As I’m sure all of you can attest to, 2020 has been rough. There is the whole pandemic thing, but on top of that both my daughter and I have had multiple health issues to contend with, our house has needed ongoing work, and we are stuck at home, mostly inside, trying to fill the days and not lose our shit completely. This is attempted with widely varying results.
So to help me deal with all of this, I’ve been trying to focus on all the things I’m very lucky to have. A roof over my head. A husband who can work from home. Food on the table. A home to isolate in. A wonderful kid who fills even the darkest of days with love, hugs and laughter. Access to soap and water. Masks and hand sanitizer. Hospitals full of brave and amazing medical staff who are still there to help us, despite the risk that puts them in. Grocery stores and pharmacies that deliver and whose staff are somehow also still there despite the risk it puts them in. The internet so we can videochat family and access lots of educational ideas and resources to help keep us occupied. And that’s just the obvious stuff. But even with all this I still find it helpful to read books about people’s experiences who have it harder than we do currently. It’s great for working on my perspective and compassion, and for drawing me outside of my own narrow view of the world and my worries. The Salt Path was one such book.
This book is about a woman, Raynor, and her husband Moth, who have lost their home due to a sketchy investment they made with a long-time friend. Not only have they lost their home, but since they were farmers, they have lost their source of income. And as if that wasn’t enough, shortly after this happens, Moth is given a terminal diagnosis.
You could say they have a lot to deal with. The only thing they have going for them is a book that guides them along the Salt Path – a path more than 600 miles long that follows the southern coast of England – and a tent. So, rather than imposing on friends and family, they take to the path. They get a small government stipend every couple of weeks that barely covers their food, and other than that they are on their own. They walk all day, stocking up on food whenever money shows up in their bank, and sleeping rough anywhere they can find a suitable spot.
It’s an experience not many have had, and even fewer could handle. Particularly given that they are in middle age and Moth’s condition means he is in a lot of pain. But what they didn’t expect is that, despite all the down sides of their situation, the experience would be exactly what they needed. It affords them freedom in a time when they feel cast adrift. It offers them a home – albeit one made of canvas – that they can retreat to every night and that is theirs. The exercise helps Moth’s condition. And learning that they are able to keep themselves moving forward, deal with whatever problems come their way, and survive is such a wonderful and healing thing when they have lost everything.
I loved this book. Not only is the story incredibly inspiring, but it is beautifully written. I felt like I was right there with them – through the sunburn and the hunger, through the thirst and the cold and the wet nights. I could smell the salt from the ocean and hear the birds as they circled out to sea. They took a desperate situation and made it into something peaceful and purposeful. This is such a hard thing to do when you feel like you are drowning, and yet they did. Which was exactly what I needed to read right now.
If you enjoy travel writing, inspiring stories, or are just looking for something that will help you feel like even though things are hard right now, it doesn’t have to take you under, I can’t recommend this book enough. I’m very excited to start in on its newly released sequel – The Wild Silence – that just came out in September!
The true story of a couple who lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England
Just days after Raynor Winn learns that Moth, her husband of thirty-two years, is terminally ill, their house and farm are taken away, along with their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall.
Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea, and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable and life-affirming journey. Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, The Salt Path is ultimately a portrayal of home–how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways. – Goodreads
Book Title: The Salt Path
Author: Raynor Winn
Series: Yes – The Salt Path #1
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Penguin Group
Released: March 5, 2019 (first published March 22, 2018)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Travel, Adventure and Adversity
Pages: 270
Date Read: August 7-September 13, 2020
Rating: 8/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.16/5 (21,417 ratings)
I am very interested in reading this book and its sequel. Thank you for sharing your review.
I definitely thought it was a great read. Yes, it’s challenging and sad, but it is also a good lesson in slowing down, taking stock and finding what you really need to keep moving forward. I enjoyed the writing and felt a sense of peace while reading. I’d recommend it if you enjoy quiet books that are more about the inner world than outward adventure (though this has some of both)!