BookBrief
Walking on Water cover
Archivist's Choice

Walking on Water

Richard Paul Evans (2014)

Genre

Spirituality

Reading Time

360 min

Key Themes

See below

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As Alan Christoffersen nears Key West, his cross-country walk becomes a journey of final goodbyes and new friendships, forcing him to face a new crisis that tests his lessons of love, forgiveness, and hope.

Synopsis

Alan Christoffersen, nearing the end of his cross-country walk, gets an unexpected call that pulls him back west. This threatens his journey just as he starts to heal from loss. He faces a new family crisis that makes him confront his past, including issues with his estranged sister, Janine, and his father's complex history. Alan relies on a new friend's support and an old friend's wisdom to navigate forgiveness and grief. He decides to continue his walk, finding the strength to mend relationships, accept his past, and find hope for the future as he finishes the last miles to Key West, symbolizing his path toward healing and new beginnings.
Reading time
360 min
Difficulty
Easy
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Reflective, Emotional, Hopeful, Redemptive
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy emotional journeys of self-discovery, stories about overcoming grief and family reconciliation, and introspective narratives.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced thrillers or stories without a strong focus on emotional healing and personal reflection.

Plot Summary

The Unexpected Call

Alan Christoffersen is nearing the end of his walk from Seattle to Key West, having found peace along the way. In Florida, he receives a phone call from his estranged sister, Janine. Their father, whom Alan has not seen in years, is very ill. This news disturbs Alan's peace. He must decide whether to stop his journey to face a past he has tried to outrun, or continue, possibly missing a final chance to reconcile with his father. The call reopens old wounds and makes Alan rethink his priorities and the meaning of his walk.

A Detour Back West

After much thought and advice from his new friend, Angel, Alan decides he cannot live with the regret of not seeing his father one last time. He arranges for his belongings to be shipped and flies back to Seattle, pausing his walk. This detour is an emotional setback, as Alan was close to finishing his goal and finding closure. The journey back west is filled with anxiety as he anticipates his father's death and confronting his sister, Janine, and the family issues he left behind. The decision shows Alan's growing capacity for forgiveness and his wish for true peace.

Reunion and Revelation

Upon arriving in Seattle, Alan meets his sister, Janine, and immediately feels the tension of their strained relationship. He goes to the hospital where his father, Robert Christoffersen, is in a coma, his health failing. Alan sits by his father's bedside, remembering both good and bad times. Janine shares details about their father's life and struggles that Alan did not know, giving him a more complete picture of the man he had resented. This shared experience, though painful, starts to break down the barriers between Alan and Janine. Alan begins to see his father not just as the cause of his pain, but as a complex person who also suffered.

The Weight of Forgiveness

As his father's condition worsens, Alan faces the challenge of forgiveness. He recalls specific times his father was emotionally distant and critical, shaping his childhood and later struggles. Janine shares her own views, sometimes agreeing, sometimes differing from Alan's, creating a fuller family story. Alan realizes that true healing means letting go of decades of anger. He spends hours talking to his unconscious father, expressing his pain, but also his understanding and, finally, his forgiveness. This act is for his father, but also for Alan's own freedom, releasing the weight of the past.

A Father's Legacy

After his father's death, while going through his belongings, Alan finds a hidden letter. This letter, written by Robert Christoffersen years earlier, is a heartfelt confession of his regrets, his love for Alan, and his difficulty expressing emotions. It reveals a vulnerability Alan never knew his father had and explains his father's often harsh manner, saying he was trying to protect Alan from his own pain. The letter is a powerful moment of reconciliation after death, confirming Alan's earlier forgiveness and bringing him a deep sense of peace. It completely changes Alan's view of his father, turning him from a figure of resentment into one of tragic love.

Mending Fences with Janine

Their father's death and the discovery of his letter help Alan and Janine begin to mend their fractured relationship. They spend time together, remembering their childhood, sharing both painful and fond memories, and acknowledging how their father's actions affected them differently. Janine apologizes for past misunderstandings and her part in their estrangement, and Alan does the same. This period helps them see each other in a new light, not as rivals or sources of past hurt, but as siblings who have both suffered and now seek connection. They commit to building a healthier relationship, showing the healing power of shared grief and understanding.

