Will North The Long Walk Home

The Long Walk Home

Will North

Shaye Areheart (Crown), Aug 2007, $24.00

ISBN: 9780307383020

American Alex Hudson promised his former wife Gwynne that he would scatter her ashes from the top of Cadair Idris Mountain in Wales that they once climbed together. Thus he hikes the path to Fiona Edwards's renowned Tan y Gadair Farm bed-and-breakfast at the foothill of the peak he must ascend.

However, the weather is nasty so he waits for a lull at Fiona's B&B. She, like him, is lonely as her spouse David ails and hides from the world including her. The two middle age souls fall into each other's arms as much for solace as for lovemaking. When a break in the weather occurs, Alec climbs to the summit to complete his quest. However, before he can climb down, a hailstorm makes the descent dangerous. Still he treks downward towards Fiona's B&B when he comes across the near dead body of David. Alex ponders to be or not to be as he debates trying to save him yet also considers leaving him to die so he can have Fi for himself; rationalizing there is no way to bring David down the mountain in this weather alone vs. looking at himself while shaving.

THE LONG WALK HOME is a modern day morality play as Alex struggles with his beliefs. He does the right thing by Gwynne, but finds he wants David to die so that Fi is free as much for him as for herself. David is an apropos allegorical name as it conjures up biblical King David sending Urias to die so he could marry the widow Bathsheba. Will North provides a deep character study in a vivid rugged locale that readers will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner