A Review.
I have never watched an episode of Outlander, though I have heard of it and to be honest, I had no idea who Sam Heughan was either until I glanced at the blurb. I’d mentally bought the book the second I picked it up, before I connected any dots, for a few reasons - the front cover picture, of fire and blurred trees spoke to the inner warm fuzzies, the title,
Waypoints, had me intrigued as I’d not previously heard the term and the subtitle, My Scottish Journey, had me Google-ing the West Highland Way so I could understand a little more. The immediate purchase of this book had more to do with the book being about one man’s journey amongst nature and just a little to do with Heughan being rather easy on the eye.
There were many elements of this memoir that I couldn’t get enough of one being that Heughan used a jumping timeline. This simple technique left me captivated, needing, and wanting to know more at each step of the way. The points at which Heughan jumped from the past to present day and back again felt like the natural path the brain would take when reminiscing. I do wonder if the choosing of this technique was somewhat influenced by the concept of Outlander, hmm…
The raw nature in which Heughan tells his life story created an emotional pull right from the beginning. I often caught myself drifting off a little as I read this book, but not in a bad way, it was mostly whilst Heughan was describing the West Hyland Way, I’d find that I was picturing myself in similar surroundings and wondering whether I could really go out on a solo trek of that distance. The most I’ve ever done is 3 hours with the full knowledge that I was walking through my hometown and could call a taxi if need be., Five to seven days is a hell of a difference.
There were many emotions I felt along Heughan’s journey, the standout being awe. Awe for the strength, perseverance, and sheer determination he often spoke of and the way this has moulded him into the man he is today. Along with Heughan, I felt the highs and lows as he went from one attempt to the other in his bid to make it big, this drew me in further each time and often thought 'surely this is it this time Sam'.
I've read plenty of memoir style books, and this undoubtedly falls into the lasting impressions category. By the end of this amazing book, not only did I have an insight into Heughan's life, but the way he described it in such detail, left me with an impression that not only did I read about him, but that I met him in person. As an avid reader, this is an incredible feeling to have achieved by the end of the book. If you do come face to face with this novel and open the cover, you won't be disappointed.
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