JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Sam Heughan, OUTLANDER’s Jamie Fraser, recounts his journey across the 96 miles of Scotland’s West Highland Way. The story becomes a metaphor for Heughan’s life as an actor in this atmospheric and absorbing memoir. He gives a spirited and heartwarming performance as he interweaves stories of how he became a successful working actor into the details of his arduous trek across the magnificent Scottish landscape. His swoon-worthy Scottish accent highlights his charm and self-effacing humor, along with the warmth one can hear when he mentions his devoted mother and loyal older brother. The inclusion of live recordings made during Heughan’s hike, complete with sound effects of strong wind and heavy rain, are a lovely addition to this audiobook. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
"A pleasure for fans of the author, whisky, and Scotland."—Kirkus
“As the title suggests, Waypoints is a rewarding mix of markers, both personal as he reflects on his life and geographical as he leads the reader along the West Highland Way.”—The Scotsman
“A deeply personal and warmly entertaining memoir that fans of Sam - and Scotland - will have a joyful time devouring.”—Heat
“From both his walk and his career, the common lesson is the power of persistence.”—The Times (London)
"Spirited and heartwarming"—booktrib.com
"With disarming asides and humorous accents, Heughan's narration reveals the fun-loving yet thoughtful man behind his acting roles…Bookended by scenes with Heughan’s estranged father, Waypoints is a companionable and inspiring memoir that encourages soul-searching and mindfulness.”—Bookpage
JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
Sam Heughan, OUTLANDER’s Jamie Fraser, recounts his journey across the 96 miles of Scotland’s West Highland Way. The story becomes a metaphor for Heughan’s life as an actor in this atmospheric and absorbing memoir. He gives a spirited and heartwarming performance as he interweaves stories of how he became a successful working actor into the details of his arduous trek across the magnificent Scottish landscape. His swoon-worthy Scottish accent highlights his charm and self-effacing humor, along with the warmth one can hear when he mentions his devoted mother and loyal older brother. The inclusion of live recordings made during Heughan’s hike, complete with sound effects of strong wind and heavy rain, are a lovely addition to this audiobook. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2022-09-24
The male lead of the TV series Outlander takes us on a long Scottish hike while recounting the travails of stage and screen.
“I’m not hyperactive, I crave down time, but I feel guilty if I’m not…pushing myself in some capacity,” writes Heughan, who, sidelined by Covid-19 after shooting an abbreviated sixth season of Outlander, decided to walk the West Highland Way. Running from just north of Glasgow along Loch Lomond and up the U.K.’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, before ending along Scotland’s west coast, the trail is not for the faint of heart. Neither, writes Heughan, is acting: He chronicles his unsuccessful auditions for many much-wanted roles—e.g., hoping to bring the James Bond trademark back home, he was beaten out by Daniel Craig. Being hammered by rain and cold and pained by blisters and sore muscles are perhaps no less dispiriting than losing a role, but Heughan writes with generally good humor of his experiences, in which, on the trail, he plays the part of the hapless newbie. Still, he enjoys the bucolic solitude, as when he notes, “There isn’t a single soul around, unless you count a few hardy sheep in the distance bracing themselves against the gusts.” If you want to read solely about tramping around Britain, Robert Macfarlane is the writer you want, but if you have any interest in the art and craft of acting along the way, Heughan offers plenty of notes. “The key to Shakespeare, I learned, is to allow the text to live,” he writes. “It’s the punctuation and poetry that guides the actor, which makes breathing key to delivery.” For all that, it’s a treat, after a winding narrative that ranges from exultant to melancholic, to see Heughan on top of Ben Nevis at last.
A pleasure for fans of the author, whisky, and Scotland.
