On September 27th, I finished The Wildwater Walking Club and promised to “review it soon.” Here it is November, and I’m just now fulfilling my promise.

Another donation to the bookstore, this novel was a fun, “light” read that included a discussion of women’s friendships. motivated readers to walk, gave good advice–all while reading for pleasure. One of the blessings of owning a bookstore is you get “first dibs” on all books acquired .

In this pleasant, captivating story, Noreen loses her job and then is ghosted by her boyfriend. In this “voluntary reduction”by Olympia, her company, she obtains a generous severance package that allows her to relocate and to pick up at a 50% off employee discount half a dozen pairs of the walking shoes she had formerly written ad blurbs for that pronounced these sneakers, “New Shoes for a New Age.”

When she moves and starts walking as a way to stave off depression, she meets her neighbors, Tess and Rosie, outfits them in shoes, and creates the Wildwater (the town’s name) Walking Club. The women walk and talk, and talk and walk until they become close friends. In order to keep track of their miles walked, they ingeniously decide to “walk to somewhere” and plan a “trip” walking to a town in the US, logging in their journey as they go. Later, they then plan a physical trip to that place as a reward for their walking, losing weight, gaining more energy and solidifying their friendships. The book is intriguing, clever, full of sub-plots and excellent twists and turns. As Noreen changes her life by walking, we see the changes in her and cheer her on in her journey.