Beyond The Setting Sun
By
Colin Skinner
This remarkable book takes us to many places, but unlike a travel story, it carries a very serious message. Indeed, a message of hope, care, compassion and love of fellow human beings.
Colin Skinner began this walk of sheer compassion to raise money for Hospice care and I think anyone reading this would find it hard not to be moved emotionally and hopefully, into action. He explains clearly about the places he has visited and the people he met. At times humour comes to the fore, but although we all like to think we understand the Hospice Movement, do we?
He tells us of the people he meets along his journey, the wave of compassion that seems to follow him, he also tells us about his experiences with some of the families facing tragedy at the hands of some wretched incurable illness.
This story has to be read; it is the only way to truly understand the work of the Hospice. Many of us envisage a good hospital, a good residential home, but this is so very different. The care is entirely on another planet and justifiably so, everyone suffering such agonising pain deserves to be cared for with supreme compassion and yes, love. They seem to specialise in giving everyone the dignity they deserve and Colin Skinner should be applauded for this great stand for humanity, but he can't do this alone, these are problems anyone of us could face and it must be comforting to know, there is someone out there to give us or our loved ones so much care.
His description of his journey makes the mind boggle. He visited some beautiful places and explains them vividly, be they great or poor. He makes us laugh at some of his exploits, he brings the odd lump to our throats, he makes us want to get involved with him in this plight.
To even think of someone walking 6,000 miles is difficult to envisage, especially going from baking hot conditions and then into temperatures below freezing, but Colin took pictures to give us some idea, these are placed inside the jacket covers to see for ourselves. He tells us how sheer tiredness overtook him and brought about incredible dreams, or were they reality?
The fact that this book has been given the stamp of approval by such an experienced and respected man as Sir Ranulph Fiennes gives us a real feeling of the exact task undertaken. He understands the extremes that Colin Skinner experienced and describes them in great detail in his very interesting foreword.
The part of his journey across America was followed with great interest by the press and television, I would think that our press and television should be just as helpful and take up the story with the same keen interest.
There is no doubt about it, this is a compulsive page turner in its own right, with the added bonus of raising funds for Hospice.
Wendy Anne Lake- Author and Writer.