Review: Walk With Me

Last updated on: October 8, 2012 at 8:40 am by Michelle Van Loon

Review: Walk With Me 2012-10-08T08:40:02-05:00 Michelle Van Loon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Even if you’ve never read John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, you’re probably familiar with the allegorical description of the Christian life as a dangerous journey filled with “many dangers, toils and snares”. The story is a touchstone in the canon of English-language literature as well as an apt interpreter of the trials, temptations and glimpses of glory we experience as we journey from The City Of Destruction through The Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, over the Delectable Mountains and toward The Celestial City. Pilgrim’s Progress is a story both of its era – there are some harsh Protestant references to the Catholic Church sprinkled throughout – and timeless in nature. We are pilgrims, and this world is not our home.

Author Annie Wald used the tone and structure of Bunyan’s classic to create a new take on the pilgrim journey called Walk With Me (River North, 2012)*. Dubbed “Pilgrim’s Progress For Married Couples”, Wald introduces readers to Peter and Celeste, a couple who fell in love with one another filled with high hopes and a deep commitment to cherish the King together. Out of Peter’s legalistic upbringing and the brokenness of Celeste’s family of origin, the pair begin their journey toward the King’s City:

The path through the woodland soon brought them to a tall rock gap with high ridges on either side. As they approached the entrance, they were met by two guides, Leave and Cleave.

“Welcome to Echo Gap,” said Leave.

Celeste turned to Peter. “This is the place Lord Will and Lady Sophia told us about. They said couples can get separated going through it.”

“Yes, it can be a tricky journey,” Cleave said. “The rock walls have an echo effect. If you’re not careful, one of you might get pulled off the path. But I’m afraid there’s really no way around the gap.”

“Good echoes or bad ones?” Celeste asked.

“Could be either, could be both,” Leave said. “It depends on what your families were like. In the gap, travelers hear echoes and whispers of everyone who ever cared for them, and told them where they should go and what they should do.”

Peter and Celeste travel around the Mountains of Maturity, across the Swamp of Selfishness, under the Disillusioning Sun, into the Orchard of Earthly Delights, along Desolate Canyon to Revenge Chasm, through the Darkest Night, and eventually begin their ascent up to the Highlands. In the hands of a lesser writer, the familiar allegory applied to marriage could easily become a tiresome, artless lecture. Walk With Me is anything but a lecture, though it is meant to be a teaching tool. The book is at once familiar and startling; Wald’s shimmering writing makes the story fresh and oh-so-relateable.

I worked part-time at a seminary bookstore for nearly 4 years, and remember sitting in a buying meeting with my boss and a publisher’s rep. The rep was discussing the new crop of marriage books coming out later that year. My boss asked, “Do any of `em say anything new?” The rep shook his head no and laughed.

Walk With Me isn’t “new” (since it is based on a story first published in 1678) but may the best book I’ve ever read on the subject of marriage. It could only have been written by someone who has been married for a long time, and who has been willing to do the hard work of navigating years of internal and external challenges to that one-flesh, `til-death-us-do-part commitment. It may serve as useful discussion fodder for engaged and newlywed couples, but the real value of the book is for those of us who’ve been married for a while. I saw many of my own experiences in a 33 year-and-counting marriage captured in the 278 pages of the book.

The baseline rule of good storytelling is “Show, Don’t Tell”, and though the allegory form is by definition “tell”, Wald shows us what it is really like to walk with someone through a lifetime. HIghly, highly recommended.

*I received a comp copy of the book from the publisher, but the freebie in no way affected my review of Walk With Me.

Books

Previous Post

October 6, 2012

October 7, 1979

Next Post

October 19, 2012 God at the Waffle House (yes, the Waffle House)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Baggage Books Calendar Church and Ministry CVID Ecclesiology Everyday Christian life Faith Falling Upward From The Margins Housing Jesus Movement's Unintended Consequences Midlife Midlife Survey #1 Midlife Survey #2 Moments and Days Out To The Margins Pilgrim's Road Trip Regret Seminary Spiritual Formation Uncategorized What's A Nice Jewish Grandmother Like You Doing In Seminary? When The Heart Waits Writing

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, while six-winged beings called out 'Holy, holy, holy.' What were these creatures?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Seraphim Leviathan Cherubim Angels