The Salt Path by Raynor Winn – subject: mood-boosting books
Continuing with the walking/travelling theme, we found this book to be an interesting if cautionary true story about two unexpectedly homeless people tackling the 630 mile South West Coast path.
If anyone would like to write a sentence or two about the book, please email janet.bayliss@esneft.nhs.uk
Despite being in the category of nature/travel writing, this book deals with some gritty themes in a way that makes the reader think. It is the true story of what happened when the author and her husband Moth lost their home (and just about everything else) at the same time that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. With nowhere else to turn, they decided to walk the South West Coast path, starting in Somerset and ending in Dorset and did exactly that, with a gap when they stayed in a friend’s shed, whilst doing it up.
The book deals very well with issues around homelessness and the stigma involved; also about surviving on a very limited budget and how the couple changed both physically and mentally during their walk. The impact of Moth’s illness and the love between him and Raynor is powerfully told, but some of us did find it a bit of a challenging read in places. We were not sure about the wisdom of some of the couple’s decisions and found the narrative a bit disjointed in places as well as not very mood boosting. Raynor also seems almost painfully honest in her descriptions and observations; some readers may not agree with the points she makes in places. It did give us a very meaty discussion session though. It is also worth noting that the book is being made into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs; definitely one to watch out for in the near future.
Raynor Winn and her husband formerly lived on a farm in Wales; since writing The salt path she has produced two other books: The wild silence – which covers their stay on an old Cornish farm; and Landlines – about a later walk from the northwest corner of Scotland; “doing” the Cape Wrath trail.
We are still reading several rather long books and/or series of books: The seven sisters historical novel series by Lucinda Riley being an ongoing suggestion: they certainly all have very intriguing titles.
Another ongoing recommendation from several members is the Thursday Murder Club sequence by Richard Osman with The last devil to die being the latest book in the series. As it keeps coming up, we will be reading it in the New Year as one of the Book Group chosen titles.
Several of the above may be on Libby, check them out at the Libby app. Head over to our Libby page to find out more.