Carrying Grace to Santiago: A Daughter's Journey (Paperback)
WHAT BEGAN AS AN ARTIST'S VACATION BECAME A PILGRIMAGE OF THE SPIRIT. Maureen Lauran planned to sketch her way along the Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage route across rugged northern Spain. On break from her duties as art teacher, she set out to walk the 500-mile trek to Santiago de Compostela, hoping for great vistas, delicious wines and crusty breads, and conviviality with other travelers. Drawing her way through quaint villages, beautiful cathedrals, along meandering rivers, and across ancient bridges she encountered all of those things . . . and something more. Before leaving home, almost as an after-thought, Maureen remembered that the ashes of her mother-Grace-needed a final resting place. Carrying Grace's ashes with her would bring up many unwanted memories. Along with those memories, however, her final tribute to a difficult woman led to a brilliant revelation. A journey of discovery, friendship, good humor . . . and forgiveness.
Maureen Lauran holds a bachelor's degree in art from Pratt Institute. She did graduate study in painting at Indiana University and computer design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Following a year of private study in Italy, she began a thirty-year career as a graphic designer. Maureen teaches art and design at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.