Summary of Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain

By Justin Reese

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This book does not in any capacity mean to replace the original book but to serve as a vast summary of the original book.

Summary of Walking with Sam by Andrew McCarthy: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain

 

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Andrew McCarthy and his son Sam embark on a 500 mile trek across Spain's Camino de Santiago to create a meaningful connection and recreate their own life-altering journey. Walking With Sam captures their journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: jUSTIN REESE
• Release date: Jun 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223091677

Book preview

Prologue

The narrator experienced a period of self-doubt when they became successful in the movies, believing they had not earned their accomplishments. Walking across the Camino de Santiago a quarter century ago challenged this perception and gave them an internal baseline from which to go forth in the world. This experience planted seeds for a new way to perceive things and gave them an internal baseline from which to go forth. The Camino journey taught the narrator that they were solid in themselves, and it was the greatest of the many gifts it gave them. After a quarter century, the narrator returned to northern Spain and brought their son with them. The Camino taught the narrator that they were solid in themselves, and it was the greatest of the many gifts it gave them.

Part 1

I am about to get so sick of you

484 miles to Santiago

Sam and the narrator are getting up to leave a café in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, when he accidentally knocks over a glass. The narrator reacts with anger and embarrassment, but Sam's expression is one of surprise, resignation, a plea for leniency, and a whimsical acceptance of who he is. The narrator and Sam had landed in Bilbao, Spain, hours earlier, and Sam's mom and former wife had sent the narrator a text wishing them luck. A taxi carried them over an invisible border into France, and the door was locked. The narrator and their son, Sam, are on the Camino de Santiago in France.

They have made a reservation for a room with two beds, but there is a small twin bed next to the door. The narrator is tempted to lie to Sam, fearing he will be exposed for his lack of parenting skills and insufficient manhood. He confesses that he didn't notice the other bed, and the narrator discovers the Rue de la Citadelle, the Camino, which he had promised himself to see again for twenty-six years. Life has been waiting for the right circumstance. The narrator and their son Sam plan a five hundred mile walk on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that will take them over the Pyrenees, Basque region of Spain, Burgos, Meseta, León, Galicia, and the far west of Iberia.

The narrator first broached the idea of the walk to Sam several months ago, but he had other commitments. When Sam called for help, the narrator bought two plane tickets and Sam and the narrator embark on the journey. The narrator is on the road to Santiago with their three children, Sam and Dolores. Sam is on the threshold of manhood and an independent life, and the narrator is struggling to make him happy. The narrator harbors a dread that a similar parting between Sam and the narrator was preordained.

When Sam was deeply involved in his relationship with The Ex, it seemed that overnight he had left them. The narrator realizes that their active relationship with Sam might already be over, as they never thought of themselves becoming a parent. The narrator loves their children beyond comprehension and is content to be their father. However, as the active, day-to-day rearing of Sam fades, the void must be filled with something else, with two adults forming a singular, unique relationship. The narrator views this trip as an opportunity to actively begin Sam and their emotional transition.

At the breakfast table, Sam is staring down, deep in thought, and the narrator wonders if he's considering his own version of these same weighty issues. The narrator backs away from joining him in taking this horror personally. Eventually everyone must navigate the stray hairs of life on their own, and this is a good moment to start establishing that adult-to-adult relationship. The narrator is on a pilgrimage to Santiago, where they must take Pilgrim passports and scallop shells as proof of their journey. The narrator has a surprise for their son, Sam, and imagines a touching scene with him carrying an old scallop shell.

However, Sam turns to the table and grabs a shell. The narrator's sentimental fantasy fizzles, as it is Sam's Camino. The narrator selects a new shell and leaves their old one in their pack. They then visit a shop that has evolved to aid pilgrims and the locals. Sam and the narrator are giddy and nervous with excitement.

Despite poor photographic efforts, the images reveal a young man so innocent, excited and open and vulnerable. They are out the door.

I’m tired

484 miles to Santiago

The most important details in this text are that in 813 AD, a hermit named Pelayo discovered the remains of the Apostle James, who had the good fortune to witness some of early Christianity's greatest hits. After Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, James headed off to the Iberian Peninsula to preach the Word, but he seemed to lack persuasiveness. Fortunately, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on the banks of the Ebro River and convinced him to return to Judea, where he was martyred by King Herod Agrippa's sword in the year 44. The discovery of