Returning to the Path

With closure regarding his father and a renewed connection with Janine, Alan feels a strong urge to complete his walk. The detour back to Seattle, though difficult, has strengthened his resolve and given his journey deeper meaning. He realizes the walk was not just about escaping his past, but about facing it and finding true healing. He says goodbye to Janine, promising to keep in touch, and arranges to return to Florida to continue. This decision shows his readiness to embrace his future, free from past resentments, and to complete the final part of his physical and spiritual journey.

The Wisdom of Old Friends

Back in Florida, Alan reconnects with Forrest, an older, wise man he met earlier, who had offered him spiritual guidance. Forrest listens as Alan tells him about his father's death and his reconciliation with Janine. Forrest offers further insight into forgiveness, family complexities, and the importance of living in the present. His calm wisdom helps Alan understand his recent experiences within his spiritual growth. Forrest reinforces that true strength comes not from avoiding pain, but from walking through it, much like Alan has literally walked across the country, facing each challenge.

The Final Miles

With support from new and old friends, and a heart finally free from resentment, Alan begins the final miles of his walk to Key West. Each step shows his resilience and the change he has undergone. He thinks about why he started his walk — his wife's death, losing his business, bankruptcy — and how those losses, while devastating, led him to a deeper understanding of himself and the world. The physical journey becomes a metaphor for his spiritual path, ending in a peace and purpose he never thought possible. He is no longer walking away from his past, but toward a hopeful future.

Arrival in Key West

Alan Christoffersen finally reaches the southernmost point in Key West, the end of thousands of miles walked across America. This moment is not just a physical achievement but a deep spiritual one. He stands at the iconic buoy, looking out at the ocean, a symbol of endless possibilities. The journey has stripped him bare, rebuilt him, and led him to a place of profound healing and self-discovery. He feels a sense of completion, not just for the walk, but for the emotional and spiritual journey he took. The ending is bittersweet, marking the close of a chapter, but also the start of a new, hopeful life where he is ready to embrace love, connection, and his future.

Principal Figures

Alan Christoffersen

The Protagonist

Alan transforms from a man running from his past into one who confronts it, forgives, and embraces a future filled with hope and connection.

Robert Christoffersen

The Supporting/Mentioned

Though he dies, Robert's character arc is completed posthumously as Alan discovers his hidden letter, revealing his true, loving intentions and allowing Alan to forgive him.

Janine

The Supporting

Janine moves from a strained, distant relationship with Alan to one of understanding, forgiveness, and renewed sibling connection.

Angel

The Supporting

Angel serves as a catalyst for Alan's continued emotional healing and decision-making during a critical phase of his journey.

Forrest

The Supporting

Forrest provides consistent spiritual wisdom that helps Alan process his experiences and solidify his understanding of forgiveness and hope.

Themes & Insights

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

This is a central theme, most powerfully seen in Alan's journey to forgive his estranged father, Robert. Alan carries decades of resentment, believing his father was distant and critical. His father's impending death forces Alan to face this anger. His decision to return to Seattle, sit by his father's bedside, and find his father's letter after his death, leads to a deep act of forgiveness, for his father and for himself. This theme also includes Alan's reconciliation with his sister, Janine, as they navigate their shared grief and past family issues. The book suggests that true healing requires letting go of past hurts and embracing forgiveness.

““Forgiveness isn't for the other person; it's for you.””

— Narrator (reflecting Alan's internal realization or a lesson learned)

The Nature of Grief and Healing

The entire reason for Alan's walk is his grief over his wife's death and the loss of his business and home. The book explores the long path of healing, showing it is not a straight line. Alan finds moments of peace and progress, only to be upset again by news of his father. His journey shows that healing means facing past wounds, allowing oneself to feel pain, and finding new ways to connect and find purpose. The act of walking serves as a metaphor for the slow, deliberate process of emotional recovery.

““Grief is a path, not a destination. You walk through it, not around it.””

— Forrest

The Power of Connection and Community

Even though he starts his journey alone, Alan increasingly finds comfort and strength in the connections he makes. His new friendship with Angel provides crucial emotional support when he faces the crisis with his father. Forrest's wisdom helps him process complex emotions and gain spiritual insight. Even the difficult, but ultimately reconciling, interactions with his sister, Janine, highlight the importance of family bonds. These relationships show that while personal journeys are important, human connection is essential for true healing and finding meaning, a contrast to Alan's initial solitary approach.

