A Cornish Odyssey

I really enjoyed this book, a lovely insight into an American figuring out some of our quirky English expressions. I felt I was walking alongside him on the Cornish coast, imagining sights and people he interacted with, very true to life. A great quick read.

While not my usual genre, the setting and premise of this novel intrigued me enough to give it a go, and I'm glad I did!

First off, I have to say the shining star of this book was the character development. Grant is, quite frankly, great. Even though his backstory is sad, it's not delved into to the point where undue focus is put on it, which I thought was well done. You learned just enough about him to understand why he's doing what he's doing, but without setting too morose of a tone. Definitely a "find yourself" type of book, it's written with finesse and a tongue-in-cheek wit that really kept me turning the pages.

I never thought I'd be the kind of person to ever want to take a solo vacation, but this book kind of gave me a hankering for one. I'm envious of Grant, and want my own Cornwall exploration and reflection now.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, but my review is my own. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to preview this book!

I really liked this book! I don't usually like novellas but this one worked for me. Grant is an art school teacher who goes hiking on the summer holidays around the coast of Cornwall. There, he meets a lot of people and has some adventures.

I liked Grant as a main character, and I especially loved the ending.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. **

Travel writing, inspirational and humour all mixed together; and what a better place to cover than beloved Cornwall!

Grant, a disgruntled photography teacher based in the US, lets faith decide where he's going on holiday and ends up booking a solo walking holiday along parts of the Cornish coast in the UK. The travel organiser books small B&B's along the route and also arranges for Grant's luggage to seamlessly arrive at the next destination. All Grant has to do is walk; or catch the bus...

This is as much about the beautiful coastal part in Cornwall, as it is about Grant taking a thorough look at his own life and figuring out what he really wants to do. Some of that decision is taken from him, but he finds a way.

Thank you for an amazingly entertaining book.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novelette. Grant is a believable and relatable character, to me. The people he meets are exciting and unique. A hike along the coast becomes an entertaining odyssey.

I usually have a problem with "general fiction" because I find myself reading through detailed descriptions of dull objects or scenery, waiting for something to happen. Not so with this story. Each interaction and introspective contemplation is told in a way that makes it seem like something is happening, moving the story at a good pace.

While I'm not sure that I would agree with the word "humorous" I did find myself smiling often about things like chocolate cake, and had the song "The Pirate Song" by Ray Stevens stuck in my head after the first chapter. I would call this story very entertaining and recommend you read it.

I wouldn't normally read this type of book but I found it to be a really good read. The character of Grant was well developed and brought the book to it's best. 4 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

A gorgeous read, it will make you laugh out loud and leave you wanting more…. Started this book and could not stop reading it until I'd finished!!

On a whim, Grant, a dissatisfied Californian teacher, decides to walk part of the Cornish coastpath one summer. He books up B&B's and luggage transfers and sets off, without any real idea of what he's getting into.

I was drawn to this book because I live in Cornwall, and know the coastpath well. Often, the portrayal of Cornish people in novels veers into caricature, but this one managed to avoid that. The joke was very much on Grant himself!

I felt and appreciate the author's affection for West Cornwall, and thought the character development was skillful and unassuming. If I were to describe the book in one word, it would be charming. It's light and easy and won't detain you long, but it's fun to spend time with.

It was a really entertaining story. The main character Grant is very likeable, good guy and it is refreshing to see how genuinely happy he is to meet new people during his coastal walk. He didn't ridicule anything that was different from what he had already known, but embraced the experience. The blurb mentioned Bill Bryson, and yes, you can see the same joy and interest in everything around him. I especially enjoyed the somewhat unexpected ending. I can recommend it to everyone.

A humorous and compelling novella that made me smile and turning pages.
I liked the style of writing and the storytelling.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This was a short story about Grant, a high school art teacher and artistic photographer, who turned 40, and decided to give his life and soul a bit of jolt out of the slump he was in by going on a solo journey to Cornwall.

It was just as much of an existential journey as a physical journey as Grant seems to have reached a crossroads of his life at 40, and having been a teacher for 15 years, having fallen into the profession, as his sisters are teachers, his parents are teachers. Artists do like to eat as well, after all. The trip to Cornwall was a personal challenge to himself, not just the physical challenge of the the hiking and traveling alone, but also a creative artistic challenge to himself. It ended up being a life-changing experience.

This was written from the first person POV of Grant and I found him to be funny and charming. It was a fun, sweet, short read with amusing self deprecation, and sweetness. Now I want to go to Cornwall... though admittedly I would probably take the bus more and keep my walks less challenging.

And my pictures probably wouldn't be as good.

3.75 stars out of 5.

The book follows the story of Grant Decker, an art teacher who just turned 40 and has no idea what to do with his life. So he decides to randomly stab the map and travel to that place. He ends up on the Coast of Cornwall, England. He meets quite a few interesting individuals along his journey. But everything is new and awkward for this American traveler.

It's a pleasant, funny and quick read, it took me only a couple of hours to finish this book.

I really enjoyed this, I'm Cornish so it was a must read. It did have me laughing out loud and I couldn't put it down.