SANTIAGO'S GUITAR

This sequel continues the story of a guitarist walking the pilgrim path across Spain.

Diego’s wandering spirit had been awakened in Marriott’s (Candyfloss Guitar, 2015) debut novel, in which the protagonist left his village and began to follow his dream of becoming a flamenco guitarist. Having completed his trek to Santiago, Diego decides to travel to Madrid, where he might make a living as a musician. Along the way, he meets characters from different backgrounds with their own dreams. There’s Mamadou, who left Senegal to start a drumming school; Mari, a flamenco dancer trying to move on from a terrible past relationship; and Daniel, a former aspiring guitarist who learned that he was better suited to the life of a carpenter. When Diego fails an audition for a local production in Madrid, he leaves the city and finds himself still on his pilgrimage, this time seeking the home of legendary flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía. Diego always feels himself drifting away from the course he has set for himself, but closer to the spiritual path he is seeking, which is defined early in the book as “inori,” a faith in oneself. Each person he meets either helps keep him on this road or Diego assists that individual to get unstuck and start a pilgrimage. There aren’t a lot of definite conclusions in the tale, and Diego’s epiphanies often seem random. At one point, Diego is surprised to see a photograph of his father in a local tavern, and muses, “I should have known, Papá had always loved children,” a thought that doesn’t have much to do with the larger narrative. At times, the dialogue feels forced, as when Mamadou tells Diego a large chunk of his life story moments after they meet. But Marriott’s strengths make this an enjoyable journey. The places Diego visits are rendered vividly in the author’s prose, and the moving scenery and revolving cast of supporting characters keep the novel from getting stale.

A light, vibrant, feel-good tale that should interest anyone with a sense of adventure and curiosity about the wider world.