Reviews for

Pilgrimage to Heresy

MADRID.- Miranda es una apasionada por el la Historia que rodea el camino de Santiago. Tanto es así que abandona su universidad, en Toronto, y emprende el fabuloso viaje, a lo largo de 800 kilómetros, recorriendo el norte de España acompañada por un simpático ex seminarista irlandés, que conoce al poco de empezar el viaje: Kieran. Él la pone en antecedentes sobre un libro que está traduciendo del latín, un libro tan peligroso como misterioso. Al día siguiente de conocerse, él desaparece junto con la traducción y Miranda deberá seguir las pistas que la lleven a descubrir la verdad y tratar de recuperar a su amigo.

Las Asociaciones Fénix

La novela Peregrinos de la Herejía postula, basándose en algunos datos históricos, la posibilidad de que el cuerpo enterrado en la catedral de Santiago no sea el del apóstol, sino el de Prisciliano de Ávila, quien vivió a finales del siglo IV, enfrentado con la vieja Iglesia Romana por defender sus particulares dogmas gnósticos.

La autora, una pedagoga e hipnoterapeuta inglesa, fascinada por la Iglesia primitiva ha hecho un trabajo ficticio de lo más interesante. Abriendo una línea de discusión que, basada en investigaciones detalladas y mezcladas con sus propias teorías, supone un nuevo punto de vista en la tan trillada historia del camino de Santiago.

Revista Fantasía Épica

Escrito por Yorendra

¿Peregrinos de la herejía? ¿Por qué?

Por algo que la autora afirma es ficción, pero que no me extraña sea algo capaz de llamar la atención de cualquiera, ya que en ella se pone en entredicho que no es el apóstol Santiago quien descansa en la Catedral.

En la obra Tracy pone en boca de uno de sus personajes la opinión de que si no era Santiago quien estaba al final del Camino, eso no afectaría al peregrinaje de la gente, y tiene razón. El Camino ya no es lo que era, y Tracy lo deja claro a través de personajes que no les importa caminar después de un buen resacón, y de desviarse un poquito para ver los San Fermines.

Peregrinos de la herejíaes una obra a dos bandas. Por un lado nos cuenta las peripecias de Miranda en el Camino, y de forma paralela tenemos cómo surgió el rumor de que Santiago no está en la Catedral. Esa historia paralela tiene un… no sé cómo decirlo. ¿Encanto especial?, y no me preguntéis por qué ya que hablo de sensaciones propias. Puede que sea porque el personaje de Prisciliano tiene un encanto especial que solo se aprecia leyendo su forma de pensar y de ver las cosas. Y vosotros os preguntaréis, bueno, ¿y qué pasa en la novela? Pues sin ánimo de fastidiar parte de la trama solo diré que de la noche a la mañana Miranda descubre que Kieran ha desaparecido sin dejar rastro, dejándole al cargo de un objeto de gran valor que portaba, y que Prisciliano se convierte en todo un referente de su tiempo para los creyentes, y por ende en un enemigo a batir para quienes no les hace ni pizca de gracia que le desbanquen de su poder. A lo largo de la obra se nos plantean muchas reflexiones gnósticas a través del personaje de Miranda, quien una y otra vez reflexiona sobre sus creencias, encontrándose a sí misma muchas veces. Una reflexión profunda que también se desprende del personaje de Prisciliano y sus discípulos. El qué pasará será algo que tendréis que descubrir vosotros mismos de la mano de Miranda, pero tranquilos, ella sabe cuál es el rumbo a seguir. La cuestión es ¿queréis caminar con ella?, porque si es así encontraréis las respuestas… al final del Camino.

"This is by far the best book that I have read all year. Part fact, part fiction, the book is borne from the author's own experience of walking the Camino, the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella in northern Spain, loosely based on her own experiences, interwoven with 2 love stories, that of the 2 main characters, and that of Priscillian, the first Christian martyr, and his maybe (?) fictional love.
This is much more than a work of fiction, and comparisons to Dan Brown are unfortunate, since the book is nothing like his work, but so much more in depth.
This is a tale of love and beauty, a tale of triumph over adversity, but most of all, a tale of intrigue, which I heartily recommend."

