The Parallel Path

Burnt out and longing for an escape, Jenn Ashworth emerged from lockdown with a compulsive need to walk – and to walk away. Armed with little more than the knowledge imparted by a two-day orienteering course and a set of maps, she embarked on the most epic of English walks: Wainwright’s Coast to Coast. Guided not just by Wainwright’s writing but also by daily letters from her friend Clive – facing an epic journey of his own – Jenn’s pilgrimage soon becomes more than just walking: a chance to reconnect and excavate, to re-engage with the act of caring for others and for oneself. But the walk’s tricky terrain is not the only thing standing in Jenn’s way. As days go by, her balance begins to fail her and the act of putting one foot in front the other becomes a new exercise in caution.