy highways alike, a journey unlike any other.

Zoe, an artist from California who’s still reeling from her husband’s sudden death, has impulsively decided to walk the Camino, hoping to find solace and direction. Martin, an engineer from England, is road-testing a cart of his own design…and recovering from a messy divorce. They begin in the same French town, each uncertain of what the future holds. Zoe has anticipated the physical difficulties of her trek, but she is less prepared for other challenges, as strangers and circumstances force her to confront not just recent loss, but long-held beliefs. For Martin, the pilgrimage is a test of his skills and endurance but also, as he and Zoe grow closer, of his willingness to trust others—and himself—again.

Smart and funny, insightful and romantic, Two Steps Forward reveals that the most important journeys we make aren’t measured in miles, but in the strength, wisdom, and love found along the way. Fans of The Rosie Project will recognize Graeme Simsion’s uniquely quirky and charming writing style.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9780062845528

Graeme Simsion

Graeme Simsion is the internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, and The Rosie Result, featuring Professor Don Tillman, as well as The Best of Adam Sharp and, with Anne Buist, Two Steps Forward. Graeme lives in Australia.

Reviews for Two Steps Forward

[hardlyhardy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Two Steps Forward” may be the title of a recently published novel by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist, but the novel itself completes the phrase, "Two steps forward, one step back."Simsion and Buist's two main characters and co-narrators, Martin and Zoe, are both middle-aged and newly single, he because of a nasty divorce and she because of the death of her husband. They meet while walking the Camino de Santiago, the ancient route taken by pilgrims that stretches from France across northern Spain. The way does not go smoothly, and we are not talking about the Camino. Like confused magnets, they repel, then attract, repel, then attract. They all but become lovers, then one or the other takes off alone down trail without explanation. Soon enough they meet again, only to repeat the process.These sorts of things happen in romantic novels, but still it quickly gets old here. Fortunately the authors provide welcome diversions in the form of subplots. Martin, an engineer from Great Britain, devises a cart to carry his gear and uses his pilgrimage as a marketing tool, hoping to sell his idea to a manufacturer. He also has a teenage daughter back home entangled in an affair with a married man. The American Zoe, meanwhile, learns her husband's fatal accident may have actually been a suicide. Plus there's news she will soon become a grandmother. An international cast of supporting characters also helps keep things somewhat interesting.Then Simsion and Buist give us an ending that helps us all but forget the on-again-off-again romantic silliness of the previous 300 pages.

[valerieandbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story, of two people -- Zoe and Martin--alternating their point of view while taking a pilgrimage walk through Europe, fell somewhat flat for me. Really, it may just have been me (I notice that several on Litsy loved this novel). To me, this felt too much like a travelogue. In the Q & A in the back of this novel, the husband-and-wife authors state it was not their intention to have this feel like "a travel log" , but they didn't quite succeed. I will say, however, that this Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail (which I was not aware of before) is now intriguing and I'd like to encounter part of it someday. Graeme Simison is the author of The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect, both of which I liked very much. I tried not to compare Two Steps Forward to these previous books, knowing that the subject was entirely different and also that this was co-written with his wife.Thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and the publisher for sending me a copy to review.

[Anu Murthy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story and narrators were engaging and inspirational as I will be walking the Camino later this year!

[detailmuse · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’ve started this several times since acquiring it in 2018. I finally persevered now because I craved an armchair experience of its long-hike of the Chemin (Camino de Santiago) pilgrim trail through France and Spain.Like Simsion’s Rosie novels, this one is sweet and the aspects of adventure and camaraderie are pleasant. But the main characters (a recent divorce and a recent widow) are not interesting … their narrative voices (in alternating chapters) are indistinguishable from one another … and the plot turns the same twist several times.

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I made several attempts to read this book and although I've read other books by Mr. Simsion and enjoyed them, this isn't in that category. I don't know what it is about this book, the plot, characters, or presentation, but I simply failed to connect with anything. Having said that, I gave this book to my 85-y.o. mother to read and she enjoyed it, but then she's never read anything by either of these authors.

[pj817 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy books about the Camino. They make me look at my life and goals and limitations (I mostly set for myself). While the story is relatively predictable, I found the characters to be well developed and likable enough to keep me reading. A very quick read, but quite enjoyable.

[neale_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A relaxed, charming and modern love story with a few twists and turns along the way. Alternate chapters written by Zoe and Martin keep the story and journey moving along. The style works well. It is a bit like a sales pitch for the Camino. An easy read and worth your time.

[grgenius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Can you imagine walking away from everything you know, everything you have, everyone you love in the name of finding yourself again? Yeah, me neither and yet that's what many do in some way (or completely) when they choose to walk the Camino. The reasons vary as much as the goal sought, but the outcome if given the proper time and attention is all about renewal. A new perspective on the important things in life, a new reason to wake each morning and greet the day with a hearty hello, a new way of living or even letting go...it's all about finding your inner peace, discovering your inner strengths, and allowing life to set you once again on the path meant for you. Zoe had a great heartache to walk for and from, but eventually she was able to come to terms with all that was wrapped up in that unexpected goodbye. Martin was seeking new fortune (with some fame), but ended up uncovering past wounds he never realized were still in need of healing. They BOTH learn how to depend on themselves, but also the strength shown in being able to open oneself up to another even after all the ugly has been bared...and yes, there is ugly to share, but there is also glorious hope, humor, and potential for happiness still to come.

When I reached the end of my reading journey and while I wasn't ready to scale mountaintops to proclaim its wonder, I was pleasantly surprised. The paths the character's walked converged and diverged many times along the way, physically and emotionally, and while you can't hope initially for an attachment to form, by book's end it's easier to see it was never about the WE, but the HIM and HER rediscovering themselves; their connection or lack thereof was merely an addendum to which we were lucky to be privy to.


**copy received for review

[bell7_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

*Free e-book ARC provided by the publisher through Edelweiss/Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review. No money or other goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*Zoe, newly widowed, comes to France to visit her old college roommate, Camille, and - though she's super anti-Catholic and anti-religion - lets fate send her on a pilgrimage down the Camino de Santiago where she's sure she'll learn something. Martin, a British divorce, has his own reasons for walking the Camino: he's going to test out a cart rather than the traditional backpack and see if he can sell his design. The two meet and the wrong kind of sparks fly, but then on the trip though they wind around in different ways, they often seem to meet back up and even start a tentative friendship.The husband-and-wife writing team definitely know the Camino and have walked the routes they describe themselves. The secondary characters are a fun bunch of oddballs with their own histories and reasons for walking. But this middle-aged finding second love romance otherwise fell flat for me. Zoe in particular was unbelievable in many ways - not least of which, at 45, she has a name that didn't reach its popularity until the late 90s-early 00s, at least in the U.S. Possible that her parents were forward-thinking in giving her an unusual name, but her self-awareness struck me as about as clear as most 20-year-olds too. In short, she did not read her age to me at all. It probably didn't help that she was all the things that annoy me most - very "fate will decide" and impulsive, quick to make snap judgments about people, and self-righteous in her world view. And yes, the Camino does change her, but because I started out with an "Are you kidding me?" attitude I'm afraid some of the events that were supposed to evoke a very emotional response in me just got a shrug. Disappointing.

[mzonderm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Martin and Zoe are both recently single, middle-aged people who decide to walk to the Camino de Santiago starting in Cluny, France. Neither of them have particularly good reasons to walk hundreds of miles on an historical pilgrimage, but it seems like a good idea at the time. They don't know each other until just before they set out, but fate brings them together on the trail. And apart. And together. And apart. And together again. Each time they come together, the encourage each other forward with well-placed cliches, and then misunderstand each other just enough so that they separate again.Martin's and Zoe's stories are somewhat less than compelling, unfortunately, and the cast of characters they meet along the way isn't much better. But the descriptions of the Camino were very well done, and almost made me feel like I was walking alongside them.

[pinklady60 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a little bit of travel, a little bit of romance as the reader follows Zoe, a California artist, and Martin, an English engineer, as they set out on a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old route that winds through small villages in France and Spain.Although the characters were likeable enough, I never really felt invested in their journeys and the reasons behind them. It did peak my interest enough, however, to learn more about the Camino and to consider walking it myself.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Zoe and Martin meet on the Camino, both walking for very different reasons. Zoe is grieving the recent death of her husband and the end of life as she has known it. Martin is grieving the loss of his marriage and striking out with a cart design that he hopes will propel him in a new direction professionally. Though it would be easy for them to fall into a relationship with each other, both are cautious - focusing on themselves and the things they find they are working through as they walk miles each day. There are interesting characters along the way and eventually the friendships and things they learn during the months of their walking do "change" them as they were promised back at the beginning. Enjoyable!

[danfango-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, this book turned out to be much better than anticipated. I expected it to be just an average travel log about hiking the Camino, but the characters that we meet along the way are quite interesting, and I liked the way the book alternated between the perspectives of the two main characters Zoe and Martin. The story started to drag a little in the middle, but the end was satisfying. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

[kbig898 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved The Rosie Project so I was looking forward to this book. I was not familiar with Anne Buist. Zoe and Martin both set off hiking The Camino for reasons having to do with loss. They grow closer as they proceed on their trip. They both discover their strengths and also the areas where they still need to grow. Martin and Zoe meet up with a variety of people who are also walking The Camino and have several entertaining adventures. I had never heard of The Chermin in France and Spain but after reading this book I’m very interested in learning more. I love when books introduce me to new places and ideas.

[bookczuk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a number of friends who have travelled the Camino. All feel it has changed them in some way. Interesting to travel on a fictional journey written by a husband and wife team of authors.

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two Steps Forward is written by husband & wife - Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist. I've read Simsion's Rosie books but haven't read anything by Buist (I'm going to be changing that soon). Zoe is a recent widow who has found out that her husband's business was failing and there's a second mortgage on her house. So she decides to get rid of everything and visit and old friend who's living in France. But something happens and she decides to walk the Camino. Martin is recently divorced, pretty much a misogynist, I mean he can't even tell his daughter he loves her. He too goes on the Camino but for entirely different reason. Zoe & Martin's paths connect at various times on the Camino but will they, can they connect in any real way?I loved this book both for the story and characters but even more so for the description of The Way. I look forward to reading more by both authors.