June Austin, Author of Genesis of Man: Life, the Universe, and Everything in Between

“Pilgrimage to Heresy is essential reading for all Pilgrims bound for the Camino de Santiago, and those who have completed the Pilgrimage and still wonder why. I would be surprised if you don’t find yourself here.” 
Mervyn Street, Alternative Faiths
 
“I was looking for an excuse to go back to the Camino, and now I have one!”  

Liz Callahan, Ohio, USA

"A different look at the Camino and the idea of pilgrimage in the 21st century. The story of Priscillian of Avila, though well known in Spain, is virtually unknown to most modern pilgrims outside of it. Pilgrimage to Heresy introduces us to Priscillian with the teasing suggestion of a mystery. Well worth a look."  TopicsCraze.

"While I was walking the Camino, I had so many questions. By the time I reached Santiago de Compostela, I realised I had answered most of the personal ones. But one questioned remained: what about the "myths" of Santiago?  How much was true?  Why did I make this walk? This book did not provide me with answers: in fact, it opened up more questions, and some I wasn't entirely comfortable with, even now.  But it gave me the opportunity to view my camino as just that: "My Camino". In it I realised that I only had to believe in what I had experienced. It didn't matter what my guidebook told me. It only mattered what I had arrived with."
Name withheld.

"Pilgrimage to Heresy offers a fascinating insight into the turbulent times that transformed Christianity from personal belief into organized religion.  Beautifully written, the story weaves between the ancient past and the modern day pilgrims on the route to Santiago in a way which clearly illustrates the relevance the ancient martyrs have to our troubled world today.

Comparisons between this book and suspense novels such as The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but unfortunate and misguided.  Pilgrimage to Heresy is a work of much greater depth and complexity and in a totally different genre altogether. " 

T.L. Hurst, Author of "Chasing Calvini"

"Peregrinos de la Herejiía"

in the Press

Recent (2010) magazine mentions and reviews include:

Más Allá  No. 255

Año/Cero No. 03-236

Muy Historia No. 27

Historia de Iberia Vieja  No. 59

Clio Historia No 101

La Revista de Ana Rosa No. 101

Que Leer  No. 152

and many more both in English and Spanish on the internet

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(Pilgrimage to Heresy) succeeds in raising serious concerns about the authenticity of the remains revered as those of Saint James while reminding us that the identity of the relics is secondary to the undeniably good influence of the act of pilgrimage itself. The book is written with passion, but without brow-beating the reader; she points out inconsistencies in the evidence for Saint James being buried at Compostela, while suggesting sound political reasons why the pretence has been allowed to persist so long. The central character, Miranda, is a likeable heroine, and her fellow pilgrims are equally agreeable. There is no adversary – the challenge is the Camino itself, with all the doubts and despairs which are the real stumbling blocks for the pilgrims.

William Beatty, Andalucian Life Magazine
 

"If you are fascinated by Compostela and you are seeking a novel approach to the mystery then Tracy Saunders´ Pilgrimage to Heresy is the book for you."

David Eade, Costa del Sol News

"If you like mystery, intrigue, history, religion, philosophy, spirituality, travel and romance, then you need to read Pilgrimage to Heresy. The narrative centres on a real-life controversy about whose saintly bones actually lie buried in the Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, a cathedral dedicated to St. James the Apostle. The action takes place along the Camino, an ancient pilgrimage route, and the drama unfolds amidst a colorful backdrop of the stories of various pilgrims from around the world, the challenging terrain,the spiritual journey of the main protagonist, Miranda, and a mysterious manuscript about Priscillian of Avila, an early Christian condemned to death on charges of heresy by the Catholic Church. Although a fictional account, the book raises many serious questions about church dogma, early Christian history and gnosticism and is based on extensive research. Well worth the read."

Sylvia Baago, Brock University, Canada

Pilgrimage to Heresy is a "Virtual Camino" and all pilgrims who have walked even part of either the Camino Frances or the Camino Aragones will not only recognise the locations they passed but probably their companions as well.

Tracy Saunders' "semi-mystery" captures the spirit of the Camino de Santiago like very few of the books I've read about the St. James' Way: even when they have been true stories!  This book is a well-kept secret so far.  But it won't stay that way for long.

Do read it, even if you have to tear the pages out as you walk!

Noella McKintyre, Cairns, Australia