““Sometimes, the greatest strength lies not in walking alone, but in knowing when to lean on others.””

— Angel

Redemption and Self-Discovery

Alan's walk is a journey of self-discovery and redemption. He seeks to understand who he is after losing everything and dealing with a past he wishes to escape. The challenges he faces, especially the unexpected detour to confront his father's death, make him look deeper into his own character. Through these trials, he discovers his capacity for forgiveness, his resilience, and his ability to find hope even in dark times. Completing his walk in Key West symbolizes not just a physical achievement, but the redemption of his spirit and the discovery of a stronger, more complete self.

““The longest journey you will ever take is the one from your head to your heart.””

— Forrest

Plot Devices & Literary Techniques

The Cross-Country Walk

A physical journey symbolizing a spiritual and emotional pilgrimage.

The literal act of Alan walking from Seattle to Key West serves as the primary plot device. It's not merely a mode of travel but a powerful metaphor for his internal journey of healing, self-discovery, and confronting his past. Each mile represents progress in his emotional and spiritual growth, with setbacks like his father's illness mirroring the non-linear nature of healing. The physical endurance required reflects his mental and emotional resilience, and the changing landscapes symbolize the different phases of his inner transformation. The final arrival signifies the completion of both his physical and spiritual quest.

The Posthumous Letter

A hidden letter from Alan's deceased father, revealing his true feelings.

The discovery of Robert Christoffersen's hidden letter after his death is a crucial plot device. It acts as a powerful catalyst for Alan's complete forgiveness and understanding of his father. Without this letter, Alan might have achieved a partial reconciliation, but the letter provides definitive proof of his father's love and regret, offering a profound sense of closure. It allows for a posthumous dialogue between father and son, shifting Alan's perception of his father from a source of pain to a complex individual who struggled with expressing his emotions. This device ensures a deeply satisfying emotional resolution to a long-standing conflict.

The Unexpected Detour

Alan's interruption of his journey to return home for his dying father.

The unexpected phone call about Alan's father and his subsequent decision to fly back to Seattle constitutes a significant plot detour. This device creates immediate conflict and raises the stakes, forcing Alan to choose between his personal quest and confronting his unresolved family issues. It tests his newfound resilience and challenges his capacity for forgiveness. This detour is not a setback but a necessary part of his healing, demonstrating that true spiritual growth often requires facing, rather than avoiding, past pain. It ultimately deepens the meaning of his entire journey, making his eventual completion even more significant.

Critical analysis

Notable Quotes

“Sometimes the things we think we want are not the things we actually need.”

— The protagonist's realization about his life's direction.

“Faith is not about seeing to believe, but believing to see.”

— A spiritual lesson imparted to the main character.

“The greatest miracles are often the ones we don't recognize as such.”

— Reflecting on the subtle blessings in everyday life.

“True strength is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

— A message of resilience and perseverance.

“Love is the only thing that multiplies when you divide it.”

— A profound statement about the nature of love.

“Sometimes the only way to find yourself is to get lost.”

— The protagonist's journey into the unknown leading to self-discovery.

“Don't pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”

— A challenging but empowering perspective on prayer and hardship.

“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.”

— Encouraging forward movement and letting go of past regrets.

“Every sunrise is an invitation to brighten someone's day.”

— A simple yet powerful reminder of daily purpose and kindness.

“We are all walking on water, if only we have the courage to step out of the boat.”

— Metaphor for taking a leap of faith into the unknown.

“The most important things in life are not things.”

— A reflection on materialism versus true value.

“Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and discovering the prisoner was you.”

— Exploring the liberating power of forgiveness.

“God's delays are not God's denials.”

— A message of patience and trust in divine timing.

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.”

— Emphasizing perspective and inner vision over superficial observation.

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Key Questions (FAQ)

The book follows Alan Christoffersen in the final stages of his cross-country walk from Seattle to Key West. After enduring the death of his wife, the loss of his business, and bankruptcy, Alan seeks healing and understanding, but faces new challenges that threaten to derail his spiritual and physical journey right before its culmination.

About the author