[amaryann21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Zoe decides to walk the Chermin/Camino on an impulse. Martin is doing it for business reasons. Their paths cross early on, but it isn't until later that they help each other find what each is running from, what each needs to learn. But this isn't a romance, this is a story about the power of the Camino and how it changes the pilgrim who walks it. Simsion and Buist (partners in life) have walked the Camino twice, so they have experienced this first hand, and so the experiences of their characters ring with truth and honesty. I've been drawn in by Simsion's writing in the Rosie books, and this was even better.

[whitreidtan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Husband and wife writing team Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist's charming new novel Two Steps Forward was obviously meant for me right now. I had previously read and loved The Rosie Project so the writing was likely to appeal to me. I have been noticing an uptick in the amount of uplifting literature or "up lit" published recently and have been interested not only in the phenomenon but also in these faith-in-humanity restoring stories and what they give to us as readers. And finally I do have a fascination with books about hiking and pilgrimages and the Camino de Santiago in particular pulls at me. With all of that going for it, it's no surprise that I enjoyed this gentle novel.People undertake pilgrimages for every reason under the sun. Zoe, an American, is a recent widow struggling to process the sudden change in her life, her unexpected lack of money, and her re-awakened interest in the art she gave up in order to have children (now grown) and be a wife. She's arrived in Cluny to visit an old college friend as she contemplates what to do with her life now. Martin, a Brit, is an engineer who fled to Cluny, France to teach for a year after his wife's affair with his boss left him both unemployed and divorced. Completely broke, Martin sees a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago struggling with the trolley he's using to transport his belongings and decides first to see if he can design a better option, and once he does, to try and market it to earn some money. Neither Zoe nor Martin intended to hike the Camino de Santiago (also known as the Chemin or the Way), but it offers each of them a chance to change themselves, their perspectives, and their lives. Zoe will walk it in order to have time to think and to plan her next steps in life, to reflect on her marriage and who she became versus who she wants to be. Martin will walk it to road test his one-wheeled cart as proof to investors that it is everything he claims. But both of them will gain so much more from their walk than just what their original intentions promise.Starting out within days of each other on their respective walks after having met briefly in Cluny, Zoe and Martin have set (negative) initial ideas about each other and even though they continue to run across each other as they look for places for food and to spend the night, they keep their distance. They each meet a wide variety of fellow travelers as they walk, all of whom have their own reasons for tackling the long and winding way. It is through these fellow pilgrims that Zoe and Martin start to thaw towards each other, coming to value the others' presence on the trail even though long stretches of their time is still spent walking alone. Alternating first person chapters between Zoe and Martin, the reader sees not only their internal motivations for walking but also what they think of each other and of the others they meet along the way. The first person narration also allows the reader to see when and how they each start to confront the things in their life that have brought them to this place and this walk as they learn that no matter how far they go, they cannot out walk the things that burden them and instead must acknowledge them, face them, and either release them or embrace them in order to move forward. Sometimes this knowledge comes as their relationship deepens but at other times it must be learned in solo contemplation.The novel takes some time to really get going, focused as it is on the walk itself. In the beginning the characters are quite consumed by the purely physical concerns of the journey, finding food and inexpensive shelter, caring for their feet and tired, dirty bodies. It is only later in their respective travels that they start to focus on the emotional aspects of this pilgrimage to find themselves. The pacing is slow and only ever speeds up to leisurely as the novel progresses so readers looking for a romp of any sort are forewarned. Instead of a rollicking adventure, this is a sweet story of starting over, embracing change--good and bad, the goodness of humanity, and second (or third) chances at love. It is a quick and easy read and it is clear to see that Simsion and Buist, who have themselves walked the route that Zoe and Martin take, not only have a knowledge of the Camino but also a strong affection for it and for the changes it made in their own lives. Sweet, sometimes funny, sometimes romantic, and definitely thoughtful, this is a delightful and engaging read.

[fastforward-46127 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Every year, thousands of walkers follow a centuries old pilgrim route from France to Spain. The Chemin, also known as the Camino de Santiago, is walked by people who are hoping to experience the life changing effects that the journey is well known to bring to people who complete it. Zoe has come to France still reeling from her husband's sudden death. Martin is recovering from a messy divorce. They both set off the pilgrimage alone but seem to keep bumping into one another while staying in the small towns along the route. This is a story of pushing yourself to the limit in order to learn more about yourself and maybe others.The Chemin is not something I had heard about before reading this novel and I really found the whole concept fascinating. It really sounds like an incredible accomplishment to complete the journey. Unfortunately, the pace of this book was so slow at times it almost felt like you were out there walking the many kilometers yourself instead of reading a pleasant book. I wasn't a big fan of Zoe as a character but by the end she was definitely more tolerable. I do like the different positive messages of this book but there were just too many times when I was bored to really give this a good recommendation. I won a free copy of this book but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.