The Wild Silence
The Sunday Times Bestseller 2021 from the author of The Salt Path
Published on 3. September 2020
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-241-40146-0 (ISBN)
Description
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
The incredible follow-up to one of the most talked about books of the decade - the phenomenon, Waterstones Book of the Month and Costa Award shortlisted The Salt Path.
_______
'Extraordinary: wise, unflinching, exquisite. Profound' Observer
'A thrill to read. The nature writing is beautiful . . . heartening and comforting. You feel the world is a better place' The Times
_______
Nature holds the answers for Raynor and her husband Moth.
After walking 630 miles homeless along The Salt Path, the windswept and wild English coastline now feels like their home.
And despite Moth's terminal diagnosis, against all medical odds, he seems revitalized in nature - outside, they discover that anything is possible.
Now, life beyond The Salt Path awaits. As they return to four walls, the sense of home is illusive and returning to normality is proving difficult - until an incredible gesture by someone who reads their story changes everything:
A chance to breathe life back into a beautiful but neglected farmhouse nestled deep in the Cornish hills; rewilding the land and returning nature to its hedgerows becomes their new path.
Along the way, Raynor and Moth learn more about the land that envelopes them, find friends both new and old, and, of course, embark on another windswept adventure when the opportunity arises.
The Wild Silence is a luminous story of hope triumphing over despair, of the human spirit's instinctive connection to nature, and of lifelong love prevailing over everything.
_______
'Raynor Winn has written a brilliant, powerful and touching account of her life before and after The Salt Path, which, like her astonishing debut, will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity' Stephen Moss, author and naturalist
'A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
'So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly. Confirms Winn as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words' Sophie Raworth
'A must read for anyone inspired by The Salt Path' Good Housekeeping
'An uplifting, illuminating read' Daily Mirror
'Heart-rending. A love letter to the natural world in all its wondrous glory . . . spellbinding' Herald
Praise for The Salt Path
'An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves' Independent
'This is what you need right now to muster hope and resilience . . . a beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity' Stylist
'The landscape is magical: shapeshifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely. . . it's a tale of triumph; of hope over despair, of love over everything' Sunday Times
'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told' Jackie Morris, illustrator of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane
The incredible follow-up to one of the most talked about books of the decade - the phenomenon, Waterstones Book of the Month and Costa Award shortlisted The Salt Path.
_______
'Extraordinary: wise, unflinching, exquisite. Profound' Observer
'A thrill to read. The nature writing is beautiful . . . heartening and comforting. You feel the world is a better place' The Times
_______
Nature holds the answers for Raynor and her husband Moth.
After walking 630 miles homeless along The Salt Path, the windswept and wild English coastline now feels like their home.
And despite Moth's terminal diagnosis, against all medical odds, he seems revitalized in nature - outside, they discover that anything is possible.
Now, life beyond The Salt Path awaits. As they return to four walls, the sense of home is illusive and returning to normality is proving difficult - until an incredible gesture by someone who reads their story changes everything:
A chance to breathe life back into a beautiful but neglected farmhouse nestled deep in the Cornish hills; rewilding the land and returning nature to its hedgerows becomes their new path.
Along the way, Raynor and Moth learn more about the land that envelopes them, find friends both new and old, and, of course, embark on another windswept adventure when the opportunity arises.
The Wild Silence is a luminous story of hope triumphing over despair, of the human spirit's instinctive connection to nature, and of lifelong love prevailing over everything.
