Wayfarer cover art

Wayfarer

Love, Loss and Life on Britain’s Ancient Paths

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Wayfarer

By: Phoebe Smith
Narrated by: Phoebe Smith
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2025

A Financial Times best summer travel book of 2024

Travel Book of the Year at the Inspire Global Media Awards

'A powerfully delicate book of love, loss and discovery, along paths of emotional understanding and physical wonder.' Raynor Winn

On an assignment to walk the most famous pilgrimage in the world – the Camino de Santiago, in northern Spain – Phoebe Smith somehow lost her way.

Having spent a lifetime exploring unfamiliar places, she quit her dream job, ended her long-term relationship and headed home to North Wales to discover the point to… everything.

In her search for answers she found herself – quite by accident – walking some of Britain’s oldest pilgrim paths. And by following these old ways, she ended up confronting past traumas that she thought she had laid to rest.

But while it follows holy trails, this is not a book about religion. From losing her mother as a teenager to surviving toxic relationships, Phoebe offers an unflinchingly honest look at her battle with an eating disorder, depression, and the pitfalls of newfound singledom.

Skilfully weaving together Phoebe’s own story with those of countless travellers past and present, Wayfarer reveals how nature and place can heal past wounds, offering a pathway to salvation she’d never thought existed.

©2025 Phoebe Smith (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers
Europe Travel Writing & Commentary Health

Listeners also enjoyed...

Hermit cover art
The Gathering Place cover art
The Instant cover art
Windswept cover art
Weathering cover art
Finding Hildasay cover art
Coasting cover art
Unlost cover art
The Farthest Shore: Seeking Solitude and Nature on the Cape Wrath Trail in Winter cover art
Storm Pegs cover art
A Walk from the Wild Edge cover art
Walking the Bones of Britain cover art
To the Island of Tides cover art
Pilgrim cover art
The Lie of the Land cover art
Barefoot Britain cover art

Critic reviews

‘Raw, honest, powerful. I couldn't put it down.’ Cerys Matthews

'Moving, uplifting and utterly relatable.' Kate Humble

'A candid, personal memoir.' Financial Times

'A poignant reminder that the internal journey is as sacred as the external journey. Beautifully written.' Levison Wood

‘Brave, bold and fearless.’ Steve Backshall

‘Unflinching and tender. It will make you want to live boldly, open your heart, find your next adventure and sprint headlong towards it.’ Helen Mort

'Full of tender, honest reflections and sharp observations.' Wyl Menmuir

'Lyrical and revelatory. … A moving tribute to the power of pilgrimage, illuminating Smith’s journey to find her authentic voice.' Sharon Blackie

'Pilgrimage is about getting to know yourself and Wayfarer finds Phoebe learning to sing out her soul.' Guy Hayward, Director, British Pilgrimage Trust

'This intimate and moving memoir made me want to lace up my boots, leave my desk, and just go. Bold, brave and inspiring.' Annabel Abbs

'An inspiring journey of honouring our memories while living a life in defiance of the past.' Jade Angeles Fitton

‘Memoir, travel diary, and historical and ecological companion, this book will grab and hold its readers’ attention as they follow the complicated path of a spiritual seeker.’ Church Times

'As she walks, Smith reveals her love of nature and the countryside in poignant, finely observed prose.’ Country and Town House

'Timely and revelatory.' Geographical

'This multi-faceted book is a gem … Inspirational, honest and powerful.' Nation.cmyru

'One of the Best Travel Books of 2024, Wayfarer shows that the UK wilderness has restorative powers far beyond an invigorating view.' Wanderlust

'I devoured it over a couple of days and kept creeping back because I just had to know what happened next.' Penny Post

All stars
Most relevant  
A brilliant insight into pilgrimage and the history of Pilgrims and a great honest and heartfelt story of the uos and downs of life from the author. I enjoyed hearing all the amazing stories of her adventures and how she has overcome many hurdles.

Honest and real

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A gripping memoir showing how ancient traditions can help with the ups and downs of the modern world

Highly personal and emotive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A wonderful story through the ups and downs of life. Phoebe’s narration makes it even more personal and I love her voice. I thoroughly recommend this audiobook!

Navigating the paths of life through pilgrim paths

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I've just finished listening to Wayfarer. Wow, very brave of Smith to be so raw and brutally honest about her feelings and heartbreaking life experiences. She has clearly survived a lot as a women, and that is a true warrior! Beautifully written about the natural world she encounters and alot of research into the pilgrim paths she's taken to help heal her wounds. Clearly one of the best female travel writers around - which we need more of!

Smith takes you in her footsteps as a women battling her way through her life with each step of the pilgrim paths.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

the earnest writing just grates on me. perhaps charitably it would interest a teenager or young adult

uninspiring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.