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(Un)Bound, Together: A Journey to the End of the Earth (and Beyond)

Amit Janco

4.77 · Rating details · 13 ratings · 13 reviews

On the cusp of turning 50, and still rebounding from a dramatic and near-fatal tumble off a bridge, Amit Janco embarked on a walk across Spain, heading not only towards the end of the earth—but, hopefully, to regain a body freed of chronic pain. After the first week’s happy adventure with a mutt in tow and two donkeys hauling her belongings, all hopes of a peaceful promena ...more

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Paperback, 288 pages

Published March 13th 2019 by Amit Janco

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Apr 17, 2019 Alan rated it it was amazing

I just finished reading this book by Amit Janco, and enjoyed it immensely. I found it very absorbing and read it in just a few intensive shots over consecutive afternoons. I won’t be surprised if this will go on to become a de rigueur piece for anyone planning or undertaking the Camino di Santiago, but it is much more than a travelogue. It is about healing, about invisible pain, and about varying kinds of relationships with our fellow human beings (and some animals too).

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Jul 17, 2019 Liane Wakabayashi rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoir

In (Un)Bound, Amit Janco takes us with her on a pilgrimage to Spain's historic Camino, a thousand kilometer journey punctuated by stopovers in historic towns and encounters with charming locals. Reading (Un)Bound, you’ll know what gear to bring, what to wear on your body and your feet, which hostels to seek out and which to avoid for the bed bugs. You’ll be well prepared for the trail angels who offer candy and open their homes to pilgrims. You’ll know which picturesque towns to stop in and rest In (Un)Bound, Amit Janco takes us with her on a pilgrimage to Spain's historic Camino, a thousand kilometer journey punctuated by stopovers in historic towns and encounters with charming locals. Reading (Un)Bound, you’ll know what gear to bring, what to wear on your body and your feet, which hostels to seek out and which to avoid for the bed bugs. You’ll be well prepared for the trail angels who offer candy and open their homes to pilgrims. You’ll know which picturesque towns to stop in and rest and which desolate towns to avoid. And most of all, you'll be led by the hand and pen of a gifted wordsmith.

Janco is a master at scenic description and this makes (Un)bound a practical, informative Camino guidebook, like this one: "We walk down a freshly paved cobblestone path, facades of buildings painted in varying shades of pastel rising on either side, lined with microbalconies, ornate street lamps, and potted plants."

You’ll learn about blackberries. Rich ripe blackberries that become one of Amit’s greatest joys to forage for throughout her two month pilgrimage.

In an age when every image comes to us packaged in pixels, its a good-old fashioned treat to be offered in crisp, colorful language visual pictures of the Camino landscape and its people.

But there is a problem, as all compelling adventures must offer in order for the author to grow. And the reader too. Janco can’t carry her own gear. She has an invisible disability. After falling off a bridge in Cambodia and tumbling 10 meters, she miraculously survives but requires two years of intense rehabilitation until she could walk again--but not without pain. Carrying even a modest load is, we're told, excruciating. Which is why she eventually ends up with the Juan-do, a “Man of Few Words,” and Mani, who counterbalances Juan-do's silent treatment with hints of a more joyful friendship.

Interspersed with the easy to visualize journey without is a more difficult journey within: flashbacks to a superachieving, privileged, well-traveled, but often unhappy childhood. I'm not sure what to make of these flashbacks. Or what to make of her relationship with Juan-do. By Janco's own admission, it starts nowhere and goes nowhere. It's a bit baffling, come to think of it, why Juan-do occupied so much place in the story.