_______
'Raynor Winn has written a brilliant, powerful and touching account of her life before and after The Salt Path, which, like her astonishing debut, will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity' Stephen Moss, author and naturalist
'A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
'So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly. Confirms Winn as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words' Sophie Raworth
'A must read for anyone inspired by The Salt Path' Good Housekeeping
'An uplifting, illuminating read' Daily Mirror
'Heart-rending. A love letter to the natural world in all its wondrous glory . . . spellbinding' Herald
Praise for The Salt Path
'An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves' Independent
'This is what you need right now to muster hope and resilience . . . a beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity' Stylist
'The landscape is magical: shapeshifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely. . . it's a tale of triumph; of hope over despair, of love over everything' Sunday Times
'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told' Jackie Morris, illustrator of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane
Reviews / Votes
Heartening and comforting . . . The nature writing is beautiful and it is a thrill to read. You feel the world is a better place because Raynor and Moth are in it * The Times * Raynor Winn has written a brilliant, powerful and touching account of her life before and after The Salt Path, which, like her astonishing debut, will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity * Stephen Moss, author and naturalist * A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing * Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry * Written in wise, unflinching, exquisite prose, this is a different kind of journey - into the past, into grief and also into Winn's search for connection. A spiritual journey instead of a physical one, and, for me at least, an even richer one * Rachel Joyce, author of Miss Benson's Beetle * Deeply personal and spiritual in its exploration of the healing qualities of nature . . . Winn's writing transforms her surroundings and her spirits, her joy coming across clearly in her shimmering prose * i * In this unflinching sequel to The Salt Path, nature provides solace against forebodings of mortality . . . there is a luminous conviction to the prose * Observer * To follow Raynor Winn on her songline back to Cornwall is to know how it feels to walk yourself into the land you love and find peace at the end of the journey * Brian Jackman, travel journalist for The Sunday Times * An uplifting, illuminating read * Daily Mirror * Winn's soul-baring honesty and beautifully remembered, touching conversations will take your breath away * BBC Countryfile * Notions of home are poignantly explored . . . Her evocations of weather, landscape, the sea and her love for her partner, Moth, who has an incurable neurodegenerative condition, are wonderful * Guardian * Full of descriptions of dramatic landscapes that make the reader long for the great outdoors . . . an uplifting and illuminating book * Sunday Express * Heart-rending. A love letter to the natural world in all its wondrous glory . . . spellbinding * Herald * The Wild Silence confirms Raynor as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words. This book gives us all what we wanted to know at the end of The Salt Path which is what happened next. So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly -- Sophie Raworth This book promises to take you away with the same amazing descriptive and emotive writing found in The Salt Path -- David Atherton, Great British Bake Off Winner 2019 * Waitrose Weekend * Profoundly moving and emotionally transcendent reading * The List * Unflinching . . . Another beautifully poignant read about triumph over adversity, and adjusting to life after immense change * The List * Intimate in feel and ambitious in scope . . . Throughout it all [Winn] retains her faith in the importance of having an almost visceral connection to the land * Observer * This sequel sees the pair trying unsatisfactorily to readjust to normal life before finding ways to reharness nature's healing power * Telegraph * Moving. A must-read for anyone inspired by The Salt Path . . . another thoughtful memoir * Good Housekeeping * The quality of Winn's writing draws us through the story with the same emotional honesty, lyricism and warmth that epitomises The Salt Path * Resurgence & Ecologist * A poignant and passionate, grounded yet uplifting journey of discovery in which we learn what can be found after all seems lost, The Wild Silence is a testament to the transformative power of nature and the fresh hope it nurtures within ourselves * Steven McKenzie, editor of The Big Issue * Picks up the story where Winn's astonishing The Salt Path left off * The New European * Wise, unflinching, exquisite prose -- Rachel Joyce Luminous and touching * Foyles * Raynor Winn's story has become the stuff of legend * Cornwall Life * Writing with such honesty is a trademark of [Winn's] style * The Marshwood Vale Magazine * '9 new books to read this September' * SheerLuxe * Powerful * Writers Forum * Beautiful * Herald * 'Country Life Book of the Week' * Country Life * Down to earth yet astonishing . . . touching * This England *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 144 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
407 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-40146-0 (9780241401460)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Raynor Winn
The Wild Silence
The Sunday Times Bestseller from the Multi-Million-Copy Bestselling Author of The Salt Path
E-Book
09/2020
1st Edition
Michael Joseph Ltd
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Since travelling the South West Coastal Path, Raynor Winn has become a regular long-distance walker and writes about nature, homelessness and wild camping. Her first book, The Salt Path, was a Sunday Times bestseller and shortlisted for the 2018 Costa Biography Award. In The Wild Silence, Raynor explores readjusting to life after homelessness. She lives in Cornwall with her husband Moth.