We’re excited to be giving away two copies of the only way is up by Jennifer Andrewes to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
About the only way is up
A memoir of long-distance walking, but also a meditation on how we move forward when life asks us to begin again.
Setting out from Canterbury and walking some 2400 km to Rome along the Via Francigena, Jennifer Andrewes undertakes a modern pilgrimage across England, France, Switzerland and Italy. What begins as a physical journey soon becomes something deeper: an exploration of momentum, mindset, and the quiet power of putting one foot in front of the other when the way ahead is uncertain.
Structured as a series of daily stages, the book follows the rhythms of pilgrimage life – early starts, long days on the road, chance encounters, moments of solitude, and the simple rituals that sustain a walker: coffee stops, conversations, rest, reflection.
Along the way, Jennifer meets fellow pilgrims from around the world, navigates doubt and discomfort, and learns to trust the unfolding path rather than trying to control the outcome.
While written through the lens of walking to Rome, The Only Way is Up speaks to anyone standing at a crossroads. It offers pilgrimage not as an escape from real life, but as a practical framework for living well: shedding excess weight – physical and metaphorical – building resilience, cultivating presence, and finding meaning through steady forward movement. The journey reveals how momentum can transform thinking, restore confidence, and open new possibilities.
The author’s experience living with Parkinson’s is part of the landscape, but it does not dominate the narrative. Instead, it quietly sharpens the book’s central insight: that while we cannot always change our circumstances, we can change how we meet them. Pilgrimage becomes a way of training response – choosing movement over stagnation, curiosity over fear.
For readers considering a camino or long walk, the book offers an honest, grounded portrait of life on the trail. For others, it provides something broader: reassurance that clarity often comes through motion, that the path reveals itself step by step, and that sometimes the only way forward – in walking and in life – is onwards and upwards.
“A generous, reflective and uplifting account of pilgrimage as a framework for navigating change.” – Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer is a New Zealand-based writer whose life journey is a testament to resilience, transformation, and an unstoppable spirit.
As a child, Dunedin-born Jennifer Andrewes spent time living in France kicking off a life-long love affair with the country. An avid walker, Jennifer first joined a local walking group to meet people and explore the local countryside, while working as a language teaching assistant in Dunkerque. Thirty years later, she’s hooked!
A communications professional, she has worked in tourism and government roles both here and in the UK, as well as undergoing stints as a freelance travel writer.
Her blog on the family’s French adventure was widely enjoyed and it was prompting from readers that led Jennifer to write a book about the family’s experience: Parallel Lives: Four Seasons in the French Pyrenees.
Diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s in 2019, Jennifer took up long-distance walking, which she uses not only to maintain her physical health but as a profound metaphor for overcoming life’s challenges.
Her pilgrimages include the Voie du Puy (2022), the Voie de Vézelay (2023), the 2400 km Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome (2024) and the Via de la Plata (2025). In 2026 she will walk the 1500 km Chemin d’Assise from Vézelay to Assisi and has plans to walk Rome to Santiago in 2027.
Her blog posts about her pilgrimage adventures are widely read and it was encouragement from followers that led Jennifer to write about her Camino experiences, in A Will and a Way: On Foot Across France and The Only Way is Up: On Foot to Rome.
Read an exclusive article Jennifer has written for GrownUps here
You must be logged in to enter this competition.
Not a member? Join now
Terms and conditions
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
The competition closes on 1st April 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 2nd April 2026.
It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
One entry per household.
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
Join the Discussion
Type out your comment here:
You must be logged in to post a comment.