Janco took on herself an ambitious task trying to do two things at once--pack an informative travel story into a fairly distressed psychic landscape. This isn't the first time Janco has walked long distances and if her history as an avid walker is any indication, it won't be the last. I think we can look forward to more compelling reads. This talented writer has much to share of a life well-lived, well-traveled, and ever so courageous. ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Gary Burns rated it it was amazing

Far more than a “there I was with sore feet and a horizon “this is a story of how five seconds in Cambodia can turn “ones life” into pain fog, and questions but eventually leads to insight and revelation during the 500 mile Camino Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.3 Amit intricately details the physical journey itself-the roads, hostels, weather and fellow travellers but it’s her personal introspection that makes the book more than just a good read-each chapter she reveals a little more of herself an ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 Penelope Elfin rated it it was amazing

(Un)bound Together review A story about one humans journey with adversity

I met Amit 2 years after her unfortunate accident in Cambodia and got to know her courage and determination to heal. and saw her gradually come to terms with what had happened.
So, on hearing her ambitious vision to walk the Camino, I was struck by the enormous task this would be. Here we are 6 years later, her adventure on the Camino done, many experiences and lessons learnt in the process and now this wonderful book (Un)Bo ...more

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Jul 07, 2019 Nancy Anello rated it really liked it

(Un) Bound,
Together
A Journey to the end of the earth
(and Beyond)

There are moments that change the trajectory of one’s life, some dramatic and others less so. Falling off a bridge in Cambodia was one such life threatening moment in Amit’s life. Another moment was a chance encounter with Sue Kenney, who inspired Amit to make the medieval pilgrimage, Camino Santiago de Compostelo
In this memoir Amit tells her account of walking the Camino. Setting out on an adventure of healing, wanderlust, di ...more

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Oct 18, 2019 Renee Thorpe rated it it was amazing

Paced like a walk through repeating settings of darkness and light, this enormously personal account of a life lived bravely and adventurously, is no walk in the park. Little is held back from readers by author as she deals with pains she perceives to be invisible to the rest of the world.

Amit Janco tapes her trail out of massive physical injury by subjecting herself to the rigors of the Compostela as fall is turning to winter. But as she plods along with an unlikely squire at her side, puzzle p ...more

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Jun 01, 2019 James rated it it was amazing

I was lucky enough to get a copy hot off the press and was waiting with much anticipation to embark on what I knew would be a great read. On a personal level, I found that the theme involving how many of us may or may not have a hidden "disability" of our own is something that the book has inspired me to discuss with more and more people in my life, and the random strangers that I may encounter. This hit home on a personal level as a stutterer and in the relationships I have with veterans and ac ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Michelle rated it it was amazing

Unbound Together was a marvelous book, targeting a wide range of the reader’s emtions… exploring moments of suffering, hardship, relationships, and hilarity. Instead of experiencing the walk across the Camino through the eyes of Amit, you are right there walking beside her, smelling the fresh air and imagining the beautiful landscapes. Beautifully written and brutally honest, it’s an inspiring read for couch potatoes such as myself….it's time to buy a backpack and sensible shoes! I hope this is ...more

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Oct 20, 2019 Robert Primavesi rated it it was amazing

A tale of the innocence of childhood, the trauma of the past, the struggles of the present, all intertwined with a vision for a new future. A tale of struggle, of healing, of hope. At times serious, at times emotional and at times funny. But mostly extremely well written and entertaining. A captivating read. A journey of discovery from which we can all reflect on our blessings and learn to choose a better path forward.

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Sep 10, 2020 Katarina rated it it was amazing

I met Amit few years before her unfortunate accident in Cambodia and saw her few years after the accident. Her courage and determination to heal is still an inspiration for me. Her story takes us thru darkness and light. Very intimate memoir, full of courage, suffering and hope. You will be walking the Camino not only thru her eyes but walking beside her. Beautifully written.

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Jul 02, 2019 Tracey Butterfill rated it it was amazing

I loved this book! It is a beautifully written and extremely moving memoir - much more than a memoir of walking the Camino de Santiago. It is a deeply personal and incredibly moving account of a terrible accident, hidden disability, recovery and healing. I highly recommend it.

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Oct 16, 2019 Sonia Hazan rated it really liked it

Enjoyed every word and every adventure! A very good read! Never give up...is one take away lesson...

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May 13, 2019 Leanne rated it it was amazing

I was captivated by the quality of the writing and the profound honesty of the writing. A book that will be enjoyed by adventurers, travellers, seekers of truth.... put it on your must read list!

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