These are excerpts from reader comments about, and reviews of, Shadow of a Pilgrim published on Facebook.com. To respect their privacy, the readers are identified here only by their initials.
1. “On the Camino right now – left St. Jean on September 15 and should be arriving in Leon tomorrow. Read your book as part of my preparation and found it helpful.” (10/6/21) (EB)
2. “Loved this book.” (9/27/21) (CTA)
3. “Amazing book!” (9/8/21) (CGS)
4. “I loved this book. It was well worth the price. Written with humor and insight it kept my attention as I vicariously walked the Camino.” (8/17/21) (DW)
5. “Wonderful book!!!!” (8/14/21) (CR)
6. “It’s a great read! So lucky to have done the Camino Frances in the fall of 2018 before the world turned upside down! This book brought it all back.” (8/7/21) (KRY)
7. “I love my book. You get the feeling of the trip.” (7/24/21) (MW)
8. “I bought this book, hard copy. I love it. It is well written and since I will never get to walk the Camino, I’m walking vicariously through Thomas. Highly recommend.” (6/26/21) (DKTW)
9. “Gave this to my husband for Father's Day. He loves it!” (6/24/21) (KM)
10. “I bought it a few months ago. A GORGEOUS book!!” (6/22/21) (SKH)
11. “Just finished the book today! Always enjoy different perspectives of the Camino. First time I read about Camino del Norte.” (5/30/21) (RO)
12. “Reading this book now. Love it!” (5/24/21) (JST)
13. “This is a wonderful book.” (5/9/21) (ST)
14. “Awesome book!! Inspired me to do the Camino.” (5/4/21) (BP)
15. “Received my book last week, reading a few pages every night, I want the adventure to last! Watched the movie ‘The Way’ a few years ago, and had been wanting to walk the Camino since then. Hopefully could still do it in the future. Thank you for my book, Tom Connell, it arrived in perfect shape!” (3/31/21) (ADT)
16. “I recommend ordering it through the author's website. So nice to make a direct connection. Awesome book!” (3/17/21) (PL)
17. “The book arrived yesterday. I am more than halfway through the most wonderful account of walking the Camino I have read. Fabulous book, I’ll be buying more to give as gifts!” (3/16/21) (BM)
18. “The epilogue [to the book, at page 561] sealed the deal for me. Not that my opinion matters but I so wanted there to be a message. And I found the message of hope. My son spent a semester in Spain and loves the lifestyle. What he enjoyed most was the value of family. I’m sending him the book today. I share the same sentiment about my own life that you described in the last paragraph on page 561. Thank you for your detail and persistence in presenting your story. It only took me a week and a bit to read. I wanted the story and you to be “real” and unexpectedly both requirements exceeded my expectations. The human connection was made! So I look forward to my own ‘Camino’...Long life to you Pilgrim!” (3/1/21) (AS)