By Katherine May
Paperback £12.99
Part autobiography, part nature writing, Wintering in its entirety is a beautiful poetic mediation on the importance of feeling one’s feelings. Katherine May is forced to rest when a family member suffers an illness and it leads to a time of seclusion and isolation. For fans of The Outrun or The Serviceberry this is the book for you. I read it last year and it helped me give into and experience winter hibernation as it is meant to be experienced in a way I never had before. This year I tried to resist the winter hibernation, suffered, and have picked it up again in February. I have decided to read it every year from now on to enjoy the winter months like the adorable dormouse May describes.
Her philosophical musings are never patronising or twee but come from the viewpoint of someone who has clearly experienced life in the full plethora of grey, rather than the binary of black and white, good and bad. It has been a hugely popular bestseller, seemingly out of nowhere, and I like to hope perhaps this is why.
“Life meanders like a path through the woods. We have seasons when we flourish, and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again”.
The interdependence of bees and the science of the song of a robin in winter are beautiful highlights to remember to ask for help, slow down, and rest.
Review by Eleanor