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The Wayfarer

Through the Pain. Towards Redemption. Along the Pennine Way.

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The Wayfarer

By: Andy Kind
Narrated by: Andy Kind
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About this listen

In May 2021, Andy Kind set off from Edale in an attempt to walk the Peninne Way, something he had tried–and failed–to do twice before. From Derbyshire to Scotland, struggling against the weather and terrain and hindered both by himself and others, we follow his journey towards what he hopes will not just be an ending, but a redemption.

A cross between Bill Bryson and Jerome K. Jerome, with subtle hints of Evelyn Waugh, The Wayfarer is a laugh-out-loud memoir that deals with the topics of grief, reconciliation and mental health, and asks the question:

What do you do when hope falls off a cliff?

The answer: Keep moving forward, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

©2025 Andy Kind (P)2025 Andy Kind Travel Writing & Commentary

Critic reviews

“Andy Kind has always been a masterful storyteller but he seems, ironically, to have climbed to new heights with this. The Wayfarer is a triumph of humour and pathos.” (Paul Kerensa. British Comedy award-winning co-writer)
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After about 3 chapters I realised this book was going to make me cry. It took almost the whole Pennine Way, but cry I did. Such a well told story, and I loved meeting all the people along the way.

Alan was the real main character

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Listener received this title free

This is one of those rare books that makes you laugh out loud and then quietly undo you a few pages later.

Because the audiobook is narrated by the author himself, it amplifies everything that is already strong on the page. The timing of the humour lands harder. The quieter moments feel more personal. You can hear the wryness, the vulnerability, and the occasional disbelief at what he has signed himself up for. It feels less like being read to and more like walking alongside him.

On the surface it is a story about walking the Pennine Way. A long, wet, blister-heavy trudge across the spine of England. But it quickly becomes something far richer. It is part travel journal, part memoir, part pilgrimage. Not in a grand, self-important way. In a grounded, human way.

The writing is what makes it stand out. It is poetic without being pretentious, sharp without being cruel, and honest without tipping into self-indulgence. The humour is constant and addictive. You get observational comedy, absurd moments, ridiculous encounters, and the slow-burn irony of a man dragging a novelty stuffed fox up hills while wrestling with his own history. It should not work. It absolutely does.

What stays with you is the emotional depth. This is not just about miles walked. It is about friendship, faith, family, regret, recovery and the stubborn business of keeping going when you are exhausted and not entirely sure why you started. The inner journey matters as much as the outer one.

The supporting cast feel real and fully formed. Strangers met on the trail, old friends, FaceTime calls home. They anchor the story and stop it ever drifting into navel-gazing. The literary references and myths are woven in naturally, adding texture rather than showing off.

I did not want it to end. It is rare to find a book that is this funny, this readable, and this emotionally open all at once. You do not need to be interested in walking to love it. But you may find yourself pricing up boots by the final chapter.

This is now the book I measure others in this genre against. I have enjoyed other walking memoirs and travel journals, but none feel as complete, as funny, and as emotionally honest as this. I suspect that for a long time I will find myself finishing similar books and thinking, it is good, but it is no Wayfarer.

Funny, honest and unexpectedly moving

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I’ve read the book in hard copy, and I prefer that method of consuming something meant to be read. But hearing his voice gave a different dimension to the experience. I had to stop the car at one point, I was laughing so hard. A masterpiece.

The poetic prose

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Listener received this title free

A story within a story is drip-fed to the reader via the long often winding paths of the Pennine way (as well as many questionable BnB experiences) that make up this book.
Numerous landscapes are painted with Andy Kind's brush of ever expanding vocabulary.
Philosophical literary quotes woven throughout, anchor the reader as they enter each chapter.
Topped off with the sort of British self-deprecation that comes most naturally out of the mouths of Gen X, this story provides insight into one man's gruelling journey to new beginnings.

Wit and Literature in equal measure

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There’s a hint of James Herriot in the writing. A splash of Bill Bryson and a whole heap of Andy Kind. He squeezes comedy out of middle class, middle England as we accompany him along the Pennine Way. It’s a funny, warm and comforting. Occasionally finding comedy in the mediocre - just the fact he bought his mascot from Dunelm Mill feels witty in Andy’s words. The folk he meets on the way come alive and Andy’s description of chips with truffle will have you jumping in the car in search of them.

Pleasant prose filled with quips.

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