The selection of books I’ve chosen for this post include some of my absolute favourite books of all time. There is a central idea to all of them – an escapism that I really love to read about.
The Salt Path – Raynor Winn (non-fiction)
What’s it about? In a single week Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lose their family home of twenty years, their business and Moth is diagnosed with a terminal illness. As the bailiffs knock on the door to take their farm they decide to walk. Homeless, dying and with no plan for the future they set off with thin sleeping bags, a tent, noodles and a tiny bit of money to walk the 630 miles of the South West Coastal Path.
Why might I like it? The story is astonishing. As they complete mile after mile, Ray and Moth see changes in themselves and in the environment around them. Their eyes are opened to how people perceive homelessness and how they have to position themselves in society. The countryside, beaches and nature begin to touch them. As they wild-camp along the route they walk themselves through their trauma.
Ray’s descriptions of the natural world, the events of the journey and her insights into her journey are beautifully written, conjuring salty air and a strange nostalgia. It is both a deeply sad and wonderfully hopeful story that shines a light on the growing issue of homelessness and poverty in the UK, and also reminds us of the beauty all around us.
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Wild – Cheryl Strayed (non-fiction)
What’s it about? At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Why might I like it? This is another true story of a woman who walks away from her old life and bad choices into a new self, connected with nature and with her own past. Both Wild and The Salt Path show the capacity we have as humans to grow and also the power of the natural world for healing.
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The Long Dry – Cynan Jones (fiction)
What’s it about? Another beautiful offering from Cynan Jones telling of a day in drought plagued rural Wales when a pregnant cow leaves the barn and wonders the fields. In that day Jones explores the farmers’ lives both in the family and the community. He captures a world, a lifetime, in a moment.
Why might I like it? His beautiful prose paints a nuanced picture of the natural world and the rolling Welsh farmland. The stories and events that happen, happen to all of us in a way, from childhood to old age, life and death. There is a similar feeling towards the natural world in this book as in the other two, non-fiction books that might resonate with you if you enjoyed the above.
Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur (poetry)
What’s it about? Set over four chapters Rupi Kaur’s poetry explores the emotional journey of loving over “the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing”.
Why might I like it? Her writing is visceral, direct and hits straight at the point she is making. It resonated very much with me particularly the healing section. She opens her heart in the poems and her experiences navigate the trauma and ecstasy of love. There are many similar themes in this collection to those explored above.
Have you read any of the books listed above? What did you think? Have you read any others that you think should go in this collection? Let me know in the comments below!
Secondary Reading 