Cirrus@Austlit

'Elizabeth Best had always wanted to go on a pilgrimage. Colin Bowles had never given it a moment's thought. But by a twist of fate the two barely acquainted writers seize the day and drop everything to retrace one of the oldest pilgrim routes in the western world, through the heart of Spain to Santiago de Compostela. It's meant to be a stroll in the sun, but they're under-prepared and carrying way too much baggage, in every sense. So what starts out as a physical challenge - it's a thousand kilometres, give or take -- very quickly becomes a far greater struggle with demons they've kept hidden in the too-hard backpack for years. Joined by grumpy monks, mad nuns and French cyclists with too much testosterone the two battle exhaustion and their pasts, fuelled by red wine and a perverse determination not to be beaten by a Spanish heat wave, the mountains or themselves.

'Set against a stunning background of golden wheat fields, misty mountains and tumbledown villages that haven't changed in centuries, The Year We Seized the Day is utterly compelling, by turns inspiring, moving and blackly funny, as two very different writers recount with astonishing candour an extraordinary journey of a lifetime.' (Publisher's blurb)

'The young Elizabeth Best was full of talent, potential and, most of all, life. Happy and carefree, she had a promising sporting career and was selected into an elite national basketball program. At the age of just fifteen, the future looked bright. But then the fairytale ended. Unable to cope with a series of life-changing events, Elizabeth slipped into a state of depression and spent the next five years living a tumultuous life she no longer recognised.

'Admitted to a psychiatric hospital, drugged and suffering a devastating case of anorexia nervosa, she was within just days of death. "With wings, you can fly", a wise woman had told Elizabeth during her struggles. Realising that answers can only be found within, Elizabeth embarked on a journey of self-discovery, to uncover "Eli" - the person she'd always dreamed she could be.

'With the support of friends and family, especially her mother, Maree, she managed to fight her way back from the brink to ultimately achieve health, happiness and, above all, her freedom.' (Dust jacket).