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TREK IS PROMISE FULFILLED

August 26, 2007 12:35 am

A SHEEP FARM in Wales is the setting of "The Long Walk Home" by new novelist Will North, a story crafted with a charming locale, sensitive insights and engaging action.

American Alec Hudson has travelled from Seattle to London with a backpack and tent--and the ashes of his ex-wife, Gwynne. His goal is to walk across England into North Wales to a mountain he and Gwynne had climbed years before while they were still married.

His promise to her, with whom he remained close friends even after the marriage ended, was to scatter her ashes at the summit of Cadair Iris. That is the impetus for the exhausting trek that culminates at the door of a bed-and-breakfast on a sheep farm at the base of the mountain.

What takes place from the moment he arrives at that farm through the next seven days forms the core of the story.

Alec meets and, not surprisingly, is attracted to the woman who runs the bed-and-breakfast, and she in turn feels an instant connection with him. Her marriage to David, a sheep farmer who is suffering from allergies and poisoning by the liquid dip used to protect the health of the flock, is already on automatic pilot. With their daughter grown, Fiona dutifully cooks David's meals and carries them to the separate, chemical-free dwelling where he lives on another part of the property.

The book could have become maudlin in its romantic predictability, but the story line takes a number of interesting twists.

Alec's efforts to climb Cadair Iris in inclement conditions gives North the opportunity to create suspense and incorporate details about mountain climbing and hypothermia, especially when Alec helps avert a tragedy involving Fiona's husband. North also works into the story the drama of spring lambing, as Alec lends a crucial hand in the flurry of births that take place that particular week.

To bind the many disparate parts of the story, North pulls in the comforts of food. The preparation and consumption of numerous dishes serve as bridges between the events that connect the lives of the people on the farm.

There is a good effort by North to convey emotional sensitivity to the many issues surfacing as a result of these connections. That plus an engaging plot and the dramas on the mountain combine to lead the reader on a predictable but enjoyable journey.