RaveThe Washington PostEgan is at his best sharing history. For those who want a refresher on the church in Europe, this is the book for you, with so many fascinating nuggets I had either forgotten or never knew ... Egan is an erudite author with a flair for catching the magic in his 10-week journey. His writing is thoughtful, expressive and visceral. He draws us in, making us feel frozen in the snow-covered Alps, joyful in valleys of trees with low-hanging fruit, skeptical of the relics of embalmed saints and hopeful for the healing of his encrusted toes, so worn and weathered from their walk ... Luckily Egan has the imagination to evoke the magic he once felt ... He lovingly describes the beauty of illustrated manuscripts, churches, stained-glass windows. But most compelling are the actions of kindness and love ... I was fascinated by the history and philosophy that Egan presents, and I appreciated him sharing his family’s personal history and the struggle they feel with the contemporary church. But Egan withholds from the reader his own inner workings, his own path to forgiveness ... Still, this book was a joy to read. Every page had a delightful turn of phrase, a scintillating description of a tempting dish, a town to visit, a church to see, a saint or sinner to read more about. Egan delved deep into history, theology and philosophy. His only reticence was about his own